Cfw , 4/3

[David Lee]

Headed out the door in a couple of hours , I'll post the dirt after returning .

Let's hope we don't get blown-off to OZ .... !!

David

[David Lee]

Phooey .

Campers shooting off a .22 , jetskis , wind , cranky fishes .........

One dink 12-incher , one hard bite dropped . Blew like the end of the freakin' world was at hand ....... I actually went back out on the South side for the ride of a lifetime - it was blowing 40+ (nope , I'm not kidding). Saw Dorthy and Toto go whizzing past ....

Time to take a week off - this waiting for the planets to align causing the mother of all bites is becoming UN-FUN .

David

[Scott V]

At least you are alive to make a report.

[Ed Wahl]

You just gotta love April in the central valley.

It's the same every year, tease then turn, tease then turn.

And every year, we fly fishers get suckered in way too early.

I've done it, you've done it, David's doing it.

It's just that the bait is sooooo enticing. It's right there, almost within our grasp.

So much great fishing, so many species to fish for, so many places to see, all so close now we can hardly stand it.

Ed

[David Lee]

I'll add a little bit about my concepts to beat the wind , since we're on the subject .....

It is a rare day when I consider it to be 'too windy' to flyfish . If you take into account the water conditions , you can actually have a pretty good time fishing , and hook a few fish while it's blowin' like all get-out . Ed Wahl and I have fished in a sustained 35+ MPH wind for several hours and didn't have many worries , and I've done it myself to great effect more than a few times . Obviously don't do this if you're not comfortable with the conditions .... I consider 'good' water conditions to be - warm enough for the fish to be actively feeding !! Early Spring/late Fall are low percentage times for Bass tubing , so you shouldn't bother trying if the wind is screamin' .

On foot -

This is simple - keep the wind at your back . You will likely have trouble w/ the backcast , especialy if you are using a dry line or bulky fly . Doing something as simple as switching to an I line and slim fly can make the backcast a bit more easy . Never forget , though ...... let the rod do its job - don't over-power the cast - use a single , short haul .

I much prefer using a float tube in the wind . Using a float tube is , in my opinion , the most effective way to hold position and stay IN CONTROL . This is great <IF> you follow the rules -

#1 - Stay on the windward side of the body of water . Better to be blown back to where you've started , rather than out into the 'deep blue' .... Working the windward mud lines and be really effective !!

#2 - Always , ALWAYS launch INTO the wind - if things get out of hand , you will wind-up back where you started . Don't take foolish chances .

#3 - Stick with an 'active' type of fishing . I tend to do much better catching using Streamers on a sinking line/head . Easier to stay in contact with the fly , and feel when it gets eaten .

#4 - Wear your hat/glasses . Casts can go errant , so protect your head .

#5 - Be careful while landing and launching . Waves in the shorebreak can cause you to eat it while you're waddling around in fins .

#6 - An old fashion ROUND float tube offers the least wind resistance of any style of watercraft . You can hold position while using gentle to moderate kicking . DO NOT over tax yourself . If you can't make headway in a stiff breeze using moderate kicking , get off the water .

#7 - ALWAYS be prepaired to walk back !! Take your boots along ....

#8 - Dress correctly . Wear your windbreaker and layers , even if it's warm out . Spray and over-exerting yourself will make you chilly . Get cold , GET OUT .

One curious thing I've run into while fishing the rough is ..... motion sickness . Not so much getting pukey , but getting dizzy - make sure you look up at the shoreline often . If you don't do this .... you will find that when you look at the shore after a while , it seems to be moving more than the water !! Pretty strange ....

30-40 MPH sustained winds are kind of the cutoff point . I'm usually OK up to around 35 MPH . I have fished @ P.O.S. in screamers and have been cool , letting the wind put me to the bank , then shooting and covering the water with little effort while boats are running for cover .

Again , I'll stress this - if you feel uncomfortable , don't get in the water ! However .... IF you follow the basic rules above and pay attention to the conditions , fishing in the wind can be fun and fairly productive . Be safe !!

David

[Hairstacker]

David, great list of tips!

The other potential "wind" option is simply to find a different piece of water. For example, last weekend, I went to Modesto Reservoir and it was so windy I could hardly cast, let alone even think about launching the inflatable kayak -- we're talking whitecaps. I struggled through it by walking a shoreline that enabled me to cast with the wind, as you suggested in your 1st tip. Unfortunately, I really needed to get out on the water in a different area to hit the holes I knew best and ended up blanking.

Later on, when I checked out the lower Tuolumne for the 1st time just down the road, I noticed that because of its East-West orientation and position in a canyon, it was like a calm, pleasant summer day down on the water. I wished I had packed it in immediately at the reservoir and headed there instead. I'll know better next time.

[David Lee]

........ Later on, when I checked out the lower Tuolumne for the 1st time just down the road, I noticed that because of its East-West orientation and position in a canyon, it was like a calm, pleasant summer day down on the water.....


How was the fishing ???

Thanks , BTW !

D. -

[Hairstacker]

David, sorry to say I didn't have time to fish it, as I was on my way home and just wanted to briefly see what it looked like. It looked very good and I most definitely plan to go back. When I do, I'll let you know how it goes. :D