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limpingcrab
Trad climber
the middle of CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 12, 2016 - 01:46pm PT
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I've had the most luck down there this summer with parachute adams and elk hair caddis 12-14. Sometimes the bigger stimulators and hoppers are great too. When it's rainy the emergent sparkle pupa sometimes kills it.
For nymphs the BH gold ribbed hare's ear or the BH pheasant tail around size 14 or 16. Copper John was good in the middle of the day last time.
Olive wooly buggers if nothing else is working.
BWO hatches should be coming on soon but those flies are so small that I don't like to fish them in rough water.
Oh ya, and stay until 10pm and throw some mice at the browns!
My strategy is to bring a million different flies and re-tie all the time because I suck and never know what to use. But I usually end up landing on one or more of the above.
Fishing!
Edit: can't imagine catching a rooster! Just the videos of those things are impressive.
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micronut
Trad climber
Fresno/Clovis, ca
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Oct 12, 2016 - 02:19pm PT
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Trout don't eat mosquitos men.
au contraire mon frère.......the ol skeeter has been a Brookieslayer for me over the years. My childhood home was on the lower kings river (literally on the river) and I used to MERder bows on them. And in the high country I have never gone hungry if I have at least one in my box. Late season though you're right, I shouldn't have added them to the list.
I'm a simple layman when it comes to patterns but always seem to bag trout with black ant patterns when all else fails. Last fall on the Owens was the first I got real fancy with BWO's and some small stimulators and midges. Looking at the Middle Kings this weekend with fresh eyes thanks to this thread.
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G_Gnome
Trad climber
Cali
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Oct 12, 2016 - 02:25pm PT
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In order to gain any size fish need one more thing. Nutrients in the water. If the river is running thru nothing but granite the fish will be tiny because there isn't much to eat because there aren't any nutrients to grow plants/algae and hence darn few bugs.
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limpingcrab
Trad climber
the middle of CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 12, 2016 - 02:32pm PT
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Hmmm.... I pumped the stomach of a little rainbow this summer in the Kaweah and thought I was seeing mosquitoes but I'm not good at identifying bugs so maybe it was something else.
I usually roll rocks and pump stomachs to see what's in the water but when I find bugs I don't really know what they are and then I don't know what patterns mimic them. I think that's why I love fly fishing, always something to learn and it always changes!
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guyman
Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
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Oct 12, 2016 - 02:34pm PT
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Oh ya, and stay until 10pm and throw some mice at the browns!
My cousin did just that... only I think he was going at it at about 2am...
Caught a 9 lb Brown up in the coyote wilderness above Bishop.
illegal for sure in California.
WTF... thanks for the tips, the tapered line and to "not use it when nymphing."
Good luck
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micronut
Trad climber
Fresno/Clovis, ca
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Oct 12, 2016 - 03:14pm PT
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Interesting intel on the skeeters. I too have heard that trout don't eat mosquitos. But since I always seem to catch trout I always assumed that was like saying "Great whites don't eat humans."
My skeeter pattern might be close enough to something they regularly eat much like a surfer looks like a harbor seal. Not a bad line of reasoning eh?
By the way, just picked up a new little Orvis Battenkill. Light and sexy little sucker. My new "little black dress" for the river. Stoked to use it Saturday.
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limpingcrab
Trad climber
the middle of CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 12, 2016 - 03:56pm PT
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I just got an orvis setup this summer micro, love it!
If you fish double nymph rigs tie Duncan loops and if a fish takes the fly it tightens that loop and you know which fly was hit if it gets off. That's freakin' genius, thanks!
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limpingcrab
Trad climber
the middle of CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 12, 2016 - 04:39pm PT
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On a side note, what's everyone's experience with the effect of a full moon on trout fishing?
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ruppell
climber
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Oct 12, 2016 - 05:35pm PT
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If the moon is within a few days of full on either side I fish really early or really late. There's plenty of charts and guides out there about fish activity and moon schedule. I charted the Farmers Almanac fishing calendar for fun two years ago. Out of 200 days on the water it was accurate about 90% of the time. I never really bought into those things until I did that little test. Every time it said good or best I hooked up a lot. If it said fair or poor I hooked up very little. I reference it every time I plan a big trip. Take for that what you will.
If you guys are really looking for a hike and to do some battle with the weather look at lakes above 11,000. Goldens are going off right now and will be until the lakes ice over. If you've never fished a good Golden lake you really should. Bows, brooks and browns are a dime a dozen. Goldens you have to work hard for. It's worth it when you hook up though. Just what I would do if I was in your waders so to speak.
Whatever you end up doing have a blast.
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limpingcrab
Trad climber
the middle of CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 12, 2016 - 06:30pm PT
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thanks ruppell, I forgot about those fishing charts. Used to look at them when I was into bass fishing a long time ago, didn't realize they were applicable to trout.
I've caught little goldens out of some small creeks around here, mostly hybrids, but I definitely want to get on one of those lakes you speak of. This trip we will stick to rivers, but there are so many places to fish and so little time! It's like climbing!
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ruppell
climber
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Oct 12, 2016 - 06:53pm PT
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there are so many places to fish and so little time! It's like climbing!
Yeah man. Why do you think I take my packrod on every weekend climbing trip to the Sierra? Sure it's a few extra pounds but holy hell there is a lot of water to fish. On the way in, on the way out and at camp. I've often asked myself whether the climb or the fishing is the real objective.
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Delhi Dog
climber
Good Question...
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Oct 12, 2016 - 10:44pm PT
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Nothing better than being in the backcountry with a fly rod, a small rack and light rope, and a bag-'o'buds!
I'm off to El Salvador to chase rooster fish and dorado as well as snook. Swwweeeettt!
Heck I want to be all you guys right now:-)
Fall FF in CA is so sweet...I miss it so much.
Regarding mossies and fly patterns...mosquitos bred in stagnant water, trout in running water, therefore any mosquitos that get eaten are really just in the wrong place at the wrong time. More a matter of the trout taking advantage of potential food right in their face. I suspect the shape, size, and the grizzly hackle pattern is what attracts them, not necessarily because it's a mosquito.
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limpingcrab
Trad climber
the middle of CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 12, 2016 - 11:04pm PT
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Ya I started fly fishing several years ago strictly for backpacking but I got addicted so I haven't had the spinning rod out in a long time.
WTF, I'm definitely getting back into entomology! It's embarrassing that I've forgotten so much but when I got my MS in biology my advisor was a freshwater ecologist and I used to do stream macroinvertebrate surveys for him. My memory is terrible.
Man I'd love to fish with you sometime and pick up a few things! I grew up worm fishing but am pretty much a self taught (youtube/internet) fly fisherman, and I usually fish alone. But I LOVE it.
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Escopeta
Trad climber
Idaho
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Oct 13, 2016 - 06:45am PT
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Our fly rods are packed away (which reminds me I need to post a pic on the Trout lovers thread) and my eyes are turning to the sky.
We still get some cast and blasts in around here though....
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