Smith-Continued

[Woolly Bugger]

I was up that way the other day, checked up on the damn dam progress. Low sun in the sky made for bad photos. You can see the terracing of the hill side - I still have no idea what the final hillside will look like when the complete it.

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But progress, as slow as it seams, is being made.


 

[Dougfish]

I decided to head down Thursday before the rains came. The last trip of '24.
Family and travel will eat up the next week.

It took me a while to locate my fleece wading pants. I had not seen them since we moved, so it was an adventure.
But luckily found.

I took my time getting down there and had not planned on staying long unless a two hatch occurred.
It did not.
And the water up below the damn was extra chilly.

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Three trucks at the Mirror parking lot.
Track walkers?

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One more hemlock bit the dust.
You can get around it, river left.

I started out swinging a soft tackle duo. Caught a couple of small browns. Missed some bumps.

Went down to Keith's run and swung up one more.
I knew a drug those flies over some good fish, too. 
Ate some lunch,  grabbed a fresh beer and went back down to try something different.

Swung a rusty wholly bugger and picked up a couple more. Worked back upstream with some downstream strips and caught another.

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Savage strike from this 15" bow.

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Brownie chased it downstream.

Called it after that.
I hope you all are having a fine holiday season.
And I wish you a Happy New Year!

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Cheers.
    
 

[Woolly Bugger]

#25 - 6 Gas $2.82 upper 60s mostly sunny

Back to the old grind in Bassett town tossing the usual stonefly and dropper. I hit a riffle or small rapid and hooked into a rainbow that gave me fits. It used the fast current to stay on the far side of the rapid and I couldn't move it or get its head up, it took the dropper, a wd40 size, b #20. I figured that I would have to let it run or try to get below it, but I wasn't sure I could run down the slippery rocks without using my wading staff. I kept pressure on the fish as it moved downstream, and I grabbed my staff and started working my way down. I got a good look at the fish as it fought the current and the pressure of the line. It was colored up and looked to be 18 if not 20 inches with some girth, a real showstopper for a stocker. As I tried to get below the fish tragedy struck and the fly popped out. Damn damn damn. That's the way it goes with small flies, big fish and fast water.

From hero to zero in a sec, I really wanted to land that fish. Never mind, I'll continue. I managed to catch an average brown before trying another location, where, despite favorable conditions, I didn't even get a bump.

#25 - 7 has spring arrived? it was in the mid-70s and sunny

I even saw a few caddis in the air, fishermen were out too. I moved on from my first choice and settled for trying for a repeat from yesterday, but with the spey pole instead. There was a chartreuse and white clouser on the rod and I saw no reason to change it. Casting went well and I covered the entire beat with anticipation but was denied. There is a 65% probability that I got a bump.

Moving on, I was just about to climb down the bank when I spied a Smithfly with a spin guy getting ready to float through the run.



So, I checked out some other spots and settled for some easy access spots to swing flies....

I swapped out the spey rod for the 5 wt Recon with a stone and wd40, I was sure I was going to catch something. Well, I did, I snagged some structure in the middle of the run and had to break off. I retied with a double stonefly rig and went back to work. Unfortunately, I managed to snag the submerged tree branch again and broke off. Having lost 4 flies in a few minutes, I reeled in and quit!
s
I caught nothing but enjoyed the day.

Back at home I got a package from Ross Reels, the evolution that I have has a nonstandard foot and it isn't big enough to sit properly on my Orvis Recon, I fired of an email to Ross several weeks ago and after a few back and forth discussions, they sent me standard size foot for the reel.









Easy replacement and now I won't have to use a shim to hold the reel tightly in place.

[creakycane]

A few fish looking up in the ripples, perhaps for the odd stonefly around yesterday afternoon.   Found a stocker at one point, and numerous small eager browns.   Only about 2 hrs stream time and I had to head out.  Noticed the river bumped up around time I left; back to 260 ish.   

[Woolly Bugger]

# 25 - 11 Cool and breezy with some sunshine

I went to swing flies, I know this is a low numbers game, but I've enticed some nice fish in the past and I planned ot hit a few spots where I thought they were hanging out.

Had to stop for gas on the way.



I got to the river about 2 and swung through a run for about an hour, nothing cooking there, so I moved on.

Second spot was a repeat of the first. no dice, but the casting was good despite the downstream wind. I've reaally got to work on my cack-handed casting.

Beavers are everwhere on the river now.



Third spot I got a grab, did I trout set? I'm not sure but the thrill of the tug was short lived.

Anyway it was a nice day to get out.

[Woolly Bugger]

#25 -- 16 Gas $2.76

I saw that they dropped the flow and ran up to hit the upper section on Saturday. It was crowded, with fishermen in most all my favorite spots. I saw a couple of rafts grinding their way down the low water. I looked around and checked out the old mirror plant spot and saw a truck parked there. Maybe it's safe to go in on the weekend or they're just rolling the dice.

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All the while I was listening to "The Boys in the Boat" and was really into the story. When I got out to check the river  the wind was whipping by in strong, hold onto your hat, gusts and I questioned if I really wanted to fish in those conditions or just continue listening to the book. I drove on up to the damn dam and saw more angler here and there, thought about jumping in in a spot or two, but ended up driving back out and checked the mirror plant agian. This time there were multiple cars and a gaggle of kids running around wiht fishing gear. I pulled in and talke to the adult. He claimed that the other guy in another truck had told him it was ok to fish there. I explained how the mirror plant had posted the property and that the railroad wasn't fooling around either. He was from West Virginia and had fished there in the past. He wrangled up the kid and decided to head elsewhere.

I drove back through town and finally decided to get my boots wet. Swung flies for an hour and didn't catch a fish. Moved on down to anothe spot and rigged up some nymphs and caught a couple of rainbow stockers before it was time to head on for a dinner date.