FIN-ITE 34
Well-known member
I ventured to a NE PA water on Sunday with the hope of getting into some dry fly fishing. I usually default to nymphing and switch to some other method if I see the conditions are right. On this occasion I was traveling light with nothing more than a small box of dries and some emergers. The three main patterns were a rather large size 12-14 Griffith's Gnat, 14-16 elk hair caddis and 14-16 caddis emergers.
Rising fish were scarce and I had take my time and watch the water for any fish that did rise more than once in a particular location. I found a few pods of intermittent risers and worked on them with a dry-dropper combination of the above mentioned patterns.
I'm pretty much a hack when it comes to technical dry fly fishing and reading the "rise forms" for an indication of how the trout are feeding, but I gave it a shot and the surface/subsurface combo helped me out for that decision.
The first fish actually made my arm ache and it turned out to be a solid 20" male. The next two fish were fat 17" fish that fought as hard as the first. There were two fish that were rising intermittently fairly close together and I switched between the two trying to get a take. I finally had one of the two take and when I set the hook I thought someone had set off a depth charge in the river. The water exploded and the fish jumped twice, I couldn't believe what I had hooked. It was without a doubt a +25" fish. It ran me down river and I gave chase, only to have the fish turn and make a run for a snag on the other side of the river. I tried to turn the fish and put on a little too much pressure and broke it off at the knot at my tippet ring. Disappointing but exciting with the thought of returning another day.
I finished up with two more fish of about 16-17 inches, both of which were taken in no more than 12-15 inches of water.
So I finished up with five fish to net, one broke off brute and I missed at least a dozen more fish.
Rising fish were scarce and I had take my time and watch the water for any fish that did rise more than once in a particular location. I found a few pods of intermittent risers and worked on them with a dry-dropper combination of the above mentioned patterns.
I'm pretty much a hack when it comes to technical dry fly fishing and reading the "rise forms" for an indication of how the trout are feeding, but I gave it a shot and the surface/subsurface combo helped me out for that decision.
The first fish actually made my arm ache and it turned out to be a solid 20" male. The next two fish were fat 17" fish that fought as hard as the first. There were two fish that were rising intermittently fairly close together and I switched between the two trying to get a take. I finally had one of the two take and when I set the hook I thought someone had set off a depth charge in the river. The water exploded and the fish jumped twice, I couldn't believe what I had hooked. It was without a doubt a +25" fish. It ran me down river and I gave chase, only to have the fish turn and make a run for a snag on the other side of the river. I tried to turn the fish and put on a little too much pressure and broke it off at the knot at my tippet ring. Disappointing but exciting with the thought of returning another day.
I finished up with two more fish of about 16-17 inches, both of which were taken in no more than 12-15 inches of water.
So I finished up with five fish to net, one broke off brute and I missed at least a dozen more fish.
