May….for fun!

The flows are coming down…….694cfs today, a beautiful green color. The water temp is coming up, 49deg. and “nearly” wet wade-able. We shouldn’t have more seasonal flow peaks after this week. The majority of the snow pack is gone for another year. The feeder creeks are running, but are quieter than they were a couple weeks ago. Those that have small creek fever, it’s about time to fish. I focus on the main stem because it’s the hardest water to fish well. Hard is good! The bugs are really getting going! Golden stones are now on the menu. A dry fly stone is worth a try, but with these flows it will be less likely to work. Fish a nymph for better odds. It is the month of big bugs….we are waiting on the Green Drakes now.We’ve had numbers of fishers on the water, so I can say we are clearly entering the sneaky season. Rule #1 is don’t tell the fish you are coming…rule #2, don’t fish like the other guy. About half of my three hundred days on the water I spend watching people fish….I say you can’t learn to fish while fishing. Only when you watch how the average guy fishes, do you see the gaps in your own game. Having spent thirty years watching, I can say “hi, I’m Jim, I’m a universal fisherman”. My only advantage is that I know it, and might possibly avoid the normal fishing faux pas, like…..walking near the water, wading like a buffalo, and then flogging the water with two hundred casts. Avoid this “normal approach”, and I’ll bet money you get better results. I’ve helped create several dangerous fishers already this year. Let me know if you burn to learn as well……..