another weekend AR report (not a bump)

[amoeba]

Ice Cold on Sunday late afternoon (4-7:30 pm). Went all over the place (miles of river); didn't see a anyone else fishing besides me and the other person I brought. Funny that I read posts of "red hot" on the same day as I fish the tarnation out of the river and catch nothing; alot of the time with the same flies. Not only cold fishing, but colder water than the week prior (cooler air temps), around 60 degrees.

The fishing is at best spotty this year so far - - - for me - - - and everyone else I've seen and talked to. Funny what you read on the web sometimes - like I am fishing a different river. All this stuff about 20-odd fish, and white flies, and all these people fishing; all I can say is musta been a slightly different time of day. Not to say it ain't so, but it ain't our experience. And I've caught a heluvalotofshad in my time. Just not this year.....yet.

[Charlie Gonzales]

So what set up are you using, maybe your not getting down to them? BTW pink and orange have been my top colors this year.

[davkrat]

My brother and I hit the river Sunday morning. We started at Upper Sunrise and did not see anything! It was really cold that morning and the water seemed very high. It was the first time we have gone out since Steelhead fishing in February. We later moved down to Howe Ave. There were 4-5 guys fishing on the far side of the river. In the hour we were there we saw one fly fisherman land a single shad. All in all we fished around 3 hours at two locations and only saw one other person land a single fish. Don't feel too bad, you weren't the only one.

[amoeba]

Well - I'm not fishing floating line if that's what you think:

The setup for shad is sink tip. I have six different sink tips of varying lengths and sink rates that will do anything from go just below the surface to crack boulders on the bottom.

Not getting down indeed.

I have at least 100 different kinds of shad flies. I have every color, every size, and many, many patterns. Not that I think it makes that much difference.....but it does keep me from getting bored when the fish aren't biting.

And no, I don't feel bad, at all - I've been with enough guides to know truth of some of the yarns. If I thought any guide could or did outfish me, I would post the report of my faceless skunkage while he flipped one in every minute.

Truth be told - that has never happened. Where and when fish bite is just as important as if they don't; difference is - I post all the results; show me a guide that posts a skunk and let him run for governor - he'll have my vote.

[mikel]

I don't quite get all the hatred for guides on this board lately...but I've fished with Charlie (in tough conditions) and been skunked and he reported it the next day, promptly and honestly. Mike Leslie

[amoeba]

I don't quite get all the hatred for guides on this board lately...but I've fished with Charlie (in tough conditions) and been skunked and he reported it the next day, promptly and honestly. Mike Leslie

Could you please provide a reference on that?

I wasn't referring to this one person, but essentially all guides in general; but now that you mentioned it, I must say I can't remember a single skunk ever reported. Ummmmmm let's see, let me search the last 100 posts. (20 minutes go by).

Nope. Not a one. Lot's of pictures with fish is all I see; if it's out there - I can't find it, and a pretty darn rare event (rare meaning rare that guides post skunks, a whole lot less rare than guides that ARE skunked).

[Nevada Mark]

I don't know shad, but I do know fish. Last weekend sucked for walleye on a local lake where the week prior we slayed 'em. It was a weak front that triggered the slowdown, probably the same one you experienced (We typically get your weather a 1/2 day or so later. With the quarter - half moon rising (and warmer temps) typically the fishing (for anything) will improve. I have had my fair share of fishless trips, but when I am fly fishing it doesn't seem to matter as much. Enjoy it for what it is.