Taking A “Bath”

TIME: 8:45 AM to 11:30 AM

WEATHER:  Clear, mid 70s

WATER CONDITIONS:  0.25-0.5 Units

LOCATIONS FISHED:  Norfork River, Mill Dam Eddy to Riffle above Island Below McClellan’s

ROD USED:  8’ 9” 5 wt Winston Joan Wulff Favorite

FLIES USED:   #14 Norfork River Scud (Olive), Wayne’s Fly (Olive), John’s Superfly, San Juan Worm (cerise) and #20 Red/Silver Zebra Midge

OTHER:  Fished with Bruce.  We walked in at Mill Dam Eddy, but opted to fish upstream.  I waded to the riffle above the island below McClellan’s and caught a few fish, but the river began rising, and the fish just turned off.  The forecast was for SWPA to pulse generate for one hour to help with dissolved oxygen, and my intent was to wait out the pulse since I was on the left descending bank.  I waited, and waited, but the water level never got lower.  I decided to cross back to the island while water levels were still “reasonably” low, and made it just fine via deliberate and careful wading across the “pumpkin patch”.  Then, I tried crossing to the right descending bank to get Bruce’s attention to rising water, and was only in water just over the knees, but the velocity and flow as so great that it swept me off my feet.  I had a difficult time getting up, but finally made it to shore, got Bruce, and we had to wade up the creek, then bushwhack to our trail.  I managed to catch a dozen and a half fish this morning, but had to change flies every two or three fish.  Wayne’s Fly, cast quartering downstream and stripping back, seemed to work best.  This is the first time I have gone down in the Norfork River, and it was a bit embarrassing, though it reinforced the fact that flowing water is dangerous.  Upon arriving home, I rinsed my waders and boots, and laid out the myriad of fly boxes to dry. 

Having worked for the US Army Corps of Engineers for 31+ years, I was more than ticked off that Southwest Power Administration’s forecast is so terribly unreliable.  It has been inaccurate over half the time the last couple of weeks, but the Corps says I’m the only one complaining.  Beware of minimum flow when it gets here because reaction time to rising water levers will be significantly less, and I venture to say a lot of people are going to be stranded on the river—BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU ASK FOR!