Posted on August 16 2021
Finished up Monday morning to do's by 9:00 and was on my way to the fishing camp. Didn't stop in Deposit on the way down and had no urge to drive back up to the SZ after lunch. The sulfurs are waning, the fish are paranoid about eating dry flies and I'm sick of fishing the same pools day after day.
Worked around camp until about 4:00 then headed east. Haven't been over that way since the high water. The BK was in the 80's last week and the mid 70's the last three days. No point looking there. The UEB, however is still enjoying a "flood mitigation" release of 300 CFS. The release has given the UEB and the BE a refreshing flow of cold water good for both fish and bugs.
Drove up the UEB and saw but a few parked cars and fishermen. Did see rising fish in a slow water pool. With the binoculars I could see sulfurs. Donned waders and waded in. It wasn't long before I found out why no one was fishing there. The risers were almost all 7 to 8 inch yearlings and were as tough to fool as their cousins over in the WB. Reeled it in and drove further downstream where I again could see risers. With my waders (they are leaking again) still on I had only to slip on my vest, grab my rod, climb down the bank and once again fish to 8 inch trout. This time they were rising to a hatch of olives and I did hook and land a 14 inch wild trout which was the fish of the day in more ways than one.
Finished up the day by driving down the BE, which had lower temps than both the BK and the BR during last week's heat wave. Saw two rises in one pool and no bugs anywhere. Last stop was Bard Parker on the BR where there were five cars parked. Walked out to the river to look and was devoured by mosquitoes. Never saw a rise downstream and but two in the bubble line upstream. One family was swatting mosquitoes and trying to fish by the STP discharge pipe and one person was sitting in one of the cars. Never saw any of the occupants of the other cars.
Enjoyed the quiet of the UEB but there was really nothing going on either there or on the BE to merit going back anytime soon.. We are in one of those periods where it's perhaps better to hang up the waders and do something with your wife.
I had a similar experience on the UEB a couple of weeks ago. Lots of sulphurs, lots of risers, all little ones, which I couldn’t fool. I even asked myself, “why am casting to these dinks? Why not walk up to the riffles and try to find a bigger fish and some broken water for cover?” Lazy I guess! Those sulphurs were a size 20, and I needed some smaller flies. I am going to remedy that before returning. I hope those yearling trout are a sign of good things to come.
Any chance you could speculate on mid September Mr.119 ? I have your book and looked at the September post but last year I believe the drought effected conditions, maybe this year will be “normal” ?
Thanks
Paul