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. 

A Seasoned Fly Fisherman

Why do some fly fishermen land more fish than other individuals on the water? 

Over the years, I've taught my daughter, son, and grandchildren how to fish using the fly rod and fishing reels. I realized it was much easier for them to learn to use the traditional reel/combos than the fly rod. My only child who has mastered the fly rod was my son Jason. My daughter never had the patience to learn to use the fly rod. She is excellent at using the spinning reel but not the fly rod. I am still teaching my oldest grandson how to cast using the fly rod and how to manage the line and land a fish when using the fly rod. The time and patience involved in learning to use the fly rod is why I see very few individuals fly fishing on the tailrace. Most trout on the tailrace is taken using the spinning reel with live bait. I've never seen anyone using a fly rod on Smith Lake but me and the three guys I fish with there. I've learned once you've master using the fly rod, you are hooked for life.

I taught a couple of the guys I fish with how to use the fly rod, and yes, that is the only method of fishing for them now. I feel liking what you are doing is the number one characteristic that makes individuals stand out from the rest of the crowd, whether it's fly fishing or any other activity. Aside from liking fly fishing, other characteristics make a great fly fisherman stand out. You may have read their books and watched some of their videos. Some of the most famous are Lefty Krch, Joe Humphreys, still fishing at 94, and Tom Rosenbaucr. These are seasoned fly fishermen, and there are thousands more. The following list below are the characteristics I feel one needs to achieve to become a seasoned fly fisherman.

Side Note: I create most of my posts while sitting on our back porch enjoying my afternoon cup of coffee; this post was one of them.

Casting Proficiency: Mastering the different fly casting techniques is crucial. Most fly fishermen use the Roll Cast, Back Cast, Low Side Cast, and Bow and Arrow Cast as their main ones. A skilled fly fisherman can accurately and delicately place a fly or small popper on the water surface, initiating a natural insect as if it fell off a tree limb near the bank of a stream or at a lake's edge. You will know when you make this cast work to perfection for you! 

Knowledge of Fish Behavior: An understanding of fish behavior, habitat, and feeding patterns of the fish you are pursuing is essential. To drive this point home, I know that the daylight hours are my prime time to land fish, whether in Spring, Summer, or Fall.

Fly Selection: A good fly fisherman can select the correct fly pattern or popper color based on the insect activity. Matching the hatch is a key aspect of having a successful fly-fishing outing. 

Observation Skills: Paying attention to the water's surface, identifying rises, and observing insect activity are essential for fishing a river, small stream, tailrace, or lake. 

Patience and Persistence: Fly fishing involves patience and persistence; understand that fly fishing is not landing one fish after another. The only time that might happen is if you are sitting near a bluegill spawning bed. Know you have to put in the time and effort to catch fish even when they are not biting. I discussed this statement in my last post, 

"The Slow Bite on Smith Lake"

Knot Tying: One must know how to tie at least two to three knots. A strong knot is necessary to attach the fly to the tippet and to attach the tippet to the leader securely. The tippet ring has eliminated tying the tippet to the leader for most fly fishermen. The clinch, loop knot, and double clinch are my favorites. 

Knowledge of Equipment: You need to understand the different types of fly rods, reels, lines, and leaders, which will help you choose the right gear for various fishing situations.

Water Readings: When I first started fly fishing, I threw caution to the wind and would cast anywhere on the water. As each year passed, I became more familiar with spotting eddies, riffles and pools, and underwater structures. These were my most productive spots on streams, tail races, rivers, and lakes. 

Adaptability: I've found conditions on the water can change fast, as stated in one of my previous posts, "Fluctuating Water Conditions." During periods of a slow bite, I may vary flies, poppers, and nymphs several times. If one tactic is not working, I try something else. Don't get locked in on one fly pattern or tactic!

Stay Positive: I've mentioned this in my previous posts; assume that every fly or popper touching the water's surface will produce a take. 

Learning Mindset: Fly fishing is vast and continually evolving, which motivates me to learn new techniques, discover new waters, and improve my skills as a fly fisherman. I realize I will only know some things there is to learn about fly fishing, but that's what makes the sport so much fun. 

Euro Nymphing---Trail and Error

I did a post in March involving Euro Nymphing and had some success with the new technique that day, but I left the tailrace knowing I needed to spend more time on Euro Nymphing's casting and hook-setting phase. I am still learning to use the cast effectively and how to detect a hit from the trout. For those who haven't tried Euro Nymphing, it can take some time to master. One can land trout using the method when traditional fly casting isn't producing. 

As stated many times by me, the Sipsey Tailrace is battered to death with every fly and live bait on the market to catch a trout. So I switched to the Euro Nymphing method to improve my odds of landing more trout on the pressured tailrace. So far, it has worked to the point that I can connect with a trout but not bring the fish to the net; in other words, I am losing too many trout, especially on yesterday's trip. Detecting the hit is the problem, and not getting a good hook set. The online class I watched on Utube showed setting the hook using an upward movement of the fly rod. The hook point drives through the top of the trout's mouth when using that hook-set method. I hope this hook-set method improves my catch ratio. Breaking an old habit of setting the hook in a side motion frustrates me. I need to slap my face every time I miss a trout by using the side motion hook-set. I am too much of a perfectionist when fly fishing is involved!

 This trout was my lone trout for the morning after many missed hits. At least I didn't get skunked! I landed this trout in one of the numerous pocket holes I fish. There was enough current to move the nymph without me forcing it to move. I have learned Euro Nymphing is much easier to master when fishing in current.

The length of the quarter-mile stretch was heavy fog and thick humidity as I entered the bottom of the gorge. Lots of moss-covered rocks in the shallow runs, making it a challenge to wade. I didn't take a chance of falling even with my wading staff in this broad run.

I wanted to share a picture of Hallie Mae, who is ten months old. She has stayed with Cathey and me this past week while her parents, brothers, and sisters are on the bench in Florida. She is getting frustrated trying to learn to crawl. Hopefully, she will be crawling all over the place before the fourth of July. We didn't let her cry at all, and before the week was out, she had Meme and Pops trained well!

Hope all you Dad's have a HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!