American report -2/19/2005

[David Lee]

Hi everyone .

Hit the north side of upper Watt , started at 9:00 , quit at 11:30 . Water is beautifully clear .... 3 1/2 -4 feet vis. , a little on the cool side .

Didn't have a single hit .

I can't remember a winter in the past where I went fishless . On the bright side , my new Redington RF 10 foot 6/7 wt. preformed perfect - that extra foot REALLY makes a big difference when high-sticking . Flies used were Smolts #6 , buggers , princes , Alevins , and stones #6-#12 .

Lots of fish-ducks(mergansers) , Mallards , and no other fly fishers , 2 boats (didn't see any hookups) , and the odd drop of rain .

I've heard tomorrow night the flows go back up to 8000 CFS , be careful . David

[Hairstacker]

Ah well, at least you got out. (As I look out the window, it's windy and sprinkling.) Glad to hear your new rod worked out well. I'll bet you were just itching to get out there with it, ha

[David Lee]

Hi Mike , its been quite a dry spell ....
I'm at the point where I'm thinking about putting fresh line on the spinning outfit and buying a carton of nightcrawlers ....

Can't do that , though .... If I got anything , I'd hate myself - If I didn't get any ..... Time to put the head in the oven .
Sooner or later , everything will come together ... Water will be warm enough , flows will be down , and a good run of fish will be in . Untill then , tye more bugs or get a job !!!
David (Desperate)Lee

[MSP]

Hang in there David, yesterdays fish was the first for me on the "A" in about 3 weeks. They're coming, maybe after this next flush.

I seem to go through dry periods a couple of times a year on that river. Usually right around the beginning of the Salmon run and this time of year. Seems to last a month or so. I am usually only targeting the 1/2 pounders, but sometimes a nice adult gets in the way.

Thanks for the report.

[Hairstacker]

Oh no, I see your trials are tempting you to the dark side .... Don't try it, it will ruin your sleep! Not to worry, spring is practically around the corner, and you can forego those UNSOCIABLE American River and Natoma fish and try for something else. I'm thinking, unless I'm mistaken, March should be a magical month for trout and smallmouths in the valley lakes, where your new rod will be PERFECT out of a float tube.

[Hairstacker]

Mike, I guess you posted while I was posting, ha. Wow, NICE fish! That is a real beauty. May I ask what magic fly you caught it on and how you caught it? Very impressive!

[MSP]

Hey Mike,

I lucked out just before Xmas and landed a 29" and a 28". Both fish took PT type fly but I tie the body and tails using this yarn I got from wifes X-Stepmother. I don't think the material has anything to do with getting fish, I just have a surplus of it and that's what I tie almost all my flys with. I got both fish dead drift nymphing below Goethe.

[Hairstacker]

Ah yes, the very exclusive, virtually unobtainable wife's X-Stepmother material. Is this "PT type" fly your Flying Carpet Emerger you posted a picture of this morning? If so, the material looks like an olive antron. Is the tail of the fly totally composed of this material? Looks like a good shuck imitation on the tail. Do you weight these and fish them on the bottom? You might just be on to the super double secret steelhead killer fly there.

[Hairstacker]

Mike, actually, duh , as an emerger, you probably fish them in the surface film?

[MSP]

The PT version excludes the CDC wing and is tied on a 2X regular nymph hook size 16 - 12 no weight. I have fished the emeger on top when I didn't have my dry box with me. I do tie a dry version with a CDC wing with a palmered hackle to keep it on top. I fish the nymph and the emerger the same way, dead drift into a swing. The hits come at any time during the drift. Here is a picture of the material. I have no clue what it is or where to get it. If anybody knows what this stuff is let me know. The cool thing is that I've got about 50 different colors with most being shades of brown and green.