[Lone Wulff]

When I checked the weather reports, Monday looked like the day to go fishing. The temperature would be in the low 80s with a 60% chance of rain. The precipitation started when I left the house, but it was short lived. It was no longer raining when I reached the trailhead. In fact, the cloud cover was starting to break. Better get to the water before it burns off.

After the hike in I rigged up with my go to combination as of late – a #12 Ausable Wulff up top and a #14 brown bead head caddis pupa dropper. By the time I started fishing there were only scattered clouds and the sun was shining through on a regular basis. For the first two or three hours most of the fish were located in short runs with moderate current. Most of the runs were only a few feet long and barely 12 inches deep. Typically this type of water isn’t overly productive for me during mid summer when the sun is shining. However, today was an exception. For some reason, stealth was not an issue either. I could approach the holding water in plain site and still catch fish from most runs.

Coffee table size runs like this…


…produced a lot of these:


I eventually came to favorite section of the stream that consists of three stair step pools. The first one is long with 70+ feet of flat water at the lower end. It is the type of water where the fish see you coming long before you even get into casting position. Today was no exception. I cut off the dry/dropper combination and put on a black marabou leach pattern and worked my way up the flat. Approximately ¾ of the way up the pool, there is rhododendron bush that extends well out over the water. It is a good place to hide while working the moving water at the head of the pool. I have fished this stream numerous times and have always come in contact with that bush. I either grabbed onto it for stability as I waded into the deeper water where the bottom is silty, or I pushed my way underneath it while hugging the shoreline. Today I did neither. I stood off the end of the bush in the deeper water and worked the current at the head of the pool. After a couple of minutes I noticed out of the corner of my eye that there were insects flying in and out of the bush. I looked over and saw this (sorry about the quality of this photo). It was about four feet from my head…


I didn’t feel threatened at first so I continued to fish. However, the flight activity slowly started to increase. I figured I was wearing out my welcome and the bees were starting to get annoyed. It was time to move on. I didn’t get any bites in this pool, but I didn’t get stung either. I could live with that. I always grab that branch, but for some reason today was the exception.

The third (upper) pool is my favorite in this series.


It’s deep and fast with a whitewater current tongue. Inch for inch, the fish seem to fight a little stronger too I usually fish it with a dry dropper combination along the current seams. It’s what I usually have tied on when I arrive there. I never felt it was the most effective way to fish this pool, but I tend to be lazy and don’t change my flies to suit the water type as often as I should. Today I was making an exception. I tied on a #10 tungsten bead head stonefly nymph in an effort to fish the deeper water below the fast current. I did not use an indicator. I made several methodical casts and fished through the current and slow water. When I fished the current seem/slow water on the far side of the current I let the fly swing along the rock face at the tail of the pool. It is deep water with a lot of obstacles for the fly to get hung up on. I was lucky that this rainbow grabbed it first. It was one of the nicest rainbows of the day. After that I put my dry dropper combo back on. The water ahead wasn’t as deep.


I eventually arrived at another favorite run. It consists of approximately 10 feet of moving water with a large boulder at the tail. I usually use the boulder to conceal my approach as I fish it. Unfortunately, today there was a tree pinned to the upstream side of it. On the first cast my flies hooked on the tree trunk and I couldn’t get them off. I climbed over the boulder and plunked crotch deep into the tail of the run. I then reached in almost up to my shoulder and dislodged the flies. I figured this pool was done. However, as always, I took a couple of “just in case” casts to be sure. I was surprised when I caught two rainbows after all the commotion I created.




A short way upstream was another pool that has been my nemesis. I have never caught a fish from it. It is a bend pool with a tree located on the bank. The roots were exposed and they extended out two or three into the current. The current passed through the roots and undercut the bank beyond. The streambed up to the edge of the roots was fairly shallow. However, the depth increased beneath the roots. Beneath the bank it was dark and tempting. I was never able to get a successful drift along the edge of the roots from a downstream position without hanging up. Swinging a fly from upstream was not an option because it put me in full view. Today things were different. Mother Nature had modified this run since I was here last. The current had collapsed the bank and toppled the tree. In the process, it broke off the roots and exposed a two foot deep trench along the edge of the shallow water. My first cast to this run landed me my first brown, and nicest fish for the day.



I guess the odds were leaning in my favor.


This stream has always been good to me. I typically bring 30 to 35 fish to hand each time. By the time I decided to turn around I had caught 35+-, and I did it with far fewer missed hooksets and LDRs than usual. By fishing a few select pools on the way back down I might be able to break 40. That would be a personal best on this stream. I was able pick up an occasional fish on the way down. On the second to last pool I caught number 39+-. I took another cast and got another strike. I missed the hook set and entangled my tippet and flies in the branches well above my reach. It was going to be a major project to retrieve them. I considered my options. Do I climb the tree? Do I break them off and tie on new ones. I really wanted to break 40 and the final pool has been pretty reliable.

It had been a really great day where virtually everything went right. I had encountered cooperative and forgiving fish in the middle of summer. It will probably be five years before I have another day like this where everything aligns in my favor, but I was satisfied. I reached up, grabbed my leader, and pulled. Both flies remained firmly attached to the branch. I reeled in my line and headed up the hill. There was no need to push my luck - 39+- was good enough. I’ll save 40 for next time.

A couple more stream photos:




Today I only landed 4 or 5 browns. The rest were rainbows. This is contrary to most other trips this year when I mostly caught browns. Also, only 4 or 5 fish were caught on the surface. They showed little interest in the dry overall. Most were taken on the caddis pupae dropper.

[headgear]

Nice...really nice...Great narrative. Great photos. After trying to take some fish porn pics today I appreciate even more your pics!

THANKS for sharing your day with us.

[Robspe7370]

That looks like a dream creek to me....excellent.

[AKFLY]

An exceptional fishing report...one of the best I have ever read.
Great photos as well.

I especially liked the details about how you read the water and listened to your gut as you approached each situation. My best days on the water have been when I can calm myself and follow through on those little decisions that combine to truly make the day.

Mike

[blueridgetyer]

Great read, Lone Wulff. What type camera did you take those pics with?

[Lone Wulff]

Originally Posted by blueridgetyer

Great read, Lone Wulff. What type camera did you take those pics with?

Thanks. It is a Kodak M1033. Its about a $180 camera. Its my daughter's. I had to bribe her to let me use it after I drowned my Panasonic Lumix last spring. I've been very happy with the picture quality - better than I got with the Lumix.

[flynut]

GREAT report! Looks as if you had “one of those perfect days of fishing.” Glad that you shared the report wit us. I always look forward to reading the reports while starting my work week. You never know, next week might my weekend for one of “those” days.

Seriously that hornet nest looks scary. Next time you go out fishing you might want to consider taking a fishing partner. I know that I would be willing to take off work just to watch your back. I might have to bring a fly rod to help out in swatting the hornets. I could practice by throwing a few flies into the water, you think?

A great report!

FlyNut

[Pictureman]

Nice report. Thanks for posting.

[ScoutHikerDad]

Great report! I was fishing a popular swimming hole in Pisgah a couple weeks ago-I get there early before the crowds-and inadvertently slapped my flies against a hornet's nest a couple of times before I saw it. For whatever reason, they didn't get after me. I fear bees far more than snakes!