Feb….the end.

We got down to -8deg yesterday, this morning it was a warmer 4deg at dawn…..ya gotta love a heat wave. Ha! There is a tipping point mid-morning when the temps are near zero and start rising, you will see shore ice breaking up. The flows will preclude a good drift. I just sit and wait for an hour or so, then start fishing again. It will continue to get warmer as the week goes on. Sitting in the sun, out of the wind, is very pleasant, and black is a wonderfully warm color to wear. I also learned to carry a butt-sized piece of Insulite pad to sit on. I often take a beverage along as a timing aid, it slows my approach, which is helpful for my fishing stats. (No problem keeping it cold right now.) A coozy is a good call to avoid the cold hand syndrome as well. When sneaking up on some fish, stay low. I recommend dropping a knee to keep a low profile, and putting the foam pad under your knee will prevent it from freezing in that position. (I give you all my best tips!) There is water in the river right now, and the fish can’t leave the water, nor can they quit eating….our only real advantage. The menu is limited, so it’s not mysterious what they are eating. The stage of the emergence is what you need to observe, and mirror it with fly changes. Midges and maybe BWOs if you get lucky. Still no Skwalla’s out. With all the blue skies we are having, sneak IS the main factor determining success. No blind casting…..find a fish, catch a fish. One drift is better than twenty, or two hundred. I was lucky a few days ago. A client had the understanding of fishing less, for more.We sat and watched until we determined the frequency of rises of a nice Bow. Then, armed with the correct food form, he made one cast, and within 3 seconds after the fish gave away it’s position. Bingo!!!! It’s not that hard to catch a fish, if you think instead of acting first. Speaking of thinking…..If you are thinking of fishing this summer, move your fishing date up by two months. Think May-June. Looks like the Truckee will be hurting for water by mid-summer. Fish stressed by low, warm water, and lots of fishing pressure, are not cooperative. As always….let me know if I can help!