Klg 5/25

[johnkk111]

Fished the Gorge last night. I was surprised by the number of people on a Wednesday. River was a little high and brownish. Fished a Euro three nymph rig with a big green Czech nymph as an anchor, a Copper John up front and a sulphur emerger trailing. Caught some bows and a brown, mostly on the Copper John. Some pictures below. Saw a lot of caddis flying around and some big sulphurs in the air but did not see any fish rise. I have a couple of questions: Do fish not rise in off-color water? Also, I stopped getting bites as it started getting dark, do fish have a hard time seeing nymphs at night?

 

[Rusty Spinner]

I find the Gorge to be somewhat lousy dry fly water. Great nymphing and streamer water, but you need to fish the few bigger pools just before dark if you want to do any dry fly fishing. The river upstream for 20 miles has awesome dry fly pools, but due to the internet, most anglers think that the only fish in the SBR are in the 2 1/2 mile KLG. In all my years fishing this river, I've actually seen the pressure upstream drop off significantly due to all the attention the KLG gets and I'm more than fine with that!!!

 

[johnkk111]

I actually first tried driving up 513 up to Long Valley to find some access points to the river. Other than the parts that are right next to the highway, none looked real friendly, so I went back to the Gorge because (i) I knew there was parking on public property and (ii) I knew that it was OK to fish there so I didn't have to worry about getting my car towed away by an angry landowner. Other than "spot burning" is there any other way to get information on where I can fish other than the Gorge?

 

[G Lech]

If theres no signs its fair game. If your not parking illegally or on private property your not doing anything wrong.
If your still coming up empty send me a PM I live up that way and can get you on the right path, but you shouldn't have a problem.

 

[Rusty Spinner]

Lots of open water along Vernoy Road below the Vernoy bridge all the way down to downtown Califon. Also try any of the pull-ins along Bartley Road in Long Valley (Washington Twp) all the way up to River Road in Mount Olive (Flanders section). There are some spots along 513 as well if you look. And don't forget the water from the KLG up to downtown Califon below the dam in town by the Methodist church. Several good pools where you can have great dry fly action during a hatch.