January 15, 2017 – Squinting and More Squinting - Dry Fly Fishing in January Continues

Young E Love enjoying the morning.

The main reason for my visit to the creek I fished on Friday was to scout out a spot close to home where Eric and I could fish Sunday.  As I shared already, that trip became a very successful day with the Griffiths gnats and blue winged olives, a 20 fish day on dry flies in January.  Well, today was a different day, and we had every chance of it being slow and cold, but the fish did not disappoint again, and I was grateful.  

Bows still availing themselves of a plethora of mid-winter midges and the odd BWO.

Eric picked me up around 8:30 AM, so we were suited up and fishing by 9:15 AM.  It was cold and breezy, but we could tell it was going to be a pleasant day.  The sun was up, the freezing rain was melting steadily from the trees, and by 10 AM, the first signs of midging fish bulging the surface began in earnest.  I landed one fish early on with a pheasant tail and a hare’s ear dropper, but until the fish started actively feeding on or just below the surface film, it was a slow start.

Protect the ball pose or Orvis/LL Bean/Costa ad?

With fish still hunkered down on the bottom of the creek, Eric decided to take a scouting trip upstream, while I tied on a piece of 6X to my tippet ring and a size 18 gnat to await the hatch I just knew had to be coming.  It did, though not with much intensity until later.  With the quality of light today, I had a much easier time seeing fish rise to the dry than I did on Friday, but it is still a challenge to hook fish on such a tiny fly that basically rides in the film.  It didn’t take long to get a couple fish in the net, however.  I was curious if Eric was having similar success, so I took a walk up to see him and learned that he had landed one and missed a couple others on the dry, as well.  The funny thing is, when Eric went to the local Orvis shop on Saturday and bought a handful of Griffiths gnats, he got misguided grief from one of the sales guys.  We should send the mitch some pictures, I suppose….

Eric got in on the dry fly action, as well.

We fished together on a flat, moderately deep bend in the creek and hooked up with a couple others on our way to the next hole, but we could see that other fishermen were above us in the next two holes.  I left Eric to his piece of water and retreated back to the original hole where I had landed a few.  By the time I returned, I was glad I did, as the run was alive with bulging and rising fish, some chasing each other and jockeying for feeding lanes.  It was as fun to watch as it was to fish.

Bundled up Eric with an average one for the day

I landed two more and had refusals or hooked, lost, and, as a result, spooked a couple others.  The fish were feisty, though not as crazy as the previous warmer afternoon, though silly enough to disturb their feeding friends by running all over the hole and making a ruckus by taking to the air.  Tired of refusals, though, I tried a BWO in two different sizes, but either got ignored or refused, so I went back to the gnat, but this time added a size 18 pheasant tail dropper about two feet under the dry.  Eric had joined me again by then and witnessed me landing a couple more that way.  A pod of good sized rainbows were working different lanes near the tailout of the run, so I moved up and gave Eric a crack at them.  While I had a breakfast of venison Slim Jims care of Eric and his bow earlier this fall, it didn’t take long for the young buck to hook a couple on the dry while I watched and briefly rested.

Little footballs: what they haven't added in length, they sure have added in girth!

My seldom displayed “selflessness” was rewarded throughout the day with a mess of nice rainbows on the dry, and I bet I landed a dozen in addition to the other hook-ups and misses, but it was also good to see Eric hooked up.  He had a least 5 in my presence and a bunch of hook-ups too.  Dry fly fishing with such tiny flies is not easy, as I mentioned (especially for sworn nymph acolytes like me).  Tricos are that small, sure, but tricos are white and don’t have to float in the film (and it’s a lot warmer out in July)!  Eric has a little one and another baby due in May, whereas I have come off a month of fishing like it was my job, so I felt just as good about his success as my own, honestly.  I also thought of poor Kenny, whom I have tortured with difficult and nearly fishless days the last few times out.  I did send him a pic, though, which is only fair.  I did not further torture him by sending more pics after the first one, however, especially because he was delivering a Sleep Number mattress to my house, which I will likely need tonight after a day of fishing and a double date in the city with some friends tonight.  Off on Monday with the boy, so I can rest then, I hope.  

A dozen in the net and a lot more action than that.  Good day!

After moving upstream and running into some other fishermen, Eric and I decided to call it a day around 2:45 PM.  My fishing furlough is officially over on Tuesday, but I think I have mentioned how I could get used to this amount of free time!  If it is nice on Monday, I may convince my son to fish for a couple hours, but I won’t push it.  It has been a good run, and the PFBC trucks will be rolling in a couple weeks, at least to all the special regulations stretches in the area.  Crazy.  It will be spring in no time??  

One last pic for the Orvis clerk who scoffed at young Eric?