Fly Fishing Insider Newsletter featuring Flies In The Mud, Reading The Water, Women's Fly Fishing

Flies In The Mud!

Before they can bite, they have to be able to see the fly.

Some anglers submit that the closer you present your fly to the surface of the water, the more virtuous you are. Some even subscribe to the dogma that the use of sinking tip lines or weighted flies does not constitute an act of fly fishing at all. There are those that will tell you that catching a steelhead on a waking fly requires more skill than using a sunk fly. Obviously they haven't had the pleasure of firing a waterlogged 4" lead-eyed Monster Leech 70' with a seven-weight spey rod; an act that will

separate the men from the boys, even when the wind isn't blowing. What would drive someone to this madness?...a couple of days of pounding the Deschutes in the perceived more virtuous manner without a solid pull.
"And here you are!" With each passing hour White River is dumping ever increasing cubic yards of Mt. Hood's finest glacial-till into the Deschutes River where the water clarity is going, going. gone from 6' to 4' to 2'. Desperate measures are called for. I rig up a 14' type 7 sinking tip with 2' of #10 Maxima leader and attach a 3' long Green Butt Marabou spey and hook a fish within 15 casts. Tilda takes the hint, changes to a fast sinking tip, attaches a heavy dressed Purple Wooly Bugger and sticks a steelhead ten casts later. The water clarity continues to decline. I frantically dig through my gear and find a 4" Black Monster Leech and give it to Jeff. By now the visibility is down to 18". Jeff lands a fish before the clarity dropped to less than 12". One fish...big deal? On a day when all the side planer guides had given up and gone home...big deal indeed!

Problem is, when that fish was through chewing on the black marabou fly it was quite a bit smaller. Now our largest fly was too small for the dropping visibility. Too bad the guide had taken all of his monster flies from the tackle bag only a week before. You can bet that he won't make that mistake again or he will probably be looking for a new job. Does your guide have the foresight to carry sinking tip lines and large, weighted flies? Better check and make sure.

The following flies are for very difficult visibility.

White River silt clouds the Deschutes.

Sandy Blue Tube Fly The Sandy Blue is very reliable during medium flows and temperatures from Southern Oregon to Northern British Columbia. Seems most effective when water clarity offers visibility from 6' to 3'.
Item	Description	Price	To Top
TUBEFLSBL	Sandy Blue Steelhead Tube Fly tied on lightweight soft plastic tubes	3 for $5.95
TUBEFLSBM	Sandy Blue Steelhead Tube Fly tied on lightweight unlined brass tubes	3 for $5.95
TUBEFLSBH	Sandy Blue Steelhead Tube Fly tied on heavy weight unlined brass tubes	3 for $5.95

READING THE WATER by J. Morgan Jones
	The more that I watch other people fly fish- the more that I am convinced that many of us do not, or cannot, “read the water.” This should be a basic skill. Your catch rate is going to suffer if you are not presenting your fly where fish are holding. I think that perhaps many of us are catching fish as a result of fishing in places that we are familiar with, or perhaps places that someone else has shown us. While this method
works, we are missing good holding areas as a result of not reading the water. The first step in reading the water is understanding why fish hold where they do. Trout, Salmon and Steelhead all normally hold in very specific areas for different reasons. Salmon are transitional, and therefore tend to hold in “resting” areas until reaching their spawning grounds. Try to imagine what the Salmon are enduring while ascending the river to spawn. The Salmon needs to pass through long fast broken water areas in the course of their journey. They seek places to rest as soon as possible after these long and difficult passages. At the “top” of riffles, or, fast water (also called the “head” of a riffle) there is usually a deeper area that offers a refuge of little current which is the first chance of resting after a long and energy consuming run through faster water. Keep in mind that this is “resting” water (as opposed to “holding” water). Salmon, like Trout and Steelhead, prefer to hold in protected water.

This is usually at or near the bottom of a river and can be a depression that has little current or a deep area that has a good deal of structure. Large boulders are the most common structure in many rivers. These fish prefer overhead cover at their holding areas. This is usually thought to be a physical object such as overhanging trees or undercut banks. Many of us fail to realize that a broken water surface (sometimes called “textured water”) is also overhead cover. The key here is that fish are wanting to avoid overhead

Chinooks like the cover of big boulders in deeper water.

predators, so most any condition that restricts visual contact can be interpreted as overhead cover. Salmon are not here to eat, so keep in mind that they do not need to be in feeding lanes.

Steelhead often hold next to faster, deeper water.

Steelhead are similar to Salmon in what they are looking for in resting and holding water. You should consider that steelhead do not usually rest in community areas, but in individual spots. This means that there can be many steelhead holding in a “run”, but not in pods (groups) as other types of fish will hold in. Steelhead are not here to eat, primarily, but they do eat while in the river. When Salmon are present in the system,

many steelhead are pushed out of traditional resting areas to hold in “pocket” waters. These are small resting areas large enough for one fish to lie in. Remember, good resting and holding areas are always places to fish. Regardless of the season, fish will always know a good spot to rest by instinct. Successful steelheading is a result of recognizing these spots, or “lies.”

Trout are a different world. The key to understanding where to find trout is to recognize what is called a “prime lie” (this is not something that you tell your fishing buddies, but rather, actual places). Trout are looking for three things. The first is cover, then a holding area with adequate oxygen, and access to food. Once again, cover is not only solid objects, but also can be broken water. The best holding area will be in areas of no (or very little) current, but next to (or under) moving water.

This fine trout came from under the cover of slightly deeper water.

The moving water is what brings the food to them. They tend to hold on the slow side of current seams, below ledges, behind rocks and in river bottom depressions. While these are the most common, they are not exclusive by any means. When an insect appears in the current next to their holding spot, they move out, take the insect, and return to the holding area. When you find a place that has all of the ingredients, fish it. This is what is called a “prime lie”. When the direct sunlight is off the water surface, the trout are more confident about taking emerging insects and dry flies and can move into more open areas. Many evenings the fishing seems to get better as the sunlight fades. The diminishing light can trigger insect activity and is interpreted by the fish as cover. Almost any condition that restricts visual contact into, or out of, the water, is protection from overhead predators. The safer that the trout feels, the more confident they are about feeding.

Trout can almost always be found in riffles, the 1-4 foot deep nymphing runs or the back eddies. Always look for movement in these areas and you will find trout.

There are many more spots that hold fish than most of us are aware of. The better you read the water, the more spots you will find that are fishable. The next time you get to the river, look at areas that you have never fished before. In addition to looking at new spots, look closely at your favorite ones. Chances are you will recognize the things that make a good fishing area. Apply what you have learned when scouting new water and you will find yourself becoming more confident as a fly fisher. Remember that none of this is etched in stone. The fish do not read the same books that we do, so they tend to make mistakes. Be patient with them.
Polarized glasses are great tools for observing trout.

FISHING IS THE THREAD THAT IS WOVEN INTO THE FABRIC THAT WE WEAR WHEN FISHING WITH FRIENDS

Due to the varied skill levels of the participants, much individual instruction was provided to ensure that each participant was able to expand their expertise and more fully enjoy the day.
   The Stonefly Maidens sponsored this clinic in support of their mission, which is to create opportunities, encourage, educate, and mentor women’s participation in the sport of fly fishing. Their goals are to bring women together who share a love of fly fishing and the beauty of nature to create friendships and lasting memories. Five members of the club spent their summer working with Katherine and Mark Bachmann to learn and perfect the necessary skills to assist in the clinic instruction, and provide continued assistance throughout the year during the club’s monthly outings.
   In existence for over five years, the Stonefly Maidens meet on the second Wednesday of each month. At each meeting a speaker presents on topics covering some aspect of equipment, fishing destinations, types of fishing, fly tying, and other subjects of interest to fly fishers. A dinner hour begins at 6:00 pm, and the meeting and presentation begin at 7:00 pm. A monthly outing, usually held on the Saturday following the meeting, allows club members to learn new locations and techniques together, resulting in lifetime friendships. Frequently long-term fishing partnerships are formed at these outings.
   Interested ladies are invited to attend the next meeting, which will be held on Wednesday, September 10. Tim Rajeff, of Rajeff Sports, will present on “Demystifying Fly Lines”. Meetings are held at the Iron Horse Restaurant, 6034 SE Milwaukie Avenue, in Sellwood.
   For those who missed it, the next casting clinic will be held in June 2004. The time, date, and location will be advertised extensively, including in this space. See you there!
   To contact The Stonefly Maidens call: Tilda Runner 503-658-6394 or email tmrunner@comcast.net

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Green Butt Spey The perfect fly for colored water. Works best in softer flows presented with a sinking tip line. Can be very effective when water clarity offers visibility from 6' to 3'.
Item	Description	Size	Price	To Top
21614-1.5	Green Butt Spey	1.5	3 for $7.50

			String Leech, Black Black is the primary color. This pattern is tied with multi colored flash. It is a local steelhead favorite. Seems most effective when water clarity offers visibility from 6' to 2'.
Item	Description	Size	Price	To Top
00506-04	Conehead Rabbit Strip String Leech, Black	4	3 for $6.50

Monster Leech, Black This fly is proven from the Deschutes to the Babine. Can be very effective when water clarity offers visibility from 3' to 1 1/2'.
Item	Description	Price	To Top
MLEEC-B	Monster Leech, Black, 2/0	3 for $7.50

Stonefly Maidens Women's Fly Fishing Club
	On August 16, 2003, the Stonefly Maidens, a Portland area women’s fly fishing club, hosted their first annual Women’s Casting Clinic. Twenty women participated in this inaugural event. Katherine Hart, an FFF certified Master Instructor guided the ladies in various aspects of fly casting, ranging from the basic roll cast and overhead cast to techniques to deal with wind.