Waiting for the perfect baetis weekend was hard to do, either it was too sunny and unseasonably warm, or FAR too rainy and windy for the BWO to drift successfully down my favorite East Slope stream. Finally, I thought I'd nailed it with this last weekend just before the close of the season. I arrived Friday night, camped out and got up a 0-dark thirty for no good reason. It started out sunny (damn!) and there were zero bugs hatching, and nymphs didn't seem to be the ticket, nothing on the surface. So I went to streamers. That was the ticket for a few nice rainbows, one of which is pictured here:
I also saw evidence of a local kitty that was in the neighborhood. Probably NOT looking for a ball of yarn to play with...
It eventually clouded over (YES!) and there no hatching or drifting baetis, but some spinners on the water from an earlier spinner fall, which probably happened prior to 0-dark thirty. A size 18 to 20 rusty spinner was the fly of choice for browns, which seemed to key in on them. Here's one:
There was also some sign that otters had been around as well.
The fishing was...OK...I had to work hard for the fish that I did catch, but given how well this place normally fishes in the fall, it should've been a whole lot better. Still some nice color on the trees, though.
Still a better way to spend the day than mowing the lawn, doing laundry, etc...but that goes without saying, right?
Cheers!
--Fly Guy Dave
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