I was back on the Caney again today fishing the flats that level out from the main channel. Some of these areas can be less than a foot and some areas can be knee-deep. I seldom wade in the water on the Caney anymore deeper than knee-deep. I don’t have to wade any deeper than that to land trout there. This tailrace is packed with stocker trout in the size range from 8 to 12 inches. Of course, there is the occasional 16” and above but most of the time the stocker trout is the main course. I’ll take the stocker trout all day on a 3 or 4 weight fly rod in the fast-moving water. If I’m lucky enough to connect with a bigger trout then I consider that a bonus. All I need to make my day a success on the Caney is outstanding scenery, crystal clear water, beautiful rainbow, browns, and brook trout to bend my fly rod and I’m happy. That’s what I encountered on my Caney outing today.
Quality brown just over
the 12” stocker size put up quite a fight just off a gravel flat in a fast run. This
was my only trout to land on a near-perfect drift, “is there a perfect drift” for
the morning. I landed a couple more rainbows at the end of the drift just
letting the midge flutter in the ripples. No mistaking the take when the trout
nail the fly on this type of presentation. Presentation and patience were the main
elements for today's trip, in other words, the trout made me work for the takes.
It's really easy to wade
here because most all the time you are wading on gravel beds, and occasionally
submerged vegetation. The vegetation produces an abundance of food to support a
healthy trout population.
Cathey and I have always
been a collector of nice driftwood stumps and branches for landscaping, but I think
this one is a little out of our range!!! I spent the morning roaming
these flats enjoying another relaxing trip on my favorite southeastern
tailrace.
P.S. I have found out that a 5-hour wade trip is about my limit here, the back starts to act up beyond that. There are no boulders to sit on here like the Sipsey but lots more trout, I will take the trout over the boulders!!!
