Karl asked
I don’t know if you’ve been out at Hay creek lately but it is gin clear! Basically its an aquarium. I’ve had some luck, but even the lightest presentation sends the bottom writhing with spooked fish. Any suggestions? Night fishing?
Karl
All small creeks can be hard at times. Sometimes if you just sit and stay put the fish will settle down. Sometimes feeding down stream into the holes works better than coming up from behind. Stay out of the water if you can. The stream I live on kicks my butt often. The fish at the bridge are so spooky, they out smart me more often than I, them . When the water goes slightly off color though, I get back at them because they can’t see me when I am right next to them. Also, go to the broken water. They can’t see you through that.
7 users commented in " Ask Andy- Spooky Conditions "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackI watched several flyfishers yesterday on the Kinni casting from a downstream position to stoneflies hatching and skittering to flight in the tailouts of “riffly” water. The action was entertaining but frustrating to the casters because they were not catching.
As I watched this dance, it occured to me how this was like casting to caddis when they’re hatching from broken waters…hmmm gives me a clue!
Go upstream of the fly snatching trouties and let the dry fly float to them, skittering and retreiving the fly at the end of the drift.
This approach worked well. Granted, you pull the hook out of the fishes mouth more often than a cast from downtream up to the risers but you still land a fair percentage.
LESSON: The water is broken upstream of the fish rising in the tail of the riffles so the fly and leader aren’t seen very easily by the fish. However, since the trout are hanging in the slower water of the tail out a line being casted from downtream up to the fish will lay itself and leader on unbroken water in the tailout and spook the risers.
Cheers Duane.
My suggestion: Fish the broken water, fish at dusk/dawn, fish on cloudy, windy or rainy days, all can help when the water is running clear.
I haven’t tried feeding down stream extensively but it sounds like the way to go for trout feeding outside of broken water at tail outs. I also think fishing the faster moving water at the head of pools is the way to go when trout are spooky. I think the fish holding up there are ready to eat and have moved to that position for that purpose. Not the best spot to catch the big boys (in my experience) but it can shake loose a skunk on a tough day.
One note on fishing faster water, be careful on the approach even if you know the fish up stream can’t see you. If you spook fish from lower in the pool up to the fast water at the top you can put off the whole crowd.
Great point on approach, Sticky.
Sometimes, the Big Boys will have their noses up against the drop off to the plunge pool. With a fast top current going over their head and the spill-over current dropping food over the edge, they will pull up to the spillway where there is less current so they can be first in line to get the food. To reach these fish from below is almost impossible because of shallow depth at the lip of the pool. Too much weight to the fly will get you caught on the lip. Not enough weight will get you caught in the top current and shoot right over their heads. But, by being even with the lip of the pool, or above it, you can adjust your cast, weight and mend to catch the spill-over current and send your bug right to the fish. Learning to fish these plunges is good fodder for beating up on the skunks.
Thanks for the comment.
Excellent point Andy about the location of the bigger fish. Lucky for me I had the chance to illustrate that Monday afternoon to a friend I’ve been coaching. As I was telling him that exact fact my midge emerger landed a foot above the rim. As soon as the fly passed over the little falls, it disappeared in a swirl and a 15″ brookie, twice the size of anything we had caught up to that point was brought to hand.
Which Hay Creek is this?
South of Red Wing, Minnesota
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