Mountain Trout This Week: 6/13/11-6/19/11

Tygart River 6/16/11

We need the rain that we were promised. The upper reaches of our streams barely have enough water to cover a trout up. I stopped at several locations this week and found plenty of trout and smallmouths. In one spot today on the Tygart; I could look upstream from one spot and see 11 browns and one 15 inch smallmouth in prime feeding lanes. There were a few sulphurs flying and 2 of the browns were actively feeding on the surface. I also saw one late green drake spinner land in the water. It didn't last long.
I had my dogs at Shavers Fork this evening and saw quite a few nice smallmouths. They were nosing right up to the shoreline, barely covered with water. Every one was within 6 inches of dry ground and waiting on something to move. This is the time of year that is very enjoyable to fly fish. I for one do not care if I'm catching 12 inch trout or 12 inch bass, either is just fine with me. We have to remember that a lot of our so called "trout streams" are in reality smallmouth bass waters; which receive trout allotments. The hatchery trout are just visitors. We really need some rain to raise the water levels and keep the temperatures down.

Thank You: Bridgeport, WV

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Getting Started-Fly Fishing

WHAT DO I NEED TO START


The question that I have been asked most during the previous year has been: What do I need, to start fly fishing? First, let me stress that needs and wants are two very different things. Fly fishing is one of those things that can be as simplistic or complicated as you desire. It is up to you and your budget, as to which path you decide to follow. You actually only need five things: Rod, Reel, Line, Leader and Fly.

Fly rods come in various lengths and weights. The weight (0-12) denotes the size of line that works best with the particular rod. Rod length varies between five and fourteen feet. The most popular lengths are 8-9 feet. In our area, these lengths are a fine choice. Rod action is the next consideration. The action is the amount of flex, from the butt to the tip of the rod. The terminology is usually slow to extra-fast. Choose a moderate or moderate-fast action in a six-weight rod and you will be happy. One other notable consideration is that rods come in sections with choices from two-piece up to six piece travel rods. Two piece rods are usually the least expensive. I cannot fit a two-piece nine foot rod behind my truck seat. Eight foot rods in the two-piece configuration work fine.

The fly reel is honestly, the least important item in your setup. It holds and stores the line. For the majority of our needs, the most basic reel will do just fine. We do not need fancy drag systems for the foot long fish we will be catching. Truthfully, you could feed your line out of your pants pocket and while being inconvenient, you would probably do just fine. Fly lines are available in a wide variety of designs. Buy a weight-forward floating line for your first set-up. Make sure it is the proper weight for your rod. Remember, we are discussing need, not want. Sinking tips, intermediates and other special purpose lines will fall into the want category at a later time.

The leader is the connection between your fly line and fly. They taper down from a large diameter butt section to a fine tippet section. The most popular designs are knotted together with various diameters and lengths of monofilament line and are formulated to make the fly turn over properly. Tapered knotless leaders are also available and are a good choice if weeds or floating debris is encountered. I have been using furled or braided leaders for the last few years. I really like this style. They are four to five feet long; the ones that I use have a small (micro) metal ring for attaching tippet material. This makes a versatile system that works really well.

Now, the fun stuff: Flies. The selection is mind boggling, where do we start? There are basically four types of flies: Dry, Wet, Streamer and Nymph. Dry flies float, the others are used subsurface. Dry fly fishing is the most well known method and is both rewarding and productive, when aquatic insects are hatching. I am rarely able to fish during this primetime. I fish wooly buggers upstream or Clouser minnows downstream probably 90 percent of the time. This two fly system has worked well for me.

Technical fishing without the technicality. Enjoy.

This article first appeared in my column Through the Seasons at Two Lane Livin.

September Streams

Have you noticed that stream side parking areas are vacant ? I know you aren't thinking of fishing in September, but maybe you should. You may receive an enlightening experience.

I stopped by the local river this morning; not expecting to see much. This particular area is normally fished pretty hard and it is rare; if a fish is released to swim again. There were 7 smallmouths at the edge of a rock bar. All of them appeared to be in excess of sixteen inches.


On September 2, I stopped at a popular springtime fishing area. I never thought that this stretch of water was capable of trout survival, in the summer months. I counted eleven trout; browns, rainbows, stocked brook and one native brook trout. These were all in one stretch of water about 20 yards long. Three of the trout were actively feeding. This observation really surprised me. There were more trout present at this location than the bass, which I was expecting to find.

The low, clear waters of September allow you to see what really swims in your favorite waters. Fish tend to be concentrated and visible. A stealthy approach is required and you may be surprised at what you will find.

Get out and enjoy the September waterways, don't just sit around and let the migrating Ospreys have all of the fun.

Slip Sliding Away

Fly-Fishing for Smallmouth
Redington Crosswater 9062 Fly Rod Outfit 6 wt. 9 ft.








I have never been one to not think much of August. Watching tomatoes turn colors and picking little fuzzy bean beetle larvae gets old, really quick. One August evening, intolerable boredom set in. I loaded up my fly rod, a fifty foot leash and a hard-headed beagle into my truck and drove a whole quarter of a mile to the river. I normally fish there once per year and hadn’t been down there yet. I wasn’t expecting much action. At least, the dog would have some fun.



I went to a section of riffles, above a railroad trestle on the Tygart River. We fought through neck high poison ivy, interlaced with rambler rose and finally reached the river. The smell of creosote permeated the evening air. This spot has waist deep pockets of water, it flows around large boulders and the bottom consists of snail covered smaller rocks. Hiding spots and food sources abound.



I tied a crayfish imitation to my leader. On the first cast, the fly snaps off behind me on the dog leash. The next cast isn’t much better, I’m standing on the main line. The fly lands about eight feet away and is ravaged by a three inch rock bass. The next dozen or so casts result in a couple of eight inch smallmouth and too many lost flies. Time to try fishing on the surface. As I dig through my fly box for a popper, I notice a few flies that I had never tried before. They are Clouser floating minnows. I tie on a black one and the first drift results in a foot-long smallmouth from a log jam. The next cast is a repeat. Then a beagle falls off the logs into the water. We move upstream to a table-sized flat mid-stream rock.



The fly floats on the surface a few feet in front of me as I strip out line for a cast. It dips and darts with the current looking just like minnow feeding on minute organisms. I quickly realized that you don’t need to cast this fly. Just let it drift into likely cover from an upstream position and let the current and the fly do the rest. The old Simon & Garfunkel song came into my mind and wouldn’t go away. This fly just slips and slides away until it is engulfed by a fish. Yeah, I know that a real feeding minnow would be moving upstream, but the fish don’t seem to care. I began using a no-slip loop knot to impart even more movement to the fly.



I fished using this method a couple of times per week, until floating masses of algae forced me to quit. The fly consistently caught smallmouth and largemouth bass, rock bass, bluegills and pumpkinseeds. I didn’t catch anything big, but anything is good enough for August. I did have a rock bass on one evening that was eaten by a Muskie.



So, if you are looking for something to occupy a steamy August evening head for the river and let time slip-slide away. Don’t forget your hard-headed dog. They don’t think much of August either.

(c) Randy Bodkins 2009 all rights reserved

This article first appeared in Two-Lane Livin/August 2009