June 4, 2023 – Still Just Doing Whatever It Takes, and Good Fortune Continues – The Mighty??? Lehigh River

Fish in the foggy riffles, but I had to get there first!

I explored a new section of the river today, trying to avoid other anglers on a Sunday at the easier access points and staying close enough to that cold outflow from the dam to find optimum water temperatures.  I knew the river would be low, and it really was.  The one picture I took of a mid-river shoal where there are usually riffles was most telling, I believe.  The only upside of this low water is being able to wade without fear.  For the time being, I have also benefitted from many cool nights, with those 90-degree days still pretty infrequent.  I basically used my felt and spikes and wading staff this morning as the poor man’s drift boat, and I had a blast for about three of the five hours I fished—not that the rest of my time was terrible on such a beautiful morning.  During two of those most productive hours I was picking away at a bunch of browns, one up to 17, at least two over 12, and probably ten other small to average boys, not including a few YOY boys, too.  Before leaving the river to hike back to the ‘Ru, I also targeted a riser that ended up being an angry rainbow, and I even caught two more YOY stalking back up the small tributary I had used to access the river.  No adults in the trib this time of year, but I am going to assume the adults use it to spawn in the fall.  The water on the main river remained below 60 F for my stay, and the trib and river below the trib were like 57 to 58 F even in the sun! 

Not too mighty right now, yo!

It took me a good 45 minutes to get my bearings and figure out where to best use my legs to target fish.  With persistent fog and low light, not to mention an unfamiliarity with this stretch of the river, it took me a while to find the fish.  Once I did, however, it was game on.  Before dialing it in, I took a couple deep wades towards what appeared to be fishy spots, only to find a shallow shoal or a boulder sitting in sand.  Eventually, I committed to a bit of a wade, and hike where possible along banks still muddied from last week’s whitewater rafting release from the dam, in order to reach a riffle I could just make out in the fog.  I knew it was there in theory because I had checked out the spot from the comfort of my desk via Google maps fly over.  I knew there was another riffle below within a do-able wade provided I could avoid chest deep holes, and this one actually has an island to fish around, but I could just make out a couple figures down there.  They may have been bank fishermen, but they were just as likely hikers taking a break.  Either way, I chose not to chance making a 500-yard wade for naught and fished my way back up the small creek instead. 

A beauty.

I was fishing by 5:20 AM, but I bet the magic time started around 7 when some caddis started making their way upstream.  I caught a handful of small browns before the magic two hours, but they made me work for them.  At the height of the nymph bite, I picked up some better trout and lost at least three more.  Fishing shallow, fast riffles is a blast, but it is very, very easy for fish to get below you.  I did my best to stumble below them first and even plan my potential landing spots once I was in the groove, but I did have a few come off before and after the peak activity.  Most of the fish, including the biggest one, took a size 16 CDC beaded soft hackle on the dropper tag, so caddis were the preferred bugs at the peak.  By the time I left, around 10:30 AM, there were a few dimples and even a few splashy caddis takes in a long glide—and that is where I got a rainbow to take my nymphs on the swing.  I did get a few fish to eat a purple hotspot frenchie on the anchor fly too.  I think low light, and then fishing the dwindling shade line, accounted for that bug’s popularity.  

A few other adults in with the smalls.

Once the shade was gone for good, the bite shut off pretty quickly.  I had a few options, but they all involved a long wade.  I chose the downstream wade and spotted the other people, so I probably should have headed upstream.  However, I likely made the right call by not exerting all that energy.  I could have waded all the way up to the next set of riffles (or down) only to find the nymph action was over, and I had already landed a dozen trout or more.  What I should have done was carry my dry fly rod and stash it in the woods until 10 AM.  I did wade out, partly to cool off after that primetime exertion, and swing my bugs in front of a small pod of dimplers.  That resulted in the hot bow that would not quit.  He barely cooperated for a photo, which is par for the course with healthy holdover rainbows.  Earlier, I also had a brown that was 13 inches or more that did the same thing, but at least I got a close up of him in the net chomping that little CDC bug before I prematurely dropped him back in the drink.

Bonus shots of the best of the morning + more fish shots.  Only 1 rainbow.

I would like to say that my stalk up the tributary—with my 10’ 6” 4 wt, mind you—was very productive, but it was not.  I did not have the right tool to continue on very far once I reached my parking spot again, but I have heard this creek gets better as it gets deeper into the mountains and away from easy access.  Today, I stuck two fingerlings with that same CDC bug.  One slipped through my net—in the dark woods, I was thinking brookie and wanted to confirm.  Another little fella took a short flight after an over-excited hookset.  He was camped out in a prime little spot, so I was anticipating a far better fish when I saw the flash of a take.  I decided that I was better off refilling my water and getting some food in me than continuing to climb this little crick looking for 5 inchers on my 4 weight, so I called it good around 11 AM and took my time hiking back, just enjoying the breeze and cool temps in the mature woods.  A good morning, especially at a new spot and in these challenging conditions.  I know the temperatures are supposed to continue moderate this week, but I really don’t know how long this small window of low water but decent water temps can last.  I know some creeks are pretty much done for now.  Post-spawn smalljaws or perhaps some more saltwater excursions may be on the menu very, very soon.

Damn you, bow!  The little trib with a big rod.