The weather changed on the Missouri River last week. Fall arrived and with it came an amazing Tiny Western Olives hatch. There were millions, no billions, of them and the fish were up on emergers mainly and some on duns....small flies, big fish. How do you get a rising fish to eat your impression when there are endless naturals around? Persistence helps. I also got off of the main flow into a slow, slow side channel where fewer naturals were drifting. My fly then had a chance. Before that it was exasperating...my small fly was like a single grain of sand in a vast desert. I tried a slightly larger Olive pattern but with little success. I then tried an ant and a beetle pattern...forget about it! Emerger on a swing...not much better. A big fly with a dropper...no. I was becoming unhinged. Pods of big fish around and I couldn't get connected. In the side channel I was lucky to land some good fish on dries: size 20 and 22 web wing and half hackle patterns. You have to be a bit lucky hooking up with such a small fly, light tippet and trout who use the extensive weed beds to their full advantage.
Before the weather changed there were few bugs around and no top water action. I got into some great fish sight nymphing in the bright sun. I did best mid morning with the sun at a relatively low angle. I stood river side still in the shadows with the sun behind me. I was able to get up real close to shallow water feeders who often didn't see me as they were blinded by the sun. They responded to tiny nymphs. It was challenging, fun fishing. Some hooked...some spooked.
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| size 20/22 olive tied with web wing |
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| rainbow on small fly |
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| rainbow caught on size 20 olive |
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