American Report 10/7/05

[Jgoding]

Hit the "A" last night at Goethe or so. Not as many fish rising as I've seen in the last few weeks but they are still there. Managed 3 fish on top swinging two of my new caddis patterns. Wild fish, not so big, around 12" but they did have some great pulling power and nice colors.

[Jasonh]

Nice report. It sounds like most of the fish being caught right now are either smolts inder 12" or larger adult fish at 22" plus. It seems as though there is an absence of half pounders this year. Keep at it and i bet you will eventually be rewarded with something BIG!

Jason Hartwick

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I fished the lower American for halfpounders for the past 40 years and in the Fall (Sept/Oct) the fish would almost never be under 16" but in the Spring (March/April/May) they would be 12-14-16".

Now we have fish that are 10-12" in the Fall which is a good sign and I hear people talking about catching halpounders almost year round in some places(Goethe Park).

I wonder how many fly fishers are really out there now?

[Jgoding]

I've only seen a few g uys out where I fish. Mostly gear guys but Sunday had about 5 fly fishers in my runs..... they didn't catch squat either and most of the gear guys I don't see hooking up at all. Someone did gut something out as my bro saw some guts in the water yesterday.... probably a half pounder... Other than that I think I've seen one other fly guy fishing out there in about 6 trips out and I don't see any in the parking lots walking out when I do.....

Jeff

[Harry Massingill]

I've been out the last two nights below Hazel and a lot of fish start rising and feeding with about 15 minutes of light left. Some real nice steelhead come up to, not just the shortys. They've been getting the best of me w/none hooked yet, but I'll keep trying.

[Jgoding]

Good report Harry and don't give up. I took home the skunk my first 5 trips out. Not even a bump and I covered top and bottom. I've noticed the fish start rising around 5:30pm and stop for a bit before dark and then start rising again right at dark. Some pretty big boys too as you've mentioned, mostly splashy rises with a tail showing. My best luck so far, long cast, and picking up fish sitting at the ends of runs right before rapids etc... on the swing with the flies riding high or skittering. Most of the bigger fish are sitting in slack water though I've noticed and I'm pretty sure they're refusing because they can see leader distortions, me, and my fly line. I want to switch to a dark colored floater or a clear one and see if it helps. I think the caddis are so thick now the fish are pretty selective too as they're not going hungry.

Jeff

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I probably would not hook any either but I would try a LaFontane caddis emerger that sits in the surface. The one with the little fine deer hair wing (no hackle & no weight) in a #14 on 5x tippet. It would be kind of like fishing downstream to them with a caddis cripple.

Then right at dark I have had luck with a #14 caddis adult on 5x that you cast to working fish eating egg laying adult caddis. You actually cast it and then twitch it or drag is a few inches or skate it a few inches when it is over the spot where the fish are feeding.

Sound exciting and difficult.