Summer Heat, July 28,29, 2012

I have been on several rivers in the past couple of days. Summer temperatures have arrived along with full sunshine which makes things challenging. I fished a river with brown trout in it and caught several fish on grasshoppers. They weren't large but catching them is always special as there is not a lot of brown trout water around here. Here are some pictures.

I have also been fishing a local tailwater river as the water temperature is cold and there has been hatch activity. I caught some large rainbows, cutthroats and cuttbows (hybrids) on pmd dries and emergers. Most of the fish seen were selectively feeding on emergers. I sight casted with a size 18 emerger resembling a pheasant tail nymph in body color with gold ribbing, a rust/orange zelon tail, and puff of brown cdc for emerging wing (clipped). The fish responded to it. Those that were sipping occasionally were hooked on a size 16 pmd, tied parachute style with either white or black polypro post/wing for visibility depending on the lighting. A black wing shows up great on a large, broad rivers when the surface due to light conditions looks metal grey. I learnt this fishing the Missouri river in Montana and also read about it in a great book called: Small Fly Adventures in the West, by Neale Streeks. It is the best small fly angling book I've read.
The tailwater angling was challenging, technical fishing: sight casting small flies to some large fish showing themselves in full sun..lots of fun, and no split shot! Here are some tailwater trout photos.

tailwater cutthroat

Crowsnest River Report, July 21, 2012

A couple of great fish started rising to pmd's as soon as the sun left the river. It was about 8:30 pm when they showed themselves. I had spotted one of them rising mid day to pmd's and pmd spinners several days ago when fishing with a friend. I returned tonight to see if the rainbow would be up and feeding. I sat and waited for one hour and one half. The pmd hatch was sluggish. However, the fish did show itself when the sunlight left the river. Then another large fish started sipping higher in the pool, again on a shallow bank. I caught both on a size 18 pmd cripple; a Bob Quigley style. Two great bank fish in a foot or so of water. The lighting was perfect to see it all unfold: the rise, the take...
Pmd's are the main hatch and what good fish are rising to. I continue to see some lime sallies and lots of midges buzzing on the water. River temperature is still in low 50's F with all the rain. The water has dropped a lot but is still above seasonal levels.

Crowsnest River Report, July 20th, 2012

large crowsnest rainbow

I have been on several rivers the past week fishing daily with a friend, Joe. River flows continue to drop and are now near perfect for dry fly angling. The Crowsnest has been productive especially in the back eddies where bugs collect. I am also seeing some nice bank fish rising but you have to hunt for them and look for slow, slow water. On mornings you'll find a lot of pmd spinners and some duns. This is the main bug. There are also a host of other flies including some green drakes, large and mid-sized. In the evening it is pmd's again.

On the Lower Oldman the fish have been on pmd's and olives when it has been wet and mainly pmd's when weather is fair. The rainbows have mainly been on emergers. With water levels now low more fish might rise to duns and there will be more dry fly water available.

20 inch Tailwater Brown, caught by Joe F.

Crowsnest River Report, July 10&11, 2012

crowsnest river rainbow

I spent the last two nights on the Crow from 7 to 9:30 pm. Fishing late into the evening is energising on summer nights as the river is alive with life: insects, birds, deer, and of course trout. The river continues to drop daily and I found some dry fly opportunities by hunting for slow water which is still hard to find. I spotted some great fish in a slow side channel. The Crow has few of these as it is such a small river; really it is just a stream. With the high water a few of these channels exist at least for the next couple of weeks, and then they will disappear. As hatch densities haven't been great, but are improving daily, not a lot of trout are rising as there just isn't enough drifting bugs to make it worth while especially in the moderate to fast current. However, if you can find a real slow section maybe you might spot a nose. The pmd hatch continues to intensify and I found some good fish. I caught a couple of them and took some pictures. Stalking trout in the side channel was like fishing a small spring creek.

It is great to see more pmd's on the water. I enjoy spotting their tiny pale wings and watching them drift long distances in the current. They show up so well in waning light. They are like miniature sail boats. And the fish just love them. One of my favourite hatches and the best hatch at present. There are also some drakes around. Here is a photo of a green drake on top of seine net.

Chumming the Crowsnest River, July 8, 2012

I fished the afternoon. Same heat as yesterday. I looked for risers and saw none. There are no consistent bugs (hatch) on the water to get fish up and feeding in a rhythm. There are still some golden stones around, smaller stones, some caddis flies and a few pmd's. I watched a bank section on a back eddy that I know well for 20 minutes but there was no sign of life. I tossed a live golden stone into the eddy current and as it drifted a head came up and ate it. I casted  into the same current lane, let it drift several feet and the fish took it:  A 16 inch rainbow. When there is no hatch start chumming!

Crowsnest River Report, July 7, 2012

I spent the afternoon on the Crow. It was a true summer day, very hot and full sun. I saw golden stones around (most abundant insect) and some caddis and pmd's. However, no real significant hatch mid afternoon. I saw a couple of large fish in the shallows flash and connected on both with a golden stone pattern. Lost both at my feet when trying to control them to remove hook. I didn't bring a net and therefore no pics. The water flow has dropped. I crossed the river in several places. Water still a bit off colour but improving. We need a dense small fly hatch to get fish sipping.

Sea of Cortez

A huge bait ball of mullet was swirling aggressively just forty yards away from me. Something large was feeding and pushing on them from below. Their backs were out of the water. In the late afternoon light they were a buttery, copper colour. They moved close to the beach then further away.  A mother porpoise and her infant arced out of the water in unison. Pelicans were circling. Occasionally one dropped from the blue Baja sky and plunged into the sea. The afternoon winds had kicked in and with it white capped waves. Sting rays were leaping out of the water and belly-flopping. I kept hearing smacking and popping sounds. Large schools of rays swam by in fighter jet patterns. Some were going north, some south. I saw a large Jack and then a Rooster fish crashing some smaller bait balls sending sprays of mullet into the air like fireworks. Sea turtles kept surfacing to breathe and then disappearing. I was on foot witnessing the Sea of Cortez . Everything was occurring all at once. I couldn't believe the life. I couldn't believe all the energy: The wind, the waves, the circling bait, the charging rooster fish, the airborne rays, the diving birds, the turtles...everything. It is the richest piece of water I have ever seen. What a gift.

Crowsnest River Report, July 2, 2012

crowsnest river

I spent three hours on the Crow today to see what is developing as I have not fished it since April and have an angling friend coming out in two weeks. The water level is still quite high with only about three feet of visibility. Run-off is waning.

I looked for surfacing trout but found none. There were insects on the water but no real strong hatch: Large golden stones; small yellow stones (most noticeable hatch); some PMD's (just starting); and some midges. I caught a mid-sized rainbow prospecting with a dry fly in slow water which was hard to find due to the high stream flow. If we don't get heavy rain in the next week or two the river should drop and clear, and be prime for sight fishing with dries as the PMD hatch will intensify. I am drooling already!

barbed wire wreath