Dealing With A High/dirty River

[Guest colinm]

Hey Folks,

It's just my second season fly fishing and I wanted to pick some brains on techniques for when the Bow is high and ugly like this. I know it's not the greatest time to be fishing but I still need to scratch the fishing itch.

From what I've heard/read, streamers/big worms, split shot, fishing close to the banks and pools. Is that right? Anything else to consider? Any colours that seem to work best in dirty water? Are faster-flowing areas pretty much a no-go when conditions are like this?

Thanks in advance!

[plumeja]

i was out yesterday, this is my first season, down passed the water treatment plant and it was fast and muddy, the oddest thing was that i saw about five fish head out of the water feeding. on what i am not too sure cause there was so much crap in the water to tell. it was super cool to see though.

I have heard the same thing about near the banks and streamers or worms. I still have had no luck. i waiting for the big one to hit my fly. best of luck

[Jayhad]

Personally Colin, this is my favorite time to fish and I expect other love this water as well. As you've heard big streamers, I like flies with deer hair heads during this time because they push a lot of water. I think virtually any colours work right now but I tend to stick to black first, the brown, then green. I think most colours would be effective, I just stick to the dark ones.

 

I like to look for nooks and crannies along the shore, places that have protection upstream; ie rocks, logs, holes in the bank. Swing past places that look like the current is slightly slower, but a lot of spots won't be evident so make half a dozen casts, take two steps downs stream and repeat

[RedBeard]

Sink tip line as well?

[Jayhad]

Sink tip line as well?

Yes, I fish Rio Streamertips, type 6 probably with these water levels. I personally fish unweighted flies on the sink tips, but normally I'm fishing from the boat.

[Hawgstoppah]

What Jayhad said to a tee. Also, you can find those same types of water and nymph... but instead of 7 or 8 or 9ft under the indicator use 2 to 4. Maybe a big sjw and a stone or leech pattern, something they'll be likely to see. Like others, I personally find this to be the BEST time of year to get into the fish. From now through about mid July should offer up the best fishing of the year.

 

Cheers,

[fishinglibin]

Great Info Guys

[Muffin]

Thanks for posting, time to hit the water tomorrow. After I grab some new flies. I need to order a second spool too and get some sink tip line.

[ÜberFly]

^{http://midcurrent.com/experts/fishing-high-water-for-trout/}

[Vagabond]

Thanks for posting, time to hit the water tomorrow. After I grab some new flies. I need to order a second spool too and get some sink tip line.

Save yourself a ton of $$ and just pick up a sinktip or two,attach to your floating line with loop to loop connection.

 

What Jayhad said to a tee. Also, you can find those same types of water and nymph... but instead of 7 or 8 or 9ft under the indicator use 2 to 4. Maybe a big sjw and a stone or leech pattern, something they'll be likely to see.......

 

Cheers,

If I'm reading this right,isn't that somewhat contradictory?On one hand you agree with jayhad on getting streamers down,and in the next sentence your saying to nymph the upper levels of the water column?Or are you saying to nymph the shallows tight to shore?Sorry,just a bit confused?

[relk19]

First season fly fishing for me as well, was wondering how you guys fish your streamers? Do you just let it swing around with the current, or do you strip it in as it is travelling downstream?

[Jayhad]

Yes you can save yourself some cash with just loop to loop connected sink tips, but it is nothing like using a line that was designed to cast streamers, when you add a sink tip it will hinge or feel chunky as the floating line's taper isn't designed to have a huge sink tip attached.

 

Relk19, cast at a 45° angle downstream, let the fly dangle a few minutes, the strip or strip it back along shore, both methods will work...

[Hawgstoppah]

If I'm reading this right,isn't that somewhat contradictory?On one hand you agree with jayhad on getting streamers down,and in the next sentence your saying to nymph the upper levels of the water column?Or are you saying to nymph the shallows tight to shore?Sorry,just a bit confused?

 

Yes sorry, you would be nymphing literally 1 to 2 feet from the bank, in the slowish side currents, and usually 3 to 4 feet is going to be enough. The fish are stacked where you'd normally be sitting down to tie a new fly on in September. They use the slow current and deflections for current relief, the main river is too fast and the fish know how to conserve energy and find a spot where three things attract them. Current speed, available cover, and available food. If you can identify locations that possibly have all three, try working them. Some will hold fish, and admittedly some will not. Experience will teach you which ones are the higher percentage locations!

[Vagabond]

Yes you can save yourself some cash with just loop to loop connected sink tips, but it is nothing like using a line that was designed to cast streamers, when you add a sink tip it will hinge or feel chunky as the floating line's taper isn't designed to have a huge sink tip attached.

 

Relk19, cast at a 45° angle downstream, let the fly dangle a few minutes, the strip or strip it back along shore, both methods will work...

At the risk of coming across as argumentive,I beg to differ,and would suggest that is what the line mfrs would have you beleive.In my experience,its simply not true.

I've been building my own type 6 sinktips for many years in various lengths from 6'-20',and using them on SH rods with WFF lines ranging from 4wt-8wt,as well as spey rods with both Scandi and Skagit heads,and have never had any significant issues with casting them quite nicely.If there is any hinging at all,it's minimal and only apparent at the most extreme ranges that I would expect a given rod weight to perform well anyhow,for instance,trying to chuck a 18' sinktip 70+ ft with a 5wt.....certainly not enough of a concern for me at least to warrant buying specialty lines and extra spools for all my reels,not to mention the nuisance of carrying said extra spools when I can accomplish the exact same thing and more with a few tips of various lengths and/or sink types coiled up in a pocket.I can quite comfortably cast a 12' type6 tip 60-70ft without issue,and aside from that,if in fact there was to be a wee bit of hinging.....who cares?Its not like I'm trying to present a #18 EHC to a selective brown,I'm swinging a streamer that's gonna tighten up almost immediately after landing.