June 23, 2016

June 23, 2016

IT’S ON IN THE EVENING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Over the past several days the flights of White Miller Caddis have strengthened, particularly in the evening and the fish are active. However, the determining factor is the absence of wind. When the wind blows, you can pretty much forget it. When the wind lays down and we have glass conditions, the bite is on! During dinner last night the wind continued to blow and I doubted that the forecasted decline of wind would actually occur. But, it did! There were only two Members fishing the field water and they had a riot on their hands.

As I have written before in this blog, I have refined my strategy for success with flights of White Miller Caddis over the past couple of years. I have long had good fishing swimming a Pheasant Tail soft hackle under the hovering insects. This approach accounts for half of my fish, caught during the first half of the evening. But, then the soft hackle seems to lose its appeal. Then one needs to switch to a dry pattern. Just but everyone I speak with has limited success with the dry. Some have some success with a sparsely tied traditional pattern such as a Light Cahill. Last season I stumbled onto using the #14 Callibaetis Hatch Matcher. I now switch to that pattern when the Pheasant Tail soft hackle stops producing. I feel that the Callibaetis Hatch Matcher in size 14 matches the size of the natural White Miller and gives the proper profile in the water, just as the hovering White Millers start to dap the water and drop their eggs. Give it a try! Just check the wind forecast before your come down to the creek. I religiously consult weatherunderground.com.

This morning the fishing varied depending on where you were.

Around 9:00 a.m. I saw a bunch of trout rising in The Pond to what appeared to me to be Callibaetis. (Or, maybe Baetis?)  Later in the day when the wind came up, a Member reported having had great success on Callibaetis nymphs in the calm bay by the Point.

In the morning in the field there was some tough fishing on Baetis spinners and beetle imitations.

The forecast is for increased air temperatures, sunny skies and little wind starting on Saturday. In my view, constancy is the key. We should be in for some good fishing during the coming week. Be ready for it.

Doug Andres, Stream Keeper, Double R Ranch