7.03.2015

NO TROUT RISING?

We hear it every single day at the counter here at DAFS:

Dude..."Where do you keep the bead heads?" 
Clerk..."Have you been dry fly fishing?" 
Dude..."Nope, no fish rising." 

Look, this isn't merry old England where gentleman only fish to rising trout. We are capitalistic pigs wanting to capitalize. You know where they hang out...right? If you wait to see fish rising, you had better bring an e-book and a flask cause you might be a while. Dry fly fishing, contrary to popular thought, occurs all day long. Whaaaaat? TROUT MUST EAT TO SURVIVE! Pretty basic logic. So, what do you put on to convince a non-rising trout to rise? Now THAT question beats the hell out of "where do you keep your bead heads?" Here's the short answer, in the early mornings be ready to fish mayfly spinners the moment the sun greets the water. These are quiet moments when the fish yawn and rub the sleep from their eyes. I'm sure you've seen the long tails and delicate flights of mayflies in their final cycle of life. As they die on the water their bodies gently glide across the surface of the river and get washed into the foam lines that flow along the edges of the river. Foam is HOME and exactly where the trout eat breakfast. The rises are subtle...if you think you saw something crease the surface...you did. Now the sun is blanketing the canyon and the breeze is rustling the Alders. Last night there was a blanket hatch of caddis flies, and the ovipositors (egg layers) are now at their final resting places in the trees and bushes along the banks. The breeze moves the branches and the Alders deposit the dead into the river like a giant "Pez" dispenser. Again, if you thought you saw something...you did. If you want to catch a trout on a dry fly then commit to the task! Sure, these fish are in tough spots. Under the lowest of the branches, hiding in the foam lines along the bank, under the outreaching tall grass, the places where most anglers refuse to fish. There's poison oak, blackberries, snakes, and no trail! These places are the home to the largest trout in the river. If it has a trail, well used, move on. 

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