January 13, 2017 – Amazing Dry Fly Fishing in January!

Nearly 20 fish, most on the dry fly.  Friday the 13th is unlucky?

After the day Kenny and I had on Thursday, I felt like I had to do something to get some mojo back, especially since my semester starts next Tuesday and my fishing time will be limited again, at least until spring break time.  After putting a bit of work in, I headed to a nearby Delayed Harvest section that had been on my list to fish this week since I haven’t been there in several months.  This was also supposed to be a scouting trip for an upcoming fishing day with young Eric (I am sure he will want to go here again on Sunday!).  I began nymphing close to my parking spot, and I got one on a pheasant tail within five minutes of arriving, which certainly helped shake off the bad mojo.  All the fish I caught today were stocked rainbows, but they were hot fish, runners and jumpers that scoffed at the cold water.  The air stayed a mild mid-40s with sun and wind and the creek flows and visibility were perfect.  

First of the day, one of only a couple on the nymph.

After leaving the first hole without another fish, I moved up to another run and saw fish rising or at least chasing emergers.   I was rigged up to nymph with heavier weight, so my leader probably ended in 4X, so I added some lighter tippet and some midges, assuming whatever they were feasting on was small.  In the meantime, I got chatting with a fisherman new to the area who was just out for a walk scouting streams in the area.  Not focused, I missed one on a zebra midge, but I hooked him the next time and he and I put on a show for the spectator.  After a quick picture, I returned the fish to the water and resigned to re-rig and do this right.  After tying on a new leader, some 6X tippet, and a Griffiths Gnat, which I can’t see in the water half the time, I started connecting with fish on top, sometimes just reacting to a take near where I estimated my size 18 or 20 dry would be.

Average size fish.  A couple were bigger, but all were hot!

At one point, I tried rigging up a sighter fly about 6 inches ahead of the gnat, just to increase my chances of seeing the take in braided water, but that only led to refusals.  Back to squinting and reacting to rises as much as seeing them take the fly, I ended up getting 10 fish out of the run.  I had done no scouting, however, and my time was limited.  I decided to leave them feeding and see if the same was going on upstream, and it was, this time with a few BWOs mixed in with the midges.  I ended up getting a bunch more on the gnat and a Blue Winged Olive.  None of the fish were huge, but they were fat and strong 12 to 14 inch bows, and landing close to 20 fish of any size in January is okay in my book.  After such a crappy Thursday, my Friday the 13^th was ending up nothing short of phenomenal.  To add to the joy, only one other friendly and courteous angler was out.  He gave me plenty of room, and he ended up catching the hatch down in the run I left, landing at least 4 before I passed by, he said, also on the gnat!

A couple took a BWO, as well.

I certainly got Eric all excited about fishing on Sunday, so I hope it proves to be even half as good as today’s adventure.  I definitely felt lucky to enjoy such a beautiful day and such great fishing this early in the year.  This was also a welcomed end to my winter fishing furlough even if Sunday is terrible.  I could get used to retirement rather easily, I fear.  I hope I can rally and muster enough to get to work on Tuesday, since I have at least 20 years to go and a family depending on me…

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