Northwest Fishing Reports

I tied up a midge pattern the other night on a size 18. Lots of white deer hair and a grizzly hackle. First cast, 5 seconds on the water and "slurp". Spent more time getting my fly out of fish gullets than I did casting. I ended up with 10 in about an hour.
On the reverse: there's nothing I hate more that having a dry fly repeatedly float over the top of fish I can see, and have him do nothing more than critique my tying skills - "...That's pretty good, for a first time. " they say as they turn from the fly with about 6 inches to go. It's enough to make a man develop anger issues and take up spear fishing. "Haaaa! Does my spear look REAL enough for you fish?!?!"

I think that's one of the cool things about tying flies - knowing something you created can fool a fish.

YOU need fish to reject your offerings sometimes. It forces you to tie more flies, different patterns.

I wonder, if I had tied it larger, smaller, with more or less ....................................

That is the addiction of fly fishing.

Mike Carey wrote:I think that's one of the cool things about tying flies - knowing something you created can fool a fish.

How pathetic that I get some sort of pride out of fooling a creature that has a brain capacity of a pea. At least I know I could take any German Brown or moose for that matter, in a chess match.

reelman wrote:How pathetic that I get some sort of pride out of fooling a creature that has a brain capacity of a pea. At least I know I could take any German Brown or moose for that matter, in a chess match.

Actually, I find that fish are quite a bit smarter than people think. I have been fly fishing for almost 50 years and am still amazed when I see them do something out of the ordinary. When a damsel fly is flying over the water surface and a trout goes airborne and snatches it out of mid flight, well, that is amazing. When an evening rise just shuts off suddenly all over the lake, it make you wonder how they all know when to stop. Although it is frustrating, I often wonder how they can tell the slightest difference in a fly pattern. Watching trout in their feeding lanes in a river is an education just in itself. Perhaps that is why I continue fly fishing after all these years. I am still trying to understand those magnificent creatures.

reelman wrote:

Mike Carey wrote:I think that's one of the cool things about tying flies - knowing something you created can fool a fish.

How pathetic that I get some sort of pride out of fooling a creature that has a brain capacity of a pea. At least I know I could take any German Brown or moose for that matter, in a chess match.

ya, I kinda wasn't sure how to put it... it wasn't sarcasm though, but I know what you mean.

I know what you meant and I do get that satisfaction. However, if my wife were reading over my shoulder, best case senario is an eye roll, but uncontrolled laughter is the more likely outcome.

Was there a midge hatch coming off at the time?

I'll never forget a trip I made 9-10 years ago, to the South Platte near Deckers, CO. These fish are some of the most pressured fish in the country. Fish after fish after fish rose to and refused every dry in my box. Many slapped it with their tails as they turned downwards, adding to my frustration! Suddenly I noticed that several trout had gathered about 12-15 feet downstream of me, finning in the eddy created by my legs. Every time I moved or stirred up the bottom they went crazy, grabbing debris/food and flashing about. I moved out deeper.....they moved out deeper. I moved in shallower....they moved in shallower! If I moved upstream, they followed.

I didn't catch a fish that day, but they were certainly glad to see me!

If you haven't experienced the skwala hatch on the Clark Fork in March/April, you must. No slurping here....we're talking violent, toilet bowl swirling kind of strikes as that river's largest cutts, bows and brownies rise to the occasion!!! Give it a try if you get a chance. It's a sight to see!