Sunday, April 21, 2013

A Flash In Muddy Water ~ Sunday Tippets, Damsel Style

 
A quick getaway to Idaho brought a good ol' skunking this weekend.  But, you know me... There's only one way to cure that problem!  Get back out there and try again!  So, I did.  I crossed back over the border, into Utah.  And decided that I would give it one more try before heading home.  And what did I find?  Murky, muddy looking water.  Now, most of the time, when I see this kind of condition...I just head home.  But, I wanted to try out something that I had heard.  That if you throw something bright or flashy, that the trout will see it through the murkiness and take the fly because they aren't eating much of anything else.


Now, I didn't expect to catch four whitefish in a row...  Hmmm.  Ok.  Let's try this purple San Juan worm followed by a gold flashy midge (that David Goodrich tied up for me) again.  I know that this is usually a big brown trout river.  At least that is what I have caught before in this section.  I was going to be happy with anything though.  So, after losing that lucky flashy fly in a tree, I searched my pack and found one more.  As I was sitting on a rock, minding my own business... I looked across from me to see this...  


Yes, it is what you think it is.  A decaying bat getting some sunshine on a rock! Well, no worries!  Right.  Until, it started moving.  Like a couple inches every time the wind blew!  AHHHH!   A stretched out wing... Ok.  Time to get up and leave.  All, I needed was for a bat to wake up from the dead and take off.  So, I moved quickly down river.  Maybe it was a sign.  That better water was upstream.



Surprise!  A Cutthroat!  I haven't seen one of these for quite some time.  And never in this stretch of river.  So, I was stoked at this 12 inch beauty.   Until...


 
BAAM!!!  l hit the mother lode!   Almost an 18 in. Cuttie... Wow.  In my own backyard.  Who would have "thunk" it.  And in murky water to boot.  And I thought that there were only browns and whitefish in there.   I was liking this flashy fly of the
 






Sunday Tippet ~  Don't judge the water by it's color.  (or that book by it's cover) Purple seemed to be a good attractor because it could be seen.  It is on the far end of the spectrum of colors.  Have you heard of bass anglers using purple worms in off colored lakes?  Yep.   And the gold flashy midge was tailing it and even though it was a size 20, it caught their eye.   So, don't think that you can't catch in water that isn't the most pristine, clearest water.  You can adapt to different light and water conditions.  


13 comments:

  1. Nice fish Em. Uh...could you go back and get that bat for me. I've got an idea.

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  2. Howard ~ Yeah, come up with a new idea.

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  3. Sorry you didn't have better luck in Idaho. I'm going to remember that tip about throwing something shiny and colorful out there when the water is murky. Just a side note. Last summer, a fisherman here in North Idaho was climbing the banks of the St. Joe and accidentally put his hand right on top of a bat resting on a rock. The bat bit him. This next part is the most amazing part to me...He kept fishing! He spent the rest of the day up there. When he finally got back to town, it occurred to him that perhaps he should have the bite checked out. Turns out the bat had rabies! His medical bills totaled $10,000 and apparently his insurance doesn't cover bat bites. Go figure. So, you were smart to keep your distance.

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  4. Kim - I don't mess with bats, dead or alive! Thanks for the reminder why...

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  5. My experience is that Cutts love purple.

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  6. RD
    You are one lucky lady, to have so many fantastic places to fish out that way. Enjoyed the post---thanks for sharing

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    1. Oh, I am a lucky gal. I live close to beautiful, fishy places for sure. We will hopefully be able to fish some of those together when you come out West...

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  7. Apparently seeing a bat in the daytime is good luck.

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    1. Kevin ~ I'm thinking that I would rather come across a four leaf clover next time...

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  8. Do you ever wonder if the color of the water makes the fly look a different color to the fish... some say that orange worms look red in green water... One of the few things we may never know about fish.

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    1. Josh ~ I think that there are many things that I don't know about fish! And I'm still having fun with trial and error... = )

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