Posted on August 11 2020
Well I got it out of my system. Was on the big river fishing the WB cold water side before the fog burned off. Hoped to find enough tricos to get some fish up. Never saw a one. Didn't see any bugs of any kind for that matter. Blind cast a caddis and to my surprise rose a dozen rainbows, hooked eight and landed five. Before anyone gets excited they were all juveniles between eight and nine inches long. Never rose a good fish but it does bode well for next year. When the sun burned through the fog the heat was unbearable. Got back to the car soaking wet at 10:30. If I wanted to fish the "mid-day" sulfurs it was too late to go back to the camp so I drove up to Deposit and talked with Dave at the Troutfitter.
Went out at 11:30 and joined another angler who was fishing one of the pools above Deposit. There were good bugs and rising fish. There was also a sneaky draft blowing right upstream. Sometimes the fly went where it was supposed to and sometimes it went where the wind wanted it to. My new Panama Jack hat got it's first dunking courtesy of one of the stronger gusts of wind. Surprisingly the wind probably didn't hurt our fishing as the waves seemed to mask the bad casts and the fish kept right on eating. When we were able to get a fly in front of a fish he usually gave it a look and enough of them actually ate our flies to make it a fun afternoon.
Got back to camp about 3:45 and mowed the lawn, the two storms last week dumped much needed water on it but the hot sun this week will probably burn it up again. Finished up the lawn at 5:30 and sat down to do a crossword. Figured if I fell a sleep it had already been a good day. It was a Tuesday puzzle and was finished before six. Decided to drive back up to Deposit and give the evening hatch a go. The bugs weren't great and there weren't many risers but I got a nice 19 inch brown to eat my sulfur, he was fish of the day.
I'm pleasantly tired as I type this, have consumed two gator aids and three bottles of water along with my muscle relaxer. Will probably also down one over ripe banana all in a futile attempt at warding off the leg cramps that seem to arrive about 2:00 am following morning when I just might have fished a tad too much.
In 2016 I suffered four catastrophic hamstring cramps at night, one of which tore the LT outer hamstring (forgive my lack of Latin). Through research and advice from a neurologist/runner, each night I take 125 mg. of magnesium and about 12 oz. of tonic water. Since tuning this regimen (too much magnesium leads to too much urgent pooping) I have had only one serious cramping episode, and a few small events. ‘Ask your doctor if this is right for you’, since quinine can have cardiac side effects. Love your reports, although residual effects of two spine surgeries limit my Delaware adventures, and I tend to fish when I wish, rather than when it is better to target specific hatches. At 72, I wish I had your energy…and I assume you are older. Also, you have two fine sons. Keep up the good work and good humor, and please do not post this comment if possible.
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Good morning! I read you blog every day and i have learned a lot from your years of experience. I have 2 quick questions for you.
First, how do you try and position yourself in the river when casting to a rising fish? Do you prefer to be above the fish significantly or even with the fish etc..?
Second, How close do you like to land the fly to the Fish’s “Spot”. Do you set it out in front of them quite a bit and let it drift in to the zone or do you try and get it pretty close and let them make a quick decision?
I really appreciate your attention to detail and have really picked up on a few things you are always commenting on that i used to not think were very important, but surely they are. Cheers!
I actually did ok with the 10-12 inchers with an ant. It was fun catching them on something other than a sulpher. They were not big, but they really hit it hard.
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