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.

 

Indicators What’s Your Favorite

Indicators where do I begin; there are bunches on the market, that work to perfection while others need some more work. With most of us using the indicator nymph combo on a lot of our fishing trips; I thought I would share with you guys some of the latest ones to hit the market and some that have been around for a while.

Before you begin each two minute preview, let me explain why I am even doing this post: on my last outing I had a hell of a time removing the pinch on style indicator from my line. After the ordeal with the pinch on I placed the standard stick/football indicator on and wasn’t impressed with it either. The stick swells in the water making it difficult to remove once you are ready to fish a dry. My inner thoughts that day and days before kept telling me there has to be a simpler way to us an indicator, and I found it by doing a little research. Just curious, what is your favorite indicator and why?

This is one indictor I haven’t heard of the “ Fish Pimp”

 

The Yarn Indicator

 

BioStrike Indicator

Insta Set

Frog Hair

Pinch On indicators---the video shows how to remove the indicator from you tippet; a light tippet will break using this removal method

Tear Drop Slip Foam Indicator

Still Water Indicator

Famous Thingabobber

 

After finishing the research I have to admit the  Fish Pimp and the

Insta Set are my two favorites. I will give both try.

 

 

 

A Big Reality Check!!!

An early morning walk along the road running parallel to the tailrace had me anticipating numerous hookups with the recently stocked rainbow a few weeks ago. In fact, I was so confident that had tied on my favorite nymph I usually fish early in the morning here with great success. Low humidity and a slight breeze made it seem a little like the approaching fall, which is some months away, but it doesn’t hurt to wish.

As I approached the water's edge I stopped to survey the area and notice as usual there was no surface activity to have me wishing I had tied on a dry. I begin working my usual spots with no success, so time to start experimenting with other patterns. I don’t know about you guys but after about 15 to 20 minutes of one pattern with no success, I change flies and tactics. It is now 9:30 and no takes after over an hour of fishing numerous patterns. I continue to work my way up the gouge, fishing some familiar places and some I haven’t tried this season. I kept noticing a few rainbows every 15 to 20 minutes breaking the surface but not actually feeding on top. I had seen this before here and knew that the nymph and dry were not the flies I needed to use to make a connection. So what next, I am now well into my second hour with no trout landed and still trying to beat the skunk. I knew I had to go with a pattern that would just break the surface and at the same time stay up high in the water column. My logical choice was a red soft hackle fly size 12. I don’t know the exact name of the pattern, but I had fished it in similar situations here before and had success. It is getting close to lunch and with more confidence and my new red hackle fly, I begin casting upstream and letting the fly slowly drift back over trout I continue to see feed subsurface. A few missed takes made me work even harder to touch my first trout. Some of you may see where this is going, and say he found the magic fly that finally proved to be the charmer, not so. I gave the fly it’s more than fair share of making a connection but to no avail. I’m one to never give up on solving the lockjaw problem of fish on certain days, so I had one last thing I wanted to try before the generations were turned on and I had to call it a morning.

 With an occasional trout still feeding subsurface, I decided I would tie on another soft hackle pattern size 18 brown color.  I started working the fly but was having trouble getting the fly to touch the water in a delicate mode, so I changed tippets to a 7X which gave me a much better presentation. Not to panic, but a glance at my watch showed me I only had roughly 20 minutes left before the generators would start gushing walls of water down the gouge. With the generation time schedule on my mind, I begin working the little brown hackle above a couple of trout that was still in subsurface mode. I figured if I was lucky enough to land my elusive trout today I had at least 250 yards of space between me and the huge wall of water that might take me under.  As time ticked away I kept trying to land my one trout that would keep the skunk off my back for the first time on the Sipsey. With ten minutes left I saw another trout come up and barely break the surface. I had to move a little downstream to make a cast that would give me a decent drift that hopefully would get its attention. I made a long cast that sent the fly across the tailrace waters. As the fly drifted over the area where the trout had broken the surface total silence from the trout below. A few more cast left I assumed before the horn sounded; surely one more cast would get me my lone trout for the trip. It was not to be, the horn sounded and sent me moving out of the water and to safety up the bank.

 Today was my first skunk day on the Sipsey, and I’m sure a few of you guys have experienced the same type of trip. As I walked back to my truck I kept wondering what I could have done differently to land just one trout. So I thought I would put the question to you guys, what pattern would you have used on a day with subsurface feeding, clear blue skies, and a slight wind coming from all directions at times?

The Good Stuff with Bryson and his Mom

Today was another memorable fishing trip with Bryson and his Mom on Beautiful Smith Lake. We had a couple of hours of fishing before the humidity set in and we lost most of the shade.  Bryson is getting to be an accomplished bluegill fisher boy.  He still has some work to do in handling the bigger gills, but today he manages to lip and release the smaller fish he caught. The crickets and nibblets were the bait of choice for the morning using a popper and slip shot. All the bluegills were caught in water 8 to 10 feet deep. I don’t whether you guys have ever fish for bluegill or catfish with the hook tip with either a white or chartreuse nibblet, if not you should give it a try. The fish will go after the nibblet before they inhale the cricket. It is really an excellent attractor to get the fish interested especially on slow days. The slim that is emitted from the nibblett gives off a scent that the bluegill, catfish, and even bass go after.

Just one of the big bulls Bryson landed using the microlight combo, he is still working on the casting technique; the landing technique he has mastered.

This big bull is the largest Jenny has ever landed on Smith. I wish I had my scales with me today to weight it, I am sure it would have pushed a pound. She landed it using the 7 ½ ft. microlight with a light action Shimano spinning reel. All the microlights were spooled with 4 lb. test line.

The front side of this monster bluegill Jenny landed

Landing another nice bluegill

The best of the best for the morning!

Fly Fishing Bargains Can Still be Found

Mel’s post recently concerning the ever increasing prices of fly fishing equipment got me doing a little research. There are still bargains out there for the fly fisherman who isn’t concerned about using the top of the line fly fishing equipment. I found out a long time ago when I was doing the bass fishing tournaments, that I could catch just as many fish with casting combos that cost half the price of the top of the line combos. Same thing wholes true for my fly fishing equipment. It’s hard to believe that our local Wal-Mart carries fly fishing supplies and fly fishing combos. They are not the top of the line products but their equipment and supplies will get the beginner started in fly fishing.



This assortment pack at Wal-Mart will cost you 15.00 bucks, just the forceps at Orvis  will run you 15.00 to 20.00

Quite a bargain at 5.00

Most of these nets will run you 80.00 and above at different fly fishing outlets

Courtland 8 ft. and 9 ft. 5/6 fly rods

Bargain Combos

Great Price on Teton Float Tube---75.00

The cheapest Chest Pack at Orvis is 75.00—this White River Pack at Bass Pro will cost you 25.00--I'v been using this pack for the past 3 years

Telescopic Walking Sticks at Wal-Mart will serve as a great walking staff when you’re on your favorite stream or tailrace. This is the walking stick I have been using for the past 3 years and it works just as well as the folding or telescopic version at Orvis which sells for 100,00. The Wal-Mart Stick sells for 10.00

 

Hope I’ve helped some of you guys out with your bargain bin shopping!!

The Contour Video Camera Filming Landing Rainbow

Today I was determined to get film footage of some of the trout I’ve been landing on the Sipsey. The heat and humidity was on even at 8AM and wearing a camera helmet made it even hotter. I found myself splashing cold water on my face frequently most of the morning. I only got to fish a couple of hours because the generators came on at 10AM instead of the 2PM schedule time; so I was glad I made the most of the time I was given.

Sorry no trout images for today, but a brief description of how both videos played out: The first footage took place in shallow water 12 to16”, using the nymph with a stick on indicator. I knew the trout were holding in a narrow seam about 30ft. from me. I made numerous cast before I connected with a quality rainbow, which put up quite a fight for my 3 weight. I was using a 6X tippet, in the super clear water, which has worked much better lately for me as opposed to a heavier tippet. These trout are pressured on a daily basis so the less visible line worked better. As always on the Sipsey the drift is critical and today was no exception.

The next footage takes place on the opposite bank across the tailrace. I seldom wade out into the middle of the tailrace but I knew trout is always hanging out in this fast current seam next to the bank there. You will notice there is a large boulder I am standing by to film this segment. I was using a nymph swing casting up current and letting the nymph dead drift through the seam and at the very end of the drift I would swing the nymph across the seam; as I was working the nymph back across is when the attack would occur. There is no mistaking the hit when it happens. Again numerous cast were made before I got the hook up, and of course when I did the camera switch came on.   
 

Making up for Lost Time

I was back on the Sipsey today using a different tactic while fishing the ¾ mile stretch from the dam to the pump station. I wanted to fish the faster water that is about a foot deep above the pump station. At times it is difficult to see the trout in these areas, but trust me they are there. In fact I landed a 15” rainbow about a month ago in gin clear water about a foot deep here. I never saw the fish take the fly.

It seems lately I just can’t get enough of this place which is a good thing for me, because every time I set foot in these cold waters here I feel I am learning yet another valuable lesson in fly fishing. In other words this place is the training grounds for bigger things to come for me before the year is out; another post in the future. I started fishing here 8 years ago and I have loved every minute I have spent on its waters. My only regret, I have told you guys this before, is not fly fishing the Sipsey when trout were first introduced here in 1974. So now I’m in catch up mode to recover some of that lost fly fishing time.

What a great way to spend the morning!!!!

Trout is not the only fish species swimming in these waters 

Daylight Fishing on Smith Lake

At 5:20 AM Thursday morning the boat was in the water and I was making my first cast on a submerged rock ledge right next to the launch. No need to start the big motor when some of the best topwater action is located right down the bank from where I launch the boat. Tuesday and Thursday are my main fishing days of the week and this Thursday morning I had the long bank to myself; why Tuesday and Thursday, Monday the lake or any lake is just getting over the weekend traffic, Wednesday has more individuals off work, and Friday can be classified as a long weekend day.  I can go on Tuesday and Thursday and see only a boat or two from daylight to 10 AM. I usually call it quits by 9:30 to 10 mainly because the bite has stopped and the humidity is getting thick.

 

I seldom fish this bank without landing some quality spots or largemouth using my favorite bass popper. I have landed some nice bluegill using the Boogle Bug as well. I had a couple of boomers on this trip and one was loosing my black Boogle Bug to a larger bluegill which got me tangle in a brush pile. I hated to lose the big gill, but I hated, even more, the loss of my $5.00 popper.

My first largemouth of the morning taken no more than 30 ft. from the launch.

This spot gets up early to eat breakfast!

This largemouth went airborne numerous times while trying to break free; the airborne thing can get the blood pumping!!!

The quality bass bite went cold after the sun peaked over the horizon, so it was time to break out the 3 weight and go after the bluegills.

 

I like to use dries on this lake and this morning the smaller spots were willing to nail the Wulff time after time. Amazing the fight this size fish can produce on a 3 weight. This is why I love fly fishing so much because the small fish can make a trip just as exciting as landing a large fish if one is using a lighter combo.

  Only one counter today, two other counters manage to break free—I don’t know how you guys feel about losing good fish, but if I have lose the fish that I work so hard to take my offering, then let me skip the fight!

One of my favorite areas on Ryan Creek, not only for the fish but for a large amount of muscadines this huge vine growing on the rock wall produces in the fall. Notice the rock bench someone built on top of the rock wall. A great place to soak up the beauty of this awesome lake!