Posted on June 13 2022
Back home waiting for carpet installers to show up. After almost forty years even I had to admit the wall to wall carpet needed replacing in the den. An air conditioner installer is also coming to give us a quote on a mini split system for the den and upstairs bedroom. Busy day.
Was able to drive down early Saturday morning and fish a long stretch of the lower WB that I make a point of hitting at least once a year. Was on the river about 9:30 and didn't get back to the car until 3:00. It wasn't because it was so good that I stayed so long, but because I was sure the bugs would get going, they never did. Saw but three fish rise at anything but my fly the whole time I was there. Most surprising thing was the absence of boats. Usually by about noon the boats start to show up. I saw two go by me in the five hours I fished. The evening fishing (also on the lower WB) was condensed into an hour and half. Sulfurs came first then a short but concentrated dose of spinners. When the spinners came you could hear the fish start to gulp. They weren't the least bit fussy about what they ate either.
We are between the glut of big bugs and the predictable steady hatches of July and August in the "Sulfur Zone". The crowds have started to thin, many of the guides are moving on to Montana and Alaska, and the mid day fishing has become something of a slog. Mornings can be productive with spinners and caddis, mid day can be good if you locate some spring sulfurs but the best fishing is from when the sun goes behind the hill until dark. Make no mistake about it, you earn your fish right now. i
Have several questions to answer and may well write a second page if the carpet instillers are late showing up.
Today was a good one on the upper WB. Caught several larger rainbows, among others, including two 17” and a 19”. Several others over 14”. Got them to eat a size 20 sulfur (they were hatching much bigger), size 12 March browns, and size 14 Hendricksons, mostly emergers, as well as some attractors — they were definitely not picky! They seemed to be looking for big bugs and I just fished what I had in the box. I did watch a lot of sulfur duns go by without any action. Fished from 3-7. The lights went out at 7 and I decided to call it a day, to avoid diminishing marginal returns and a nighttime drive home. I had two of the usually “well attended” pools to myself for most of it. Appreciate hearing from you, Sir!