over the hump trips!

Started by Woolly Bugger, June 15, 2020, 17:45:54 PM

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Woolly Bugger


June 14, 2020 #? 24

Drove up and down Big Springs looking for a favorite spot to pull off, they place was packed, should have stopped at the first one I saw. Turned around and pulled into the open spot. I was actually located right in front of a nice riffle. Might be a tad shallow for big trouts but here was some nicer water downstream. The rod was already rigged from my last Smith outing and I didn't felt the need to change flies.

I saw a few sulfurs in the air and  on the water where the occasional trout would rise, nothing steady, but they revealed their lay and I targeted them one at a time. I wasn't long before I had seven to hand and the puff daddy was beginning to look a little ragged. Changed out to a snowshoe rabbit emerger and and whacked six more. I broke off on number 13, and tied on another one of the same flies. (next fish to hand was counted as 13)

The skies were darkening and thunder could be heard coming from over the ridge. It started to rain somewhere around number 17 or 18 and I was headed to the car by the time I had landed the second dozen.

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The rain stopped and the thunder became more distant. So back out to catch a few more fish before another cell popped up.

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Things didn't look good on the radar, I popped another beer and nursed it hoping the line of storms would pass shortly. But the rain continued and I finally gave up and took off my waders. Packed up and began to drive home, but as I traveled down the road the skies clear and I decided to stay.

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The pulse had hit and the fish weren't rising like they were earlier. I switched to nymphs and BBs, I caught some fish and also managed to tangle the rig a few times. Maddening. Switched back to dries and fished until the water rose from the late generation. None of the fish were really big, it's always nice to get an 18 incher or better, but that didn't happen, a few were bigger than the ones in the photos, but they were camera shy. I was good to be back over the mountains, I hope I can return again soon and use that One Hundred and One Dollar License.

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ex - I'm not going to live with you through one more fishing season!
me -There's a season?

Pastor explains icons to my son: you know like the fish symbol on the back of cars.
My son: My dad has two fish on his car and they're both trout!

RiverbumCO

Same on the license. I'm pot-committed now so don't forget to shoot me a text if you want a road dog.
My real name is Chad Farthouse.

Onslow


Dougfish

Pretty sweet day of dedication.  'c;
 :cheers
"Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don't you dig how beautiful it is out here?
 Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change? "
Kelly's Heroes,1970

"I don't wanna go to hell,
But if I do,
It'll be 'cause of you..."
Strange Desire, The Black Keys, 2006

Grannyknot

Flea is not the best bassist of all time.

Phil


Woolly Bugger

Quote from: Phil on June 16, 2020, 07:44:01 AMBastid. I wanna go.  b';

you be halfway <-;:  there compared to me...
ex - I'm not going to live with you through one more fishing season!
me -There's a season?

Pastor explains icons to my son: you know like the fish symbol on the back of cars.
My son: My dad has two fish on his car and they're both trout!

Yallerhammer

Hells yeah! Looks like a fine day well spent to me.
Women want me, doughbellies fear me. - Little Debbie Prostaff

Stone-Man

Pretty damn good,Keith. I prolly would have been over there ,but my back is keeping me off the river

Nice report with the usual great pictures

  JT

NCsporksman

I didnt get no fillets, one momore trip and I've been had by the TWRC

Woolly Bugger


June 21, 2020 #25



SoHo Saturday, with a break in the monsoon season a favorable generation schedule, enticed me to make the drive back over the mountains. I was hoping for dry fly sulfur action but was disappointed as there really wasn't much of a hatch. So, I tied on a split-back and nymphed the day away.
Again the river was crowded and parking was limited. Fished for about 4 hours, caught a bunch, still prefer sight casting to risers, but had a blast anyway. I was tired from Friday night's activity and I briefly contemplated spey casting on the high water but bailed as I still had a three-hour drive home. Next time...

Average sampling on the day
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ex - I'm not going to live with you through one more fishing season!
me -There's a season?

Pastor explains icons to my son: you know like the fish symbol on the back of cars.
My son: My dad has two fish on his car and they're both trout!

Onslow

All of this goodness gives me the urge to make the voyage.

RiverbumCO

The voyage is worth making.
My real name is Chad Farthouse.

bmadd


Woolly Bugger

#14

June 23, 2020 #26

$101/3 = $33.67 per trip...

I'm invested in that Tennessee license so I'm trying to make the most of it especially considering that there aren't a whole lot of other opportunities, the New might be fishable in mid-July and Pilpott dam won't be fixed until much later this year.

I planned to fish some different spots but there were cars parked in those areas so I drove on down and not seeing any cars at one of my favorite pullouts I looked no further. Rod was rigged from the previous trip and I was on the water in my leaky Simms wader pants, a brand new pair are arriving on Thursday!

I worked my way down to the run and right off hooked a feisty bow it had a time getting it up to the net in the current. As I looked up I saw a guy standing in my run, where did he come from? Damn it, and he's standing on the fish. Oh, well I'll work my way down to the top of the run and then move on If he's still fishing my spot.

The next little spot yielded a fat brown that probably went 15 inches and I thought today was going to be excellent. Next up was a troubled spot which always holds fish, I got a couple of easy ones on the front side and then asked for trouble by casting on the backside of the downed trees. It wasn't always so jammed up with wood and I used to pull a couple of nice fish out of this spot. Well, I cast a few times and as the fly sank over the ledge I big brown took the fly and ran back up towards me so I was just able to get it up, over and around the submerged tree only to have it run back down, under and around the tangled mess of wood on the near side. Well that was exciting, fun, but tragic.

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Finally, the guy standing in my run moved on, walked out the usual way, still couldn't figure out where he came from, didn't look like he was catching much other than the pune rainbows. I decided to rest the water for a bit and sat on the bank and drank a refreshing Lagunitas Little Sumpin Hazy IPA. While waiting I saw a number of risers hitting emergers, most were small but a few looked to be fun-sized, so I switched over to a dry.
Right off the bat, I caught a little brown and while releasing it, I noticed another hook in its jaw which was attached to a dropper... I can only conclude that since the flies were in good condition that the guy who left must have put too much pepper into the hook set.

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I whacked a few more on the surface and then went to the main run which I love to nymph, but I couldn't find a fish.. they still hadn't returned to feeding after that guy finished pounding the water. Oh well, It was about time for lunch...

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I moved on up to a different spot and found some DSFK near the deer hole.

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The skies were threatening and the rain began light at first, easy enough to ignore but then it really started to come down hard and I made tracks back to the car to pick up a rain jacket.

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By the time I made it back the rain became torrential and I sat in the open hatch and drank another Stone Tangerine Express IPA while deciding whether to stick it out or bail. Then along came the guy who had low holed me and he stopped and we talked for a while, turns out he was in a camper across the road – bastard and had recently moved back to TN from Utah. He's also a fan of the double-handed rods and we talked about swinging soft hackled flies in the big flat area on high water. The rain continued and although he had rain gear on he sought shelter in his camper.

After another half hour, the rain began to let up and the radar indicated that it may stop soon, so I headed out and found some risers in another old favorite run. The fish were picky and it took a while to fool them. A couple missed the fly and weren't to be seen again.

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One was sipping in the slack water up against the bank. This would require a hero cast. The first was too far above and another may have been a tad short, but the third was on the money and the brown too to fly with vigor.

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Moved again and picked off the occasional riser, could have caught more on a nymph, but it wouldn't have been as rewarding as sight casting.

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ex - I'm not going to live with you through one more fishing season!
me -There's a season?

Pastor explains icons to my son: you know like the fish symbol on the back of cars.
My son: My dad has two fish on his car and they're both trout!