Shining rock stream

[troutphisher]

I fished the wilderness area today. It was cold up at that elevation.
I started fishing at 9:30 after a little hike to the stream. The clouds looked dark and menacing all day, but the fish were on.

The stream is a brook trout stream, at 4100ft elevation. I noticed a small bwo hatch and watched several fish rise for them. I fished a pool, with a perfect slow drift for dry's, and watched the rings as they took the bugs.

I tied on a #20 bwo, and fun catching them. Most of the fish were 4"-6" but fun to watch. I tired several different flies, to see if I could get them to rise.
I used a #16 light Cahill, #16 grey fox, #16 bwo emerger, #16 adams, #16 march brown and a #18 grey caddis. The fish were taking all the flies.

It's a lot of fun to catch them, and try different flies. The scenery couldn't have been better.

Here are a few pics.

[Trout Chaser]

Another great report.  0--0 I really like the details you include.  One question if I may.  When I fish for brookies I rarely ever go below a size 14.  Do you ever try larger flies?  Wonder how they work in comparison to the smaller ones.  I'm going to tie up some 18's to see if I do better.  My problem is, I  can't see the smaller flies in the ripples.

TC

[troutphisher]

TC:

I select fly size more on the type of water and insects. In the pool picture above, the pool is about 30ft wide. The water was very slow in the center.
I watched small bwo's coming off and fish rise for them. I waited about ten minutes watching them rise, and where the rise locations were in the pool.
So I knew where to cast. I used fumed silica dry powder on the flies, so they ride high on the water, making it easier to see the fly.

I fished plunge pools and riffles too, in that case I fished larger fly's. I still used the powder to get the fly's to ride high on the water. This stream is small about 10 ft wide on average with some spots about 4ft wide. Casting was very short, and I was kneeling most of the day so I wouldn't spook the fish. At these sort distances I can see smaller flies.

This is a good stream to fish smaller flies, because the fish are smaller. These are wild fish and their growth is stunted, they never get much larger than 6 inches. I experimented with larger fly's last year, but the hook up ratio was very low, most fish would have to hit the fly several times before they hooked up. When I used smaller flies to hook up ratio doubled. Wild fish tend to strike very quickly, so I wasn't worried about deep takes, and injuring the fish.
even with smaller flies most hook sets were in the lip and jaw.

[southernfly]

Nice report. I gotta get up there sometime. ??Are ya hikin up from 276???

[troutphisher]

SF, yes I hike in.

[flyman]

SF, yes I hike in.

And all this time I thought you were HALO jumping in form 50-60 miles out ///?

http://www.filecabi.net/video/extreme_Skydivingii.html

[troutphisher]

Not quite, but that flying suit would be awesome!

[badankles]

very nice.  thanks for sharing the experience.  i might have to switch to the powder b/c the jell i'm using is just not doing a good job (could possibly be me, too).   

[moodytrout]

Great report- been trying to back up there, but work and family keep getting in the way. May have to give them all up just so I can go fishing some.  Looking at heading up that way ( maybe) on the 27th for a couple of day's.