What a great experience for you, and for us. Thanks.
BWO trip....
For the past couple weeks, i've been traveling for work. *Spending less that 12 hours at home always sucks, but I like my job so Its not all bad. *I finally got home on Tuesday and my wife was pretty direct - GO DO SOMETHING. *Kids are in school, she had plans etc. *Now, I wasn't going to. *I was going to work and be a responsible adult. *However, a buddy of mine shot me a text at 7am yesterday that simply read * * FISHING? * * Figured the fishing gods where lining up, so why not.
We headed out an hour later and ended up midway on Bighorn sheep canyon by 10:00 or so. *We were just east of Cotopaxi (couple miles max). *knowing the clouds where coming, and knowing that I wanted the BWO, I chose a spot that has a nasty good BWO hatch.
The river was quiet. *With the twin forks dropping flows doing a repair, the water was a foot lower than my last trip and there was clarity all the way to the bottom in even the deepest holes. *Whenever you get those fluctuations in water, there is a concern over what the fish will do. *In this case, they could have cared less.
They were holding in midcurrents and over to the edges in the morning. *As the morning shifted, the clouds filled the sky and that meat locker cool day started to form. * *The wind picked up, the sun disappeared and you could see the fish starting to flash on nymphs.
I took a side channel and thought for a moment that I hit the jackpot. *Fish were stacked up below a small beaver dam. *the water was so clear you could see every indentation of the river and breath of the fish. *These weren't browns. *No, all rainbows. *Weird? *I watched a few minutes longer and realized I stumbled on a series of reds. *These bows were spawning.
I couldn't help but to watch. *I probably stood there for 30 minutes just watching their dance. *The 2+ foot dominant male chasing the rest off the lie (biggest Bow Ive ever seen in that river). *The other fish would swarm and try to push him out but there was no moving him. *he was fertilizing those eggs. *They would be his future prodigy.
Moving up the river, we got to where I was hoping to be for the hatch. *We waited. *There is always a sense of anticipation before a real hatch. *Will it or will it not happen. *Do I have the right flies? *Do i have the skills to put the cast on the money?
Not long, and the head tail rises of an emergence began. *We started in a small side channel slot, fishing dun's trailed by emergers. *(comparadun's trailed by batwings) *The fish loved the batwings. *We fished up picking most fish out of every lie.
When we got to a larger stretch, the fish were BOILING. *Oh, how do I describe that? *its one of those things where the average person walks by without knowing what they are seeing. *As fishermen, and more specifically fly fishermen, there is not greater moment on a river or lake than when it is absolutely bubbling with fish.
They were no longer head tail rising, but had switched to the nose up rising of eating duns. * Size 18 slate/olive comparadun.
I don't count fish. *(Im from WV, so not smart enough to do that). *I do however enjoy each fish with a giggle. *I laughed all day.
Casts didn't need to be perfect, they just had to deliver the flies upstream. *the wind kept a bit of chop on the water which made the fish brazen with their feeding.
I know this was long, but I didn't have a camera and Im too old to do GOPRO. *So telling is the only way I have to describe it.
Spring is here my friends. *I hope to see you all on the water soon.
Thanks
We headed out an hour later and ended up midway on Bighorn sheep canyon by 10:00 or so. *We were just east of Cotopaxi (couple miles max). *knowing the clouds where coming, and knowing that I wanted the BWO, I chose a spot that has a nasty good BWO hatch.
The river was quiet. *With the twin forks dropping flows doing a repair, the water was a foot lower than my last trip and there was clarity all the way to the bottom in even the deepest holes. *Whenever you get those fluctuations in water, there is a concern over what the fish will do. *In this case, they could have cared less.
They were holding in midcurrents and over to the edges in the morning. *As the morning shifted, the clouds filled the sky and that meat locker cool day started to form. * *The wind picked up, the sun disappeared and you could see the fish starting to flash on nymphs.
I took a side channel and thought for a moment that I hit the jackpot. *Fish were stacked up below a small beaver dam. *the water was so clear you could see every indentation of the river and breath of the fish. *These weren't browns. *No, all rainbows. *Weird? *I watched a few minutes longer and realized I stumbled on a series of reds. *These bows were spawning.
I couldn't help but to watch. *I probably stood there for 30 minutes just watching their dance. *The 2+ foot dominant male chasing the rest off the lie (biggest Bow Ive ever seen in that river). *The other fish would swarm and try to push him out but there was no moving him. *he was fertilizing those eggs. *They would be his future prodigy.
Moving up the river, we got to where I was hoping to be for the hatch. *We waited. *There is always a sense of anticipation before a real hatch. *Will it or will it not happen. *Do I have the right flies? *Do i have the skills to put the cast on the money?
Not long, and the head tail rises of an emergence began. *We started in a small side channel slot, fishing dun's trailed by emergers. *(comparadun's trailed by batwings) *The fish loved the batwings. *We fished up picking most fish out of every lie.
When we got to a larger stretch, the fish were BOILING. *Oh, how do I describe that? *its one of those things where the average person walks by without knowing what they are seeing. *As fishermen, and more specifically fly fishermen, there is not greater moment on a river or lake than when it is absolutely bubbling with fish.
They were no longer head tail rising, but had switched to the nose up rising of eating duns. * Size 18 slate/olive comparadun.
I don't count fish. *(Im from WV, so not smart enough to do that). *I do however enjoy each fish with a giggle. *I laughed all day.
Casts didn't need to be perfect, they just had to deliver the flies upstream. *the wind kept a bit of chop on the water which made the fish brazen with their feeding.
I know this was long, but I didn't have a camera and Im too old to do GOPRO. *So telling is the only way I have to describe it.
Spring is here my friends. *I hope to see you all on the water soon.
Thanks
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Yep.... A great tale, a great day. Thank you for sharing, sir!!
Well, I can't say I am surprised, although a little disappointed I was not part of this thrashing. But you would have been pissed when I trailed a fat neon green egg behind a bobber for that male!
Glad you hit it on the right afternoon, that sounds perfect! Nice writeup, I could see it how you told it.
would love to of had you there...you and Tangler know the spotWell, I can't say I am surprised, although a little disappointed I was not part of this thrashing. But you would have been pissed when I trailed a fat neon green egg behind a bobber for that male!
and the idea of flossing that male ran through my head a lot , a whole lot
I'm glad you got out and had a great day!
AWESOME!
What a blast and great story telling. Saw my fair share of spawners the last two days and it is hard not to fish for'em..... We'll have to get'em later
What a blast and great story telling. Saw my fair share of spawners the last two days and it is hard not to fish for'em..... We'll have to get'em later
1 - 11 of 11 Posts
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