IMG_4834Between trout trips and playing row, row, row your boat, July has been quite full. Here is what has been happening in Goat World .

TROUT

In the last two weeks I have been on the trout rivers a half dozen times both morning and evening. The rivers are still holding a bit of silt stain, especially the lower Kinni. Inspection of stream-side spider webs has netted me a total of 6 tricos in my favorite spots. There have been reports of tricos in the mornings and evenings on the upper Kinni. My usual haunts on the lower Kinni and Rush have been void of the mating clouds and the lathered up trout that most anglers are drooling to find. Remember, I am only one angler in one place at one time. Let me know what you have found if you have been out.

The trout waters are still fishing fine, but stream temps have risen again through this heat. Clients have done very well fishing sub-surface, but repeated attempts at throwing dries have yielded far less fish per cast. Black beetles and Royal Wulffs have been the best patterns in slow and fast water, respectively.

There has always been a tiny BWO that has hatched during the afternoon at this time of year. It is reasonably regular. They are very small mayflies and out of the realm of sight and casting ability for most anglers. Oh, and finding the habitat locations of these mayflies is part of the reward of the exploration involved.  Just to get the chance to cast to the trout rising for these little morsels can be a lesson in frustration.  Being at the right place on the stream at the right time is all part of the game. But repeating it, understanding the what and why, and then cataloguing it to one’s trout memory is what gives anglers personal pride, success at fitting another small piece of the grand puzzle together. Knowledge like this is both dangerous and gratifying. It is dangerous because it is desirable knowledge among trout anglers. It is a nugget of gold, a key that can open one of the many gates to fly angling satisfaction. It is gratifying because the time spent has produced a desirable result time and time again. You have the tools, it’s just time on the water using them.

ROW, ROW,,,,,

I have been trying to row 2 to 3 times a week. Smallmouth have been reasonably consistent on top water flies but not on fire on the waters that have been fished.  High flows are still the rule, and I think the action will pick up as the water continues to drop. I am having fun with this new aspect of fly fishing and should be ready for some August trips in the boat.