Wind and Caddis

TIME:  1:00 PM to 4:30 PM

WEATHER:  Partly cloudy, windy—gusting to 35 mph, high 70s

WATER CONDITIONS:  0 Units

LOCATIONS FISHED:  Norfork River, Mill Dam Eddy to just below McClellan’s Dock

ROD USED:  10’ 4 wt Winston

FLIES USED:  #16 green body, tan winged caddis, Wayne’s Brown Fly, #20 Black/Silver Zebra Midge

HATCHES:  Midges, Caddis, Sulphur

OTHER:  Fished with Bill.  With a strong wind, we walked in to begin wading, Bill with a small emerger, and I with the #20 cocklebur, but Mill dam Eddy was already occupied with a neighbor. We waded upstream and fished under the trees on the right descending bank with no success. At the top the island I switched flies, tying on a Wayne's Brown fly and dropping the black/silver zebra Midge. I fished the usual spots above the island on the left descending bank and was rewarded with three or four fish, all caught on Wayne’s Brown Fly. Another neighbor was fishing the riffles about the island, and my intent was to leapfrog him and fish the plunge pool. However, he moved upstream into the plunge pool and I waded across the river and upstream to Ace in the Hole. (Note:  It sure appeared that the river had changed course slightly with the riffle running diagonally across the river, plunging into a deeper pool than I had remembered. However, Wayne informs me that it was likely the wind pooling the water at that location, or that I had become mentally unstable!) Ace in the hole produced a couple of fish, again on Wayne’s Brown Fly, and wading upstream I caught a few more fish under the walnut tree. Meanwhile, Bill was catching up to fish as well, and caught and released a 20 inch, beautifully colored brown. I walked upstream as far as the that the water depth would allow, where Wayne typically fishes, but had very limited success catching only a small Brown via fowl hooking the fish. Bill and I fish our way back downstream with almost no success, until Ace in the Hole where Bill hooked and released several fish. Up to this point, all the fish I caught were on a Brown Wayne’s fly.  I switched back to a number 16 caddis and fished the plunge pool catching one fish. Had time allowed I would have switched to an emerger and believe it would have been very successful. I attempted to fish the riffle above the island, and did catch one fish on the caddis. However, the wind was blowing so strong that it was near impossible to even stand, let alone dry fly fish. Despite the wind, fish were keying on the caddis. As we walked downstream, one of the locals hooked, fought, and released a very nice rainbow, about 18 inches long, with spawning colors. I finished the day with about nine fish and have never fished in conditions as windy as today.