Big_Spinner
Trout Hunter
Hi Guys,
Did a float from Stilesville to Balls Eddy yesterday on the West Branch. We started floating about 1:00 pm.
There were two boats and 4 fishermen.
Expert boat threw streamers all day. This boat saw and caught enough good fish to keep it interesting all day. The largest brown was about a five pounder. White streamers continue to produce.
Advanced beginner boat threw streamers without much luck and switched to dries when feeding fish were spotted. Landed 5 or 6 browns up to 12 inches.
Bug action was slow. A few isos, a few olives and sulphurs. There were thousands of shucks in the water from either little olives or midges. An occasional caddis.
Saw fish rising directly below the sewage treatment plant. Could not catch them. There was a slight sewage smell at the plant, but it is a SEWAGE Treatment plant after all. There is always an odor there.
Water clarity was quite murky. All of the discoloration was coming out of the dam. The feeders, if you could find them, were running clear. Water was much clearer at takeout. Probably started with one foot of vis and ended with about 4 feet. Any rain will muddy creeks quickly. Reservoir will probably stay murky or awhile. IT is actually nice for throwing streamers.
River has changed, but it is also amazingly the same in many areas. Most of the cover in the main channel is no longer around. Downed trees are gone, etc. There seems to be some gravel build up in areas that were easy to float. The flow was about 750 cfs yesterday and there were spots that gravel bars required me to get out and pull us over them. There were not many, but still a surprise at 750.
Weather was spectacular and the water temps were a bit cold, but overall really nice.
Overall, fishing was rather slow and bugs were few, but it was nice to get back on the river and see that it has survived and is healing itself as we speak.
Jim
Thats all for now.
Did a float from Stilesville to Balls Eddy yesterday on the West Branch. We started floating about 1:00 pm.
There were two boats and 4 fishermen.
Expert boat threw streamers all day. This boat saw and caught enough good fish to keep it interesting all day. The largest brown was about a five pounder. White streamers continue to produce.
Advanced beginner boat threw streamers without much luck and switched to dries when feeding fish were spotted. Landed 5 or 6 browns up to 12 inches.
Bug action was slow. A few isos, a few olives and sulphurs. There were thousands of shucks in the water from either little olives or midges. An occasional caddis.
Saw fish rising directly below the sewage treatment plant. Could not catch them. There was a slight sewage smell at the plant, but it is a SEWAGE Treatment plant after all. There is always an odor there.
Water clarity was quite murky. All of the discoloration was coming out of the dam. The feeders, if you could find them, were running clear. Water was much clearer at takeout. Probably started with one foot of vis and ended with about 4 feet. Any rain will muddy creeks quickly. Reservoir will probably stay murky or awhile. IT is actually nice for throwing streamers.
River has changed, but it is also amazingly the same in many areas. Most of the cover in the main channel is no longer around. Downed trees are gone, etc. There seems to be some gravel build up in areas that were easy to float. The flow was about 750 cfs yesterday and there were spots that gravel bars required me to get out and pull us over them. There were not many, but still a surprise at 750.
Weather was spectacular and the water temps were a bit cold, but overall really nice.
Overall, fishing was rather slow and bugs were few, but it was nice to get back on the river and see that it has survived and is healing itself as we speak.
Jim
Thats all for now.
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