Hey guys, looks like an unprecedented Sunday report rather than a Saturday this week! (Wound up with both days off due to a covid related re-schedule.) Not much new to report actually, the shop is open 8am to 6pm daily now and we are full of goodies if you’ve of a mind to stop in and support! Other than that, we’re in the thick of it and all of the usual applies…
Proper presentation and pattern play a huge roll per usual, but luck of the draw in “the rotation” (Provided you rotate much.) and actually being in a good spot during a bite window is important as well. Most days I’ve been lucky enough to hit a few good spots at the right time, but I have had a couple now where I wish I’d rotated a just little earlier or a little later. (Those of you that actually fish your way down the river very much will get it. ;^)
The water has kept a fairly nice level and stain for the most part this past week with a few ups and downs along the way and water temps were in the mid 40s for the better part of the week, but have dropped the past couple of days with the return of cold weather. Looks like another day and night or so of that and then we return to some better temps again.
Fry patterns, hex nymphs, black stones and hares ears have all produced for me on the nymph side of things as well as the obvious egg patterns in a wide spectrum of colors. We had one day when comparing notes as we, as a bunch of guides, always do back at the barn where chartreuse eggs were the obvious winner, on another it was the fry and on others it was paler eggs or, didn’t really seem to matter. Don’t be lazy and play around with patterns in other words; besides, it never hurts to run new tippet after a while anyway!
Busy is the norm this time of year, but for the most part, with just a very few exceptions, it’s been really pleasant out there with friendly conversation in passings, anglers respecting one another and even helping each other out at times. Don’t be shy about letting the guy going by you wading or boating know if you’re just about to leave a spot. Sometimes they want it and sometimes they don’t, but I can tell you from experience that there’s been times when I wish I could teleport back upstream when I set anchor somewhere and that guy who was in the spot I really wanted to try goes by me a minute later. Just food for thought…
We’ve been spending a lot of time upriver lately with long time regular groups of clients who just prefer it, but we had a guide in the far lower reaches who did very well yesterday and have been getting good reports from our friends and colleagues from just about every section in-between. I’m not gonna start running out ungodly early to grab a good spot and I don’t mind sharing and bumping down the river, but if it’s a bit much for you at times as I have heard from some, just don’t forget we’ve got 68 miles of open water with fish in it right now to explore and expand your horizons into.
Guess that’s about all I’ve got for you right now. As always, I can’t stress enough how much we appreciate your business with all of the available options out there be it something from the store direct, a phone or on-line order, (Still working on it, but lots available there!) a motel room, a guide trip or even just some good word of mouth. It all plays a big roll in keeping us rolling, so thank you!!
We do still have some guide dates and motel availability during the season yet, call the shop to check on those if interested (231 745-3529) and till next time, take care, be well and tight lines,
-Steve-
