Nymphing Swirling Pocket Water



I was back on the Sipsey today trying to improve on my skunk trip this past week. The first half hour had me thinking that I was in for another non fish trip.

I decided I would start today’s outing at access 7 which is the last access located at the mouth of the dam. One can get a good work out walking from where your truck is parked at access 5 to 7. As I walked down the long metal walk way and approached the bottom of gouge I notice that Brandon owner of the Riverside Fly shop had a guide trip under way. They were in the area where I was going to start fishing, so after spending less than half hour in the shallow runs above them fishing my nymph with no success, I moved on down the gouge.

 While moving down the gouge I decided to tight line the nymph in some pocket water located in the faster section of the tailrace some distance below where I first encountered the guide trip. I haven’t work the pocket water this season as much as last year, so today I would give it a try. I had to do some careful wading using my wading staff (I never go on the water now without my wading staff) to get to my first spot because of all the moss covered rocks. Once there I used my 9 ft. Streamflex rod to high stick the first swirling pocket. I felt I could detect the take much better if I was in direct contact with the trout through tight lining as oppose to using the indicator. I was letting the nymph drift into the deep area of the pocket where it was only visible for a few seconds, to the trout before it was rushed on down stream. A few seconds is all it took to connect with my first rainbow of the morning. As luck would have it this one little hole was stacked with trout to the tune of 5 landed and that many lost for me in a very short time spent in this area.

Numerous trout landed for the morning using the high sticking method. I loss more trout than I landed today, mainly because I was late setting the hook.

My 3 weight Greys Streamflex paired with my Orvis 2/3 weight reel got quite a work out today. This combo works well here with the indicator/nymph combo and the dry, but could be a little light for the high stick method. I feel if I had been using my 9 ft. 4 weight the catch ratio would have increased. My next outing will include the 4 weight.