I took a friend out for his first time on the fly. He is new in the area, and wanted a scenic drive, so we swung past Chinook Bend on the way up to the Middle Fork. The flows were at 4500 when I left at 7am and while the big gravel bar was accessible, the water was fast and dark.
Note to self; Bring a machete next time, or let someone else lead. I am pretty sure that either those were noxious weeds that we were prancing through, or perhaps I now have robotic scabies.
We dropped by Fall City to see what the water looked like. Looked much more fishable, but still dark.
There was a gentleman, who was trying to fish using a style I was unfamiliar with. Using a spincasting outfit, he would launch the paylod 30 feet straight up and about 15 feet out. Was he trying to bonk the fish on the head? Distract them while someone sneaks up from behind?
While walking back to the car he started yelling and screaming. We were out of range for a visual, but I think he caught either a neckfish or landed his tackle on top of his head.
Middle Fork Road is a really nice drive in the morning. Lots of sunlight peeking through. The road was in really bad shape in march after/during the winter/spring thaw, but had been sanded and graded very recently. Better surface to drive on than the road I live on.
We headed out to the main bend about a half mile before the bridge. I wanted my friend to have some space to show him how to cast poorly. Above the falls the flows were just under 1900. By the time I was home they were at 1600.
The river was running full and chalky and green. Fast too.
There is a pool left of the run, and there were fish jumping everywhere. I am still very new in my insect identification, but I will describe what I saw. The flies seemed to have a lighter colored wing and a copper body. I grabbed one off the surface, only to find that the case was empty and that the fly had gotten away. It was soft, not like the barrels of sand that you find with a caddis. The shucked case was orange or copper. I changed from a Parachute Adams to some gifted fly with a copper colored body with white wings. Two casts and a bump. Two more casts and a little 10″ beauty. Two more bumps, and the fish seems to back off the pool.
We talked for a bit about the hatch, me knowing little, trying to educate one who knows less. I caught another bug, hoping for a good look at what the fish were locking on to and it seemed to be a different bug, same size, same wing white/grey wings, but a straighter body, this time a grey/green body. No more bumps, blood sugar dropping, my friend needed a place with TP.
BWO? Caddis? Will there ever be a bikini hatch of 17-18 emergers or is that just for other people?
Verified. Mayfly hatch, followed by a Caddis hatch.
The below pics are from a trip to Icicle Crick. 1 8″ trout. Threw it back, gently of course. Sure did wiggle.
