SBR Driving me nuts today

[PrincetonFF]

I took some friends from out of town to the gorge and SBR above hoffman's today. Right above Hoffmans, fish were rising like crazy. They were daring us to catch them, rising so much they looked like little porpoises breaking the water, flashing their fins. They weren't violently taking whatever they were eating, just sipping.

We threw literally everything at them. Tiny caddis, griffiths nats, BWOs, ants, etc. without any luck. Any tips on how to figure out what they were taking? There was no bug activity in the air or on the water. Was driving us nuts.

 

[mkmury]

This year if fish are rising and nothing is visible drifting a zebra midge has worked more often than not from Long Valley to Califon. For the last couple of years I could look at the calendar,tie on the mayfly of the month and that worked more often than not. Weird year.

 

[NJflyman]

This year if fish are rising and nothing is visible drifting a zebra midge has worked more often than not from Long Valley to Califon. For the last couple of years I could look at the calendar,tie on the mayfly of the month and that worked more often than not. Weird year.

I have to agree with you on the Zebra midge. I use a Perl zebra midge and that seems to work fine on the SBR all month.OOh I also caught some on very small Trico's.Yes it's a weird year trout fishing in the garden state.

 

[gadfly]

If they are porpoising, pay attention to whether their heads are actually breaking the surface. If their are not breaking the surface, they are probably on something small just under the surface. I came across this a couple of weeks ago. I tried every dry fly I had, with no response. Finally I spotted small olive nymphs just below the surface. I dropped an rs2 off of a dry fly and that was the ticket.

 

[ROLLCAST86]

that rs2 will work nine out of ten times you cant fish it wrong

 

[Agust]

First, what time of day were you there.

Next, was it windy or still, sunny or overcast.

Next, did you see their mouths or just their fins breaking the surface.

If before 8 AM, I'd guess tricos.

If windy and sunny, I'd guess ants (blowing in from the willows upstream).

If Cloudy, I'd bet on olives. If you see the nose, try an olive dun if just the fins then a small nymph (like and rs2 or Als rat) just under the surface.

One last thing this time of year, beetles. The Japaneses beetles are out, and if there are roses (multi flora or otherwise) upstream they could be what the fish are eating. Though it is unusual to see constant feeding when they are out, one placed over a fish feeding on olives, tricos or other minute little bugs will sometimes take one for a larger meal.

 

[springman]

do you need to fish a trico off another indicator fly just to be able to follow it?

 

[mflytier331]

Sometimes a size 18-20 rusty spinner has worked or me when I find myself in that situation. Also a size 24-26 Grifith's Gnat may work or other midge imitation of that size. The other flies mentioned are all good choices for tough fish. A 20-22 pheasant tail (floating nymph) off a dropper sometimes works.

 

[Jheaney]

CDC emerger , olive , dark brown, small flashback hairs ear , and small bead heads, thread midges , and Mylar red blood worms , all work very well, and get it to the bottom fast and fish it like an emerger. should solve your dilemma.

 

[ROLLCAST86]

I took some friends from out of town to the gorge and SBR above hoffman's today. Right above Hoffmans, fish were rising like crazy. They were daring us to catch them, rising so much they looked like little porpoises breaking the water, flashing their fins. They weren't violently taking whatever they were eating, just sipping.

We threw literally everything at them. Tiny caddis, griffiths nats, BWOs, ants, etc. without any luck. Any tips on how to figure out what they were taking? There was no bug activity in the air or on the water. Was driving us nuts.

Some times and I mean some times if there are doing that in evening this time of the year. I also would of tried a size 22 midge hanging from some sort of dry maybe an iso parachute (this time of the year) this is if the rs2 failed to hook up

 

[rckrego]

If they are porpoising, pay attention to whether their heads are actually breaking the surface. If their are not breaking the surface, they are probably on something small just under the surface. I came across this a couple of weeks ago. I tried every dry fly I had, with no response. Finally I spotted small olive nymphs just below the surface. I dropped an rs2 off of a dry fly and that was the ticket.

He's got it right on. They're not sipping if they're porpoising. A sip is where the upper lip breaks the surface and causes the vacuum that sucks the bug down into the trouts mouth. Chances are they're eating under the film, not on top of it. Best time for wet flies. you can even impart a little action to induce takes. Also emergers like the rs2. just fish in the film not on it. Often your chances at a banner day are improved with porpoising because the fish are moving fast to take the flies as opposed to a slow deliberate rise.