A Good Day on the Water

TIME:  1:30 PM to 4:30 PM
WEATHER:  Partly cloudy, mid 60s 
WATER CONDITIONS:  0 Units
LOCATIONS FISHED:  Norfork River, Top of Island above Ackerman/Handicap Access to Mill Dam Eddy
ROD USED:  8’9” 5 wt JWF Winston
FLIES USED:  #14 Norfork River ICE Gray Scud, #20 Zebra Midge (Black with Silver Wire) (Red with Silver Wire)
HATCHES:  Midges, Caddis
OTHER:  Fished with Wayne.  We decided to fish close to home today, and started at the riffle across from Wayne’s,  Water levels were still dropping, and on a whim I began fishing the off side of the riffle (left descending bank) and was into fish immediately in the fast, shallow water.  At first, the fish were taking the red zebra midge, but after water levels stabilized, the fish began taking the scud.  It was an awesome time as I ended up with a good dozen and a half fish, the quickest I’ve reached that total in several weeks.  Meanwhile, Wayne began working his way up the pool, but the pool was fishing slow.  By the time I began wading upstream, he was at Mill Dam Eddy and catching fish with regularity.  I had no luck in the lower pool, so waded on to Mill Dam Eddy while Wayne fished along side the island.  At the downstream point of the island, I caught 8 fish in the skinny water, with about half taking the scud and the other half taking the red zebra midge.  Wayne caught 10 at the top of the island and began working his way back downstream, so rather than wade further upstream, I fished along the gravel bar at Mill Dam Eddy, and caught 3 or 4 fish.  We both waded downstream where I missed 3 and caught one in the pool.  Neither of us caught any big fish, but it was one of my most successful days in several weeks.