Weekend A report

[mike N]

I slipped out Saturday around noon thru 2:00 to hit a run on the A. First time thru the run, no fish. Second time thru I hooked into a nice fish, about 5 pounds. Just after the take the slack line at my hand got a nice knot in it. I tried to quickly get the knot out, but the fish took a fast run and made two good jumps. The knot went thru the guides without any problems and was about 25' past the tip. I finally got the knot back towards the reel and tried again to get it out. While I was messing with that the fish broke me off at the knot to the fly. I had the fish on for about three minutes.

This is the third nice fish I have hooked in this particular run in the last two times fishing there. I did fish the flat above this run Firday evening but didn't get any grabs. I saw a few decent fish rising that evening, the hatch was minimal.

I did not get any other grabs on Saturday, nor did I see any other steelies on the surface or otherwise. There was no noticable hatch while I was out. The fish took a burnt orange fox pupah and was in the 4' deep slower water adjacent to the main current.

MN

[mike N]

PS: No break-ins have occured to my vehicle at this location, ever.

[Ty@Landpark]

Hey Mike. That rascal fish....sounds like an exciting 4 mins though. I experienced 3 grabs on the AR @ Ancil on Sunday morning between 8:50AM and 9:10AM. One stay on for about 4 seconds...and spat it on the first jump. Missed the other two grabs...just wasn't quick enough on the draw to set the hook or may have jerked the fly out it's month? I'm still evaluating how to effectively set the hook...still have a lot of the baitcaster techniques ingrained that may not apply to fly fishing methods. Nonetheless, I was swinging a #16 tan caddis nymph on a medium fast sinking line that Andy from Kiene's spooled-on for me last week.

Hey, Rosie mentioned you caught a good size steelhead...was that before this report? Anytime you want to venture out together....give me a holler. Good fishing!

[mike N]

Ty,

Communication breakdown: The message was supposed to be that I hooked a good fish, not caught it.

MN

[Kurt P]

I'm new to the steelhead affliction, Mike. Using a Fox's pupa sounds like you were shot and indicator nymphing. Is that the way to go on the American, rather than the wet fly swing? I've tried swinging flies at Rossmoor and Ancil Hoffman and at Goethe with nary a grab, but I suspect its because I don't know good steelhead water yet. Would switching to shot and indicator nymphing improve my odds?

Three good grabs the last two trips and never a break in? Where, exactly, did you say that was, again?

Kurt

[mike N]

I was using two BBs and no 'cater. I rarely use indicators. I just use the line as an indication of a strike.

MN

[Kurt P]

Thanks for the tip, Mike. I'll give it a go next time out. I kind of like the feel of swinging over nymphing, but I bet I'd like the feel of a grab better yet.
Kurt

[Sturmer White]

You said you would like to feel the grab.
If you start using Fox Poohs and nymphs you will miss most of the takes unless you
watch the line for any movement and set on everything. you just won't feel them very often.
Now my son is going to kill me for posting this.
He is up to 12 steelies in the last two weeks on the "A". And he is using tan Fox Poohs.
I can't say any more as he would cut my you know whats out if I said where.
It takes a lot of time on the water to learn the "A's" secrets.
Good luck.

[mike N]

What you say is true, Sturmer. The secrets of the A aren't given up easily and are becoming new to me again after the high water a few years ago blew out all my secret spots. The few I found so far won't be devulged easily.

I am not big on grabs, in fact my favorite way to get the steelies is with a caddis dry and dropper during the evening hatch. It is more of a rise thing for me, and the fish don't even need to be big. Trying to fugure out the difference between the bottom and a fish is lower on the list, but I'll do it when allelse fails.

MN

[huntindog]

I was doing OK a month ago on San Juan worms and prince nymphs, now I am getting skunked. I have tried fishing the fox poopahs with no luck, I am fishing down near river park...do I need to move up stream?