Move Over May.

"You got to make it rain"

Tom Waits

Water levels are at summer levels this week. Temps are good and clarity is outstanding. With conditions as they are now, stealth and good presentation skills are needed to keep one in the game. Mayfly hatches are still fairly strong. Spinner and midge mornings are waning a bit. Caddis are starting to take center stage. Yellow Sally and Golden Stone adults on sunny days. In the image below you can see the results of a morning midge session we had with one of our long time clients Kerry. The Griffith's Gnat (size 16-22) pattern has been a go to fly this month for midging trout. No, it's not a cheap hook. It's a Tiemco TMC921. Careful what you wish for.

Thin Blue Line.

Explored this small mountain stream I've been looking at for far too long. One of the more enjoyable aspects of a small stream is it's simplicity. Fly fishing can be as complex as you make it. Not here. A good presentation in likely looking holding water will produce a take. If your fly drifts through unmolested, move on. No need to pound vacant water. Cover new areas and find a jewel in a pocket.

Why Spey ?

"What are you gonna do with that rod here'"?

("Fish water you couldn't reach".)
We get asked that question often. Spey casting/fishing is just another tool in the box. A very effective tool in the right hands. After the last few seasons of high water , spey gear and techniques proved to be the key to successful fishing or going home and whining.
This is why we like spey:

• It is not that difficult to learn. Learn four basic casts and your in the game. Spey casts transfer to one handed casting easily(you will become a better caster).
• Control. Your mends are impressive and you have better control of your fly.
• Fishing sink tips and larger flies is easier.
• Like swinging wets and streamers? This is THE tool.
• Fish a larger river like the Kennebec efficiently and with confidence.
  
• It's really fun.
  

Bugs R Us.

"Some days you are the bug,some days you are the windshield"

Three rivers this past week all had something hatching in some degree or another. March Browns ,Hendricksons ,Blue wings and Quill Gordons for mayflies. Caddis were prolific in some areas. Midges are still active in the morning. Keep an eye out for spinner falls in the a.m. and evenings. Stones showed sporadically . For as many insects that are hatching the indicator or streamer rig is the weapon of choice. I need to see adults taken off the surface (numerous times) before I change over to a dry.


Small streams are the best place if you are the dry dependant type. I've been looking at a thin blue line on a map for a few years now. It's on the short list for next week. One pattern you don't want to be in short supply of right now is an Adams. Sizes 10-16. Parachute, Comparadun or Wulff style. A good presentation beats an exact pattern almost every time.

The Big Dog.

"This salmon fly is useless; all it caught was browns."

Disgruntled client.

The big black stones(Pteronarcyidae) will arrive soon and with them silly fish antics. Though not as strong as the western waters the hatch here is not to be overlooked. These bugs are hard to ignore in both nymph and adult stages.A Kaufmann's Stone in black with or without rubberlegs in sizes 2-6 along with a Brooks Stone cover the nymph selection well.

For the adult I'm partial to Lawson's Henry's Fork Salmon fly. These are big meals that can produce some violent takes. Ramp up on the tippet to 2-3X and hang a dropper off the dry for added bragging rights.

Soooo Close.

If you haven't made plans to call in sick, pull a nooner or just plain quit it's probably a good time .

Water temps are creeping up,flows are stable and clear. Blue Wings,March Browns and Hendricksons are all appearing in varying degrees. Caddis are more and more consistent.Even Stoneflys are showing up early. Morning midge hatches on warm days
Nymphing is still the technique of choice. Streamers still work but the wet fly is out producing the big uglies pre and post hatch. Don't let the occasional rising fish sucker you into a dry rig. Keep the nymph set up and fish to the riser just as you would with a dry. Matching the hatch doesn't just pertain to dry flies.

Foam is Home.

When you find foam you find fish. Whenever we come across a foam pile, half of the hunt is over. The other half is deciding on what technique or fly to use. Dry,wet,streamer or nymph are all appropriate depending on conditions. Most foam layers occur in eddies where insects (hatching and spent) collect in and under the foam. Watch the foam for bulges or openings. These rises are subtle due to the blanket of white that spins like a merry go round.

Getting as close as you can without spooking the fish can be the crux of the matter. Having just a small amount of line on the water produces a better drift. Using a dry can become a maddening endeavour due to your fly sitting on the foam and not between the surface and the foam. Try a nymph or soft hackle that corresponds with what you think is hatching instead.

Another technique for the foam is the straight upstream nymph rig. Getting in a position like the photo above is advantageous in producing a proper drift. Get your nymphs on the inside of that seam/foam line and pay attention. Dry/dropper rigs are another good option to try.

Streamers can be fished much like nymphs. Then again you can rip and strip a big bugger through the foam and terrorize the neighborhood.Nobody said they were smart.

Blue Wings.

"All the world is green"

Tom Waits

Things are starting to warm up again after this past weekend's cold fronts,winds and rain. We had snow in the higher elevations as a reminder to leave some extra layers in the truck. Flows came up a little, clarity is good. Temps fell back earlier but are now creeping up. Fishing was inconsistent due to flow changes,storm fronts and the hundreds of other excuses fishermen use throughout the season.
In the past few days the Blue Wing Olives have been making a stronger appearance. Some waters had a large amount of duns on the surface with no risers. Another river would have a weak hatch of olives and good number of heads feeding. When there were no risers we would nymph the hatch. We were either hooked up or smelling the skunk.
Don't overlook the midge this month. We fished a pond outlet recently during a good midge fest. It was great until being shutdown by hail and thunder.Get it while you can.

Leader Formula.

Those that fish with us know we are big fans of hand tied leaders. Most agree that the performance is better than store bought extruded leaders. A really good formula we use on small streams is listed below. For butt and mid sections we use Maxima Chameleon. For tippet we like Rio Powerflex.
This is a stiff leader that will help drive a bushy dry fly in tight quarters. It can also handle a small beadhead dropper. Allow a little extra butt material if you prefer a nail knot or a blind splice connection.
16"- .020/25#
14"-.017/20#
12"-.015/15#
12"-.013/12#
12"-.009/10#/2X
20"-.007/6#/4x
Don't worry if your off an inch or so. The leader length should be about seven feet. If you feel that the sections need to be exactly as listed you have entered fly fishing geekdom.

Hence The Name.

"What potent blood hath modest May"

Ralph W. Emerson

Five moving waters and five very different experiences. Water temps ranged from 49 to 57 degrees this week. Clarity and volume were good. Small streams and brooks are really starting to turn on. The attraction of small stream fly fishing lies in its simplicity and easy prospecting. Find out what the small stream scene is all about this season.

Hatches were a mix. Midges were everywhere and proved to be THE bug of the week. Little black caddis showed up in a few places along with tan caddis (size 14). Yellow Sallies made an early appearance. Mahogany duns had a strong showing. Baetis were weak.
Pictured below is a Quill Gordon. The start of the mayfly hatches are upon us. Get your spring chores done. Actually screw the lawn, it only grows back anyhow.

Overlooked

Northern case maker caddis are probably the most often ignored bug in the spring. Everyone has the glamour mayflies(Hendricksons,Quill Gordons and Cornutas) on the brain. These large caddis are readily available in April and May. Since they make their cases from stream debris many anglers never notice them. It's this stage that you should take advantage of.

Fishing /presenting this nymph is a bit different than the standard indicator rig set up. Working slower water and pool edges with a sink tip or full sinking line will keep you in the game. Two keys are the retrieve and the depth. A very slow retrieve is what your looking for. Let me rephrase that. A glacial strip is more appropriate.Takes are violent enough to keep you awake.Keep that fly on the bottom.

Three patterns that work for us are LaFontaine's Cased Caddis Larvae,Hazel's Cased Caddis and Carnazzo's Stick Caddis with a black tungsten bead. Sizes 8-12. Bon Appetit.