http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/blogs/moscapescador/ This fly fishing forum consists of fly fishing techniques, advice, tips, news, gear reviews and fly fishing discussions among fellow anglers. en Sun, 26 May 2013 09:08:54 GMT vBulletin 30 http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/images/misc/flyfishing_red/rss.jpg http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/blogs/moscapescador/ http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/blogs/moscapescador/17-out-fishing-big-league-bob.html Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:43:29 GMT Big League Bob is one of my favorite customers at the shop. He was a pitcher during the late '60s in the Major League. It's enjoyable to hear his stories of his career and his commentary on what's going on in the MLB today.

Last Saturday, he came into the shop to get some help on a caddis soft hackle that I tie up for the shop. After an hour of tying bugs and talking of some local waters, Bob paid for his materials, we shook hands, and he left.

Two hours later, Bob called me and asked me if I could show him how to fish my favorite local water, the Lower Yuba River. In our earlier conversation, I learned that he hardly fished it. What's ironic is that he lives 20 minutes away from the access. Since I had Monday off, why not take the ex-pitcher to the new ballpark?

Bob and I started started the day on the downstream side of the Highway 20 bridge. I lifted up some rocks and seined the water to show him some bug life. There were caddis, mayfly, and stonefly larvae in the water. Bob's eyes lit up when he saw all the bug life.

Bob asked me to fish while he watched. Great... the fly shop guy gets to be placed under the microscope while his high roller customer watches. I felt like a rookie prospect being eyed by a big league scout. So I set up a two fly nymph rig (rubberlegs stonefly followed by a rockworm caddis dropper). During my first pass, no grabs. I made subtle adjustments to my rig and hoped for the best. I asked Bob if he wants to start fishing behind me. He said that he'd start after I hooked up.

I thought to myself that this could be a long day.

During one pass, Bob saw the pod of resident Rainbow Trout that I was targeting. They didn't even move. My drifts were right on target. And I am sure the fly was in their cones of vision. Bob decided to fish through that pod. He didn't have any grabs either. It was like Bob was throwing his best junk pitches not to have the batter swing at them. Later in the day, I found out from the guides that they were having a rough day, too.

I really wanted to have Bob see me hook up with a fish. We went down to one of my favorite spots. It is a gravel bar. Bob and I went to the north channel where I started to swing a fly. After 10 minutes in the run, I switched to a smaller Woolly Bugger. Immediately, I hooked into a rather large trout. It swam and jumped with lots of spunk. As it got closer to me, it jumped and threw the hook. At least I got the monkey off my back. I was so relieved because Bob saw the type of fish he could catch.. I ended up getting two more grabs. One 12 inch Rainbow Trout was brought to hand.

Bob decided to go fish the south channel. What makes that side so alluring is that it is a small stream in a large river. This is the kind of fishing that he enjoys the most. He rerigged with a Hare's Ear Soft Hackle and a small mayfly nymph. In the first hole, he hooked up with a spunky 12 inch Rainbow Trout. This trout must have had some Steelhead genes in it because it wanted to swim every direction conceivable. Bob immediately brought it to the net.

Bob fished the next section working every feeding lane. He had two more grabs, but these fish shook off rather quickly. I could see Bob all giddy like. He reminded me of a little tee-baller who was made his first inside the park home run.

After a quick string cheese stick break, I recommended to Bob that he try swinging a fly through the next run. He opened up his box and pulled out his favorite swing fly, the Woolly Worm. After a dozen casts, Bob hooked up with a large Rainbow Trout. It swam and jumped like all trout should do. It bolted for a downed tree, but Bob forced it to turn around. Fighting that fish for Bob was like having to face Willie McCovey with a full count and the winning run on third base. Talk about pressure! After a couple of minutes, I netted the fish for Bob. According to his Measure Net, the trout was 19 inches. He got a good look at it, removed the hook, revived it, and let it go. Willie McCovey was struck out, but he is sure to be around for another at bat.

After that, we decided to call it a day. ]]> MoscaPescador http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/blogs/moscapescador/17-out-fishing-big-league-bob.html http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/blogs/moscapescador/15-learning-new-old-water.html Mon, 31 Aug 2009 03:25:19 GMT The shop I work for has an access key to a private ranch on the Lower Yuba. From time to time, I will take a customer fishing there as a thank you for patronizing the shop. I normally frequent the "downstream" side of the property. This last time, I took Miss C. to the upstream side.

Saturday evening, Miss C. wanted to continue working on line control. She made some good looking drifts that presented her fly textbook style. Her mechanics were dead on. Unfortunately, the fish weren't grabby.

The reason I call this area new old water is that the river dynamics have changed over the past three years. The Lower Yuba has had two high water years followed by a low water year. This year is actually a normal year. A lot of slots have filled in with gravel. Some new slots have formed. Also the Army Corp of Engineers cut in a bay to make a safe portage area to keep people from going over a diversion dam.

Today, I went back to the property to study and fish the runs. Rather than indo/nymph fish, I decided to Skagit style nymph fish with my switch rod. The flows in the slots were faster than I thought. I had to change the tip to a type 6 which barely touched the bottom.

Once I changed the tip, I started getting grabs. I dredged a size 4 stonefly nymph because it is pretty hard for tiny trout to get stuck on it. Also I was targeting larger trout.

When I got to the back end of the pool, I finally converted. By the hard hit, I knew I had a big fish. Immediately the line went tight. The fish wanted to fight me off the reel. The fish went upstream. It went downstream. It lept. The fish was huge.

After ten minutes (it seemed longer), I brought the fish in. I put it up against my switch rod, and measured it from the butt to a decorative ring. The fish was 23.5". For 2009, that's the biggest wild Rainbow Trout that I have caught. Or maybe it was an early Steelhead. Hmmm...

Next week, I'm going to work my way further upstream.

MP ]]> MoscaPescador http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/blogs/moscapescador/15-learning-new-old-water.html http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/blogs/moscapescador/11-new-addiction-largemouth-bass-fishing.html Wed, 26 Aug 2009 04:57:24 GMT Yesterday evening, bossman Ricky Bobby and I had a chance to fish with Captain Kevin Doran on the California Delta which is one of the nation's premier bass fisheries. "KD" is a popular guide because his specialty is topwater LMB fishing. Another claim to fame is that he was part of the Sage BASS rod design team.

Ricky Bobby and I are very experience fly fishermen, but we have never sought out LMB fishing topwater. So at the start of the trip, KD gave us instructions on tactics and explain why they work. One piece of infomation that stuck to me was that if the fly is one foot off the water, it's within play. So casting into rocks or tules was fair game.

On the first run, we fished up against a rock wall. Ricky Bobby and I were slamming our flies against the rocks. On one cast, as soon as I stripped the deer hair frog off the rock, an 8 inch LMB engulfed the fly. Fifty feet down the wall, I casted underneath some hanging brush. As the fly was coming out, another fish attacked the fly. I immediately strip set the fly, but I pulled the fly out of the fish's mouth.

Strip setting, I learned, wasn't the proper way to set a hook. It basically pulls the fly out of the fish's mouth. I lost probably a dozen fish this way.

Ricky Bobby had some great action. He's a better caster than I. His accuracy into the smallest corners helped him entice more fish with his presentation. He also had the biggest fish which was about 3 pounds.

The best thing about the trip is that Ricky Bobby and I have a better understanding of the topwater LMB scene. Today we went through the fly bins and put some flies on clearance because they were either too small or just the wrong flies. Ricky Bobby ordered the different flies that we used on our outing for the shop.

I now have a full understanding why so many people enjoy the topwater LMB game. The takes are violent. LMB will tug you to death. Another great thing, I can see the fly.

MP ]]> MoscaPescador http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/blogs/moscapescador/11-new-addiction-largemouth-bass-fishing.html http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/blogs/moscapescador/7-teaching-rookie.html Mon, 17 Aug 2009 03:18:56 GMT My dirty little secret is that I work part time for a local fly shop. It's good supplemental income that helps pay for my fly fishing habit.

Last week a young lady (let's call her Miss C.) took the shop's intro to fly fishing class. She enjoyed the class so much, that she decided to buy an outfit. Being the nice guy that I am, I offered to take her fishing to the Lower Yuba River which isn't the most friendly rookie trout fishery.

Fast forward to yesterday evening. Sun was starting to drop. Air temp was 84 degrees. Water temp was 58 degrees. Great conditions, but no hatches. After showing Miss C. some PMD nymphs under some rocks, I have her set up a nymphing rig (leader, indo-bobber, putty weight, and nymph). I showed her how to do control a dead drift (cast, mend, keep tip up, and follow). I also explained to her how to work a run, set a hook, and bring in a fish. After 15 minutes of getting used to her rig, I put her on a run that has been productive for me in the past.

After putting Miss C. in position, I walked her through the steps. I stepped back, and let her try. On her fourth cast her indo-bobber dropped. I yelled, "hit it!" Miss C. did a downstream across the body hookset. Her rod tip stayed up as she stripped in line. She swung the fish towards my net. Miss C. landed a healthy 10" wild Rainbow Trout. It was her first fish on her new rod and on a fly.

For the rest of the evening, the fishing never got any better. I missed a couple of grabs. A large trout jumped and gave us the double fin salute. After all was said and done, the final score was rookie 1, instructor 0. ]]> MoscaPescador http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/blogs/moscapescador/7-teaching-rookie.html