Sub-Zero Trout

tailwater rainbow caught on midge

Winter arrived in SW Alberta last week. Saturday afternoon the temperature was sub-zero. I had to deal with ice in the rod guides, a frozen reel and of course cold fingertips in spite of gloves. Vibram soles without studs along with snow and ice made for some comical moments. I slid down several steep embankments on my derriere....early season tobogganing. The cold weather made an already weak hatch, weaker. There were still some BWO's around along with midges. I had to cover territory and hunt to find rising fish. Eventually I found several and a couple were quite large. The best one landed was just shy of 20 inches. It took a size 20 midge: black body, a couple of turns of grizzly hackle, clear trailing shuck, and white wing for visibility. Best thing about the hook up was that the fish was found sipping in a relaxed manner just off of the bank in a foot of water or less. I was downstream and watched its behaviour for a short while before casting. It was feeding fairly consistently and most of its head, which was large, poked through the surface. After several casts things came together and I saw it leave the bottom, gently rise and take in the tiny imitation, all kind of in slow motion. Fortunately I didn't react too quickly, as sometimes I do with a very slow riser. I waited for the fish to take the imitation, slowly raised the rod tip and the small hook held. It had been caught before, probably on a large hook and had some damage done to it's mouth. Otherwise it was healthy. Tailwater rivers are amazing: large trout in shallow water, on small flies in sub-zero temperatures!

Lower Oldman River Report

I spent this past Sunday afternoon on the tailwater section of Oldman river. It was cloudy and cool, and it snowed just west of the river. It seemed like good Blue Wing Olive weather. Unfortunately, the hatch of small and large Olives was fairly weak. There were just enough bugs late afternoon when it turned sunny to bring up some fish in collector areas such as in back eddies, etc. Trout were found sipping on the Olives. I caught a few and missed several. Some solid fish were rising.

I haven't been on the river in at least 3 weeks and the water was extremely low. Side channels I had fished not long ago were completely dry. It is the lowest I have ever seen it.

soupy reverse current/eddy

deer fording river

Silver Creek Scenes

Some Spring Creek photos by Rebecca D:



silver creek, east access

 

clear creek water

 

 

 

good creek air

Browns on North Picabo Road

silver creek brown trout

Two weeks ago I fished a section of Silver Creek along North Picabo Road. I had the place almost to myself. That was good. The water there is quite tough as there is, especially at the East Access, few trees or even bushes along the creek. In full sun with the creek surface mirror-like, you are exposed. And trout have great vision. The water has significant weed growth often seemingly solid from one bank to the other. The hatch was weak: some Mahoganies and a few Olives but nothing significant. The Mahoganies did bring up some fish for an hour or two at most in the early afternoon and that was welcomed. Most of the time I simply had to watch the water patiently for signs of life and fish a terrestrial pattern, usually a beetle. I often remained still for 30 minutes or more in a stretch before spotting or hearing some sort of movement (feeding). Often it was a subtle sip or in contrast a quick lunge at some sort of food type before quickly returning to cover and then nothing for a long time. Sometimes I'd hear something, then look and see a surface bubble next to a bank which suggested a rise. With these occasional signs of life there was some hope and opportunity. I spent 3 or 4 days fishing this section of the creek and managed to connect with a few nice Browns. The whole place was silent and completely still. It was so quiet at one point I remember only being conscious of a ringing in my ears. I have not experienced silence like that since being in Patagonia 15 years ago. I'll go back to North Picabo Road.

My best fish, Browns, were landed on:  small black beetle: size 16 Mahogany; and a Damsel fly.

silver creek east




 

Trout Town

 

 

 

The Cross on the other side of Hwy 15 is still glowing. In a few moments dawn will extinguish it. It is 7:30am and anglers in moss green and khaki coloured quick dry pants, fleece tops and ball caps with logos make the walk to the local fly shop to get their morning cup of coffee and a hot breakfast burrito wrapped in tin foil. Their hands are tucked in pockets as it is Fall. Some of the older ones puff on a smoke. They come from everywhere: California; Washington state; New York; Canada; some even from far away places like Germany, Sweden and South Africa. Trucks and SUV's start to come and go. Most are towing drift boats. Their licence plates say: dryfly, fins, nympher; 5X, bamboo...and so on. A few town dogs snoop around and cover the territory. Waders still hang on porches. In a couple of hours all will head for the water. A parade of drift boats will begin the float down the river. It is all part of the morning routine in Trout Town: Craig, Montana, year round population 43.

 

 

 

Small Flies On the Big Mo

 

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.





size 20/22 olive tied with web wing

 

 rainbow on small fly

 

rainbow caught on size 20 olive

Sun Valley

Here are some photos of Sun Valley, Idaho and Silver Creek...


road to creek

flat water

creek rainbow

 

High Desert Trout

 

Silver Creek Idaho! What a beautiful place. If I had to choose one river to fish for a complete year this challenging creek would probably be it. I have yet to hit it when "The Hatch" has been on. I got one half day this trip where a brief low front came in and Tiny Western Olives made an appearance for a couple of hours, and I got a glimpse of what the creek has to offer. I managed some nice fish and a Rainbow that took me into my backing. The rest of the week was brilliant sunshine and few bugs. I relied on a terrestrial pattern to connect with fish. It was slow going: cautiously walking the creek, spotting trout and trying to get them to rise to a black beetle. The Browns seemed hunkered down on the clear days. I located some good ones but they wouldn't commit.

I planned the trip 3 weeks later than last year hoping for some cool inclement weather. Like last year, however, it was Indian Summer weather: upper 70's F and blue skies. I'll keep going back until the stars align. What a great cocktail: Sagebrush desert, crystal clear water, and trout!