Waiting For CoolerTempertures

 When is the best time to land fish using the fly rod? August stands out as the least productive month, particularly for warm-water species. Bass and Bluegill tend to retreat to deeper waters during the hottest times of the year, typically July and August when surface temperatures can reach a scorching 87/88 degrees. However, as the water begins to cool in late September and October, the fish become more active, marking a significant shift in behavior. 

The tailrace gets most of my attention during these summer months. I would rather stand in 58-degree water than sit in the boat and wipe sweat from my forehead. 

This past Tuesday's trip on the tailrace was my first outing to fish the tailrace in a while. Why? It is hard to leave landing the spotted bass and super-sized gills on the lake during April, May, and June, the prime times to fish the lake. 

I arrived at the parking lot at 6 a.m. and discovered I was the only one there. Great, I will fish a couple of holes near access six. Before I suited up, I walked down the metal walkway to check the water lever and saw the generators had been on early that morning. I knew then I would have to wait at least an hour or more for the water to recede before I could wade anywhere near the areas I would fish. So I sat in the truck and reorganized my five fly boxes while listening to my sevenies songbook on my flash drive. 

Finally, the water receded, and I reached access six to fish my first pocket hole. The water was lower than I expected. Neither pocket hole produces any trout. I used my Euro nymphing 10' 4"  fly rod paired with my Orvis fly reel. I'm still learning to detect a take, especially in a slow current. I soon discovered I was battling two enemies: the bright sun lighting up the areas I was fishing and a tremendous amount of fishing pressure the week before. So I looked for shade, which was above access six. I sit up in a hole and run. I had fished many times before. I am now into my fourth fly change. I selected a size 12 pheasant tail as my point fly and added a size 18 green midge as my upper fly. My tippet ring was tied about 16" above the point fly. I use the tippet ring so I don't have to keep tying knots when changing flies above the point fly.

Cast after cast, in the first run, didn't produce a trout, but I didn't lose hope. Moving to deeper water, I finally landed my first trout. The take was light, but I was proud of detecting the hit. I am still learning to land a trout using the long Euro rod, but I am getting better with every trip. This form of fly fishing will be my mode of fishing in this place because of the amount of fishing pressure it endures. The rest of today's trip enabled me to practice my casting technique mainly because the trout developed lockjaw. As I was leaving and walking up the incline back to the truck, I remembered this hit song by "Three Dog Night" in the seventies, "One is the loneliness number," which might have been the feeling of the lone trout I landed today. But for me, it was a great way to spend the morning.