Bulls On Dries

[jonny5]

Got down south yesterday on a creek whose name I can't remember... Anyways cuttie fishing was not so good with not nearly as many as I have had in the past...

 

But the fun part was that we found rising bulls! Got 3 landed and a few more busted off... They were taking march browns as far as I could tell, and got a couple on a stonefly dry. Oh and these were not babies either... 24, 23 and 19 inches landed

 

Is it unusual to see bulls rising? Is it a seasonal thing?

 

Cheers,

 

JZ

[bloom]

Only seen Bulls rising once for dries, and that was on the Wigwam. Have got some nice ones on dries (16-20'') on dries in other creeks in the South, but that's a rarity.

[jonny5]

Neat! I never woulda thunk it. Anyways, speaking of the Wigwam, (and others out there)... how does the fishing out there compare to Alberta? Is it worth the extra gas and fees?

[Suntoucher]

I catch many bulls on dries.

 

Not uncommon at all.

 

Most are small ones though but some nice ones too.

[SanJuanWorm]

I catch em on dries occaisionally.

[Guest Sundancefisher]

small ones rise all the time for dries.

 

I have caught larger ones on dries in the Oldman. Lots of excitement though not as good a fight as the rainbows. I like the diversity however

 

Cheers

 

Sun

[loviatt]

I watched two bulls in a hole on the highwood rise for dries for about 10 minutes yesterday. I think it must have been a bit of an off day for things, as I caught dolly varden on dries yesterday at Chester lake too. And they were also on what looked like march browns.

[Suntoucher]

I find the more north I go, the more likely they are willing to rise. Might have something to do with the shorter season which brings out more aggressive feeding.

[MMAX]

I noticed that too Suntoucher, you and I fish the same areas. Found some risers a few years back, thought they were cutts. Lengthened the leader, put on a #16 Adams and got a bunch of bulls instead.

[flyangler]

An oldie but a goodie. The one that got away was a sizeable fellow (they always are, no?) who took a Royal Stimulator. I had given up on the cutty that was rising regularly under the tip of a leaning pine. It was time to go. The day's last cast failed to hook the cut, so I was reeling in and making a tiny wake on the water with what I vaguely recall was not a huge fly. Maybe a 12? A freight train took it instead. Then the bull jumped clear of the water, not in that arched way that a porpoise will show its head, back, then tail. No, it cleared the water with it's full length at once, like somebody had tossed it up into the air, then splashed down again. It tore into the stronger current in a boulder field and was gone, leaving me with a permanent need for one more cast to that spot.

 

 

Downstream, on another day, I landed several bullies on rubber legged foam hoppers and stones.

[jonny5]

An oldie but a goodie. The one that got away was a sizeable fellow (they always are, no?) who took a Royal Stimulator. I had given up on the cutty that was rising regularly under the tip of a leaning pine. It was time to go. The day's last cast failed to hook the cut, so I was reeling in and making a tiny wake on the water with what I vaguely recall was not a huge fly. Maybe a 12? A freight train took it instead. Then the bull jumped clear of the water, not in that arched way that a porpoise will show its head, back, then tail. No, it cleared the water with it's full length at once, like somebody had tossed it up into the air, then splashed down again. It tore into the stronger current in a boulder field and was gone, leaving me with a permanent need for one more cast to that spot.

 

Downstream, on another day, I landed several bullies on rubber legged foam hoppers and stones.

 

Nice story. Since this is my thread, you will have to PM me detailed information of how to get there...

[flyangler]

Because bullies exist in just 25% of their native range in North America, I decline to name the stream in open forum. I did PM you, however. I'm anxious to get back to Canada for some more fishing in the Rockies, but it won't be this summer. I just don't want to be the ugly American contributing to a place getting used up.

[Guest Jeremie]

its pretty regular i fish the blackstone about every year and catch about 10-15 bullys on dries from 10-25" you just gotta find em and the deep pool will be dominated by cutties for dries!

[darthwader]

I seem to get one a trip now on Triple Deckers, Hoppers or Stones. They have a pretty cool take on the dry. Shoulers.... then nothing. No splat, no flash...nothing.

 

Good times

[cam]

Bull's start their life cycle feeding on invertabrates and as they mature they begin sampling larger protein specimens. Like you and I once we get a taste of the good life we never want to go back. In short juv. bulls all eat invertabraetes and thus the majority of the bulls caught on small dries are juvenile , as they mature their ability to catch and contain larger prey improves and soon they waste little time feeding on the small stuff, unless the food source is too good to refuse and then the big boys will come from the depths!!!