WB 7/19-7/20

[JUICE]

Went to the WB with my Uncle this weekend. He's only been fly fishing for a few months now so I was very excited to show him my favorite place. Aaron advised against the trip and sounded very upset with me for pulling the trigger on my upstate NY trip. He said the weeds and crowds would be out of control.

I am happy to report that neither were true. There were hardly any weeds and we fished alone all morning Sunday. Not a person to be seen except a few very nice guides.

I was fairly nervous that my Uncle would walk away with the big Skunkola and swear off the WB forever but I was able to help put four fish on his line. My VERY amateur tying and guiding skills helped me put a few on for him.

The biggest fish of the weekend was a beautiful and feisty 19 inch brown measured on my rod that had a ton of fight in him, with most fish coming in the 14-16" range for me. Aaron's 265 did the job for us along with a fly of the month that should be up tonight. The snoeshoe rabbit sulpher emerger.

Sunday I decided to only dryfly fish and was left staring at the river most of the morning, but around 11:30 the fish went BONKERS at my favorite spot. I snuck up behind them and got within 20-50 feet of at least 15 steady rising browns in the 14-20"+ range. Problem was, I couldn't decide who to cast to. The crazy steady rising left me casting helter skelter to one fish for a minute and then the next when I would spot a bigger one. I booted a 20"+ fish twice. First one due to a very quick hook set and the other to a very strong hook set ( I ripped the fly right off the line.)

Question of the weekend for me: Proper method for a dry fly hookset when casting upstream to big fish??? Strong upward? Soft upward? Wait a few seconds? Set right away?

I was left feeling like I blew it, but I guess I should just be happy I saw such a cool thing and fooled a few.

Few pictures:

http://www.troutpredator.info/galler...?g2_itemId=316
http://www.troutpredator.info/galler...?g2_itemId=307
http://www.troutpredator.info/galler...?g2_itemId=310
http://www.troutpredator.info/galler...?g2_itemId=313
http://www.troutpredator.info/galler...?g2_itemId=304

[alanb_ct]

JUICE:

Thanks for the report.

Unless there is absolutely no other way of presentation, it might be best to present your dry fly on a slight angle; a little bit up and across, preferrably down and across with a reach cast or directly across. You should try to set the hook with a slight downstream and side motion. It is hard to do, but if you can pause for a moment before striking, that sometimes helps. I have heard it recommended that you recite a short phrase ("God Save the Queen") before raising the rod and setting the hook. There are times, however, when fish are just plain hard to hook and hold, because they are taking the flies tentatively. This is probably related to weather conditions and fishing pressure. When you have completely fooled a big brown, quite often the dry fly will be lodged deep in to its mouth, this happened to me Saturday on the Farmington. There I was fishing my dries down and across using a 3ft 5X tippet. I hope this helps you.

[JUICE]

Thanks Alain! I had to put links up until I figure out how to use our Gallery for image placement.

There was another way to present but it involved much longer casts. It was either directly across and 50 feet away or behind and 20 feet away. Next time I will take a few steps sideways and at least give myself a little angle. That should help.

Any words on the strength of hookset? To I put the Aaron Jasper hookset to them or is it better to use a more slight lift?

[alanb_ct]

For the hookset, I don't think there's a need for the vicious strike. The key is to lift your rod a bit vertically and strike firmly, but gently (with a steady pull, not an impulsive jerk). With tiny flies like Tricos or Ants, you just need to raise the rod. The tension on the line is enough to bury the tiny hook points.

A good rule of thumb is that the speed of your strike varies with the current. In fast water, strike fast; in slow water give the fish a chance to settle back down a bit and then strike. Occasionally, in slow water, you will get an aggressive take, especially to a larger fly (Isonychia), but in that case, the fish will hook itself.

[AaronJasper]

Hey.... There are times when I don't really yank too hard

[Nymphmeister]

Justin, you've really come a long way in the last year or two. Good job with your uncle and nice fish you got in the pic!

With dries, use a much more gentle hook set than you typically would nymphing- a gentle "lift" would be descriptive. And in slower flows especially, I do best with about a 1 second or slightly longer pause between the "take" and the hook set. Cannot count how many big browns I've pulled the fly away from over the years because I pulled before they closed their mouth

[JUICE]

Well it sounds like I was right. I fairly certain I just yanked the thing right out. Thanks guys! I'll be sure to fish from an angle, say god save the queen, and give it a gentle lift. Sure that will do the trick!

[noviceflyman]

I would be the "Uncle" Justin was referring to. I turned Justin onto trout fishing with spinning gear as a kid, but he has really opened my eyes the last year with fly fishing. As the Moniker implies, I am less than a beginner, but hooked big time!
The trip to the WB was awesome. Aaron was probably right to suggest to Justin that we should have fished someplace less technical. I was fairly intimidated by the WB's reputation and the big water conditions. A big jump from the Stoney Brooke, Gorge and Little Lehigh.
That said, we got lucky. Or rather, I did. Through luck and very little talent, I managed to land a 13 inch Rainbow that fougfht like the dickins and a 16 inch brown that put my meager skills to the test. There might just be something to this big water, native trout thing! LOL.
I would like to thank Justin for introducing me to my latest outdoor obsession and to Aaron for the advice and lessons he has imparted to me through Justin.

[JUICE]

Brooks is a wimp. He handled it just fine and did just as well as I did my first time there. I keep telling him that if you keep fishing the same Kiddie Pool, you will just never get better.

By the end of the weekend his skills had vastly improved. He was casting further, actually mending instead of folding the line over on itself and he was venturing around hitting water I didn't even instruct him to fish.

Welcome to TPO Ace!

[Dave]

JUICE! Man, you nailed em good, congratulations on your guiding expertise this past weekend. And of all places to teach and guide! I hope I can have a day like that on the WB. Brooks, so glad your on the forum board and are enjoying the sport. Those pics are really incredible.

Thanks for the spectacular report guys, fish on!