Summer’s not over, but you can see the end from here. The nights are fantastic right now. I suggest sleeping one day so you can go take a night walk…a whole lot of stars. Owls hooting it up….. Fewer folks up right now, so, a “couple more” fishers can come up. The flows are low and lowering (98cfs)………..Oct. will be grim. These clear/low flows have made for super spooky fish. Full fish ninja skills are called for. Zero false casting, and a longer leader would be good, mine are 12ft. I swear by Snake river Mud as well…. Try to stay out of the water for best results. No white hats, or flats shirts….camo is best. I wait till I see a fish, then fish to it. Trying for first drift perfection…….blind casting is a good way to b-l-a-n-k…… Water temps have come down due to cooler nights mostly, days can still be a bit warm. Afternoon is still pretty dead. I think fishing mornings are best, but keep fish wet always. Soon, an evening rise will be happening…..
I try to go to the water everyday. Because my only advantage, (besides being sneaky and having a surgical drift…..) is to feel the rhythms of the bugs. Right now (nine AM), as we speak, Midges are popping enthusiastically, but subsurface is the place to serve them. In an hour or so, little PMDs are set to go……a few BWOs if a cloud helps out. Mixed in, and easily confused, are my favorite sleeper bug. Damsels are small (sz 18) and yellow, but the “tail” hanging down…..isn’t. It is their long legs that we see. I have done well over the years using a nymph pattern (never a dry because they pop and go.). I suspect they taste good, and they aren’t fished as often by the hoard. At ten AM, the midges return to oviposite, you may see a few risers, maybe fish a clump fly. About eleven, the PMDs return to oviposite, a few more rises might happen. If you have been watching the bank closely, you will notice that Grass hoppers (small yellows) are hopping……You can try a dry fished in the shade. As always I suggest it’s better to drown them. There are some winged Ants flying occasionally. You can try a dry…..but Ants don’t float well, so drown them too. We all love to see a fish eat a dry….but since fish feed subsurface mostly, I don’t argue. In the spookiest conditions they have tendency to eat close to home. Think of nymphing as Ubering eats……about time to swing it.
National Forest has reopened, camp grounds are pretty empty. We are all in fear of fire right now, so be smart. Had 210 followers for a minute there….Wait……back to 210!!!!! Almost viral…
I wanted to share that for ten years I was busy posting on two forums as well as this blog. Have stopped posting anywhere but here! Unlike some others, I’m not trying to blow up the Truckee river ever, just helping out. May the fish be with you……….
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