Until Now ~ Sunday Tippets, Damsel Style

APPREHENSION is not an easy thing to live with.  But, I have been living with it for awhile now.  Call me cautious to the wind!  I found my safe haven of nymph (wet) fly fishing and there have been many a time that everyone else down the stream are throwing dries.  Especially when there is an epic hatch going on.  I totally understand the concept.  I do.  But, my frustration and lack of confidence in myself on top water have pretty much squelched my desire to try it again... 

UNTIL NOW...

Yes, it happened.  Just minding my own business and all of a sudden, a total stranger, who's now my friend... Jeff, corrals me into casting a dry fly.  He said that he was tired of seeing a person with "pretty good skills" not catch as many as I could using a soft hackle.  (Or something to that affect).   Haha.   The conversation went something like this.  "Thanks, Jeff, but you don't understand.  I can't see those tiny flies on the water.  And I don't know how not to pull that perfect drift when I mend.  I'm ok with nymphing.  I catch enough!"  Jeff responds with, "Tell you what,  I will trade you the fly that I have been using for one in your box."  He didn't want me to miss this epic hatch with trout slurping everywhere...I had no problem with that.  And there wasn't anyone to watch my debacle of learning to cast and mend a dry fly.  So, what could I lose?  It was time to face the music.  I'm supposed to want to be experienced in all types of fly fishing.   But, I am... well, SCARED.

  Of a little dry fly. 

UNTIL NOW...

As my new found friend walked off to go home, I tied on the big 'ol, bushy caddis that he gave me.  I would definitely see this guy on the water.  No problem!  I have 20/20 vision, but I sure can't follow the dries on the top of the water in the bubbles, film, etc. etc.   After about 20 casts and 5 or 6 late sets, I had my brown trout.  Whew!  Worries were over.  I could now relax and look forward to trying this again!  This is like the third fish caught on a dry in 4 yrs... if that tells you anything about my anxiety issue...

So...  Don't Worry ~ Be Happy!

Isn't that what they say???

~ SUNDAY TIPPET ~

We all have apprehensions.  And sometimes they can be for good reason.  Like moving to a new city.  Starting a new job.  We have all been there probably!   These are things that require time to get used to things.  And I guess that is what I am going to experience now.  Getting used to something, that looks like it could be a good thing... just don't have too much experience with it yet!  But, I will be patient.  And in time, I will see my friend, Jeff, again on the river bank and say to him... "Hey, I'm still working on those pretty good skills"!!   I guess that you could say, I now have ANTICIPATION!  That's progress... haha! 

Dog Days Of Summer ~ Sunday Tippets, Damsel Style

It's still June, but the "Dog Days Of Summer" have arrived early in Utah.  100+ temperatures have arrived this past week, leaving all of us panting...

Which led me to find cooler grounds to spend my "Fish Tuesday" in the High Uintas... But, the fishing was slow, with the only fish catching my hook as I walked upstream!

So, yesterday, we headed back to Wyoming.  Ten degrees cooler according to the reports.  That sounded good enough.  I invited my friend Wendy to join me for the day.  It didn't take long for her to say, "I see why you like this place, Emily"!! 

One of the many bent rods for Wendy...

And so it began... We got there early to have a few hours in cooler temps.  And after some nice catches, I got my catch of the day.

Then, the 75 degrees climbed up to 90 by one o'clock.  It was time to sit down in the shade.  I knew my day was over.  I don't do particularly well in the heat... my body doesn't sweat!  So my skin doesn't cool off like other people.  I had been sipping on my water bottle during the morning.  And usually I only need one bottle, so that is all I brought with me from the car.  Big mistake!  Wendy was having such a good time on her first visit, I hated to cut her day short.  So, I sat, slapping away deer flies, mosquitos, and any other bug that happened to like me. 

When we got back to the car, I was exhausted.  A long walk back and the heat had gotten to me.  I learned my lesson on this one.  In the summer heat, I will fish early or fish late.  No reason to be out there in the hottest part of the day.  The fish will always be there.  And to prevent dehydration... here are some tippets for all.

~ Sunday Tippets ~

Don't use thirst as an indicator for staying hydrated. If you wait until you're thirsty to drink, you're already dehydrated. Furthermore, drink more than until you thirst no more.

Choose your beverages wisely. Alcohol and caffeinated beverages such as coffee and some teas and soft drinks will only increase the effects of dehydration. 

Preparing for a sports activity by drinking about a pint of water 2 hours before, can really help. Continue to drink throughout the activity: 6 to 12 ounces every 15 to 20 minutes.

Remember... On those warmer days, take plenty of breaks from your daily activities to get in the shade and drink plenty of fluids!!!

 And it might not be a bad idea to join me and wear this on your wading belt.  I'm not leaving on another trip this summer without it!  Guaranteed.

Fishing The Moon ~ Sunday Tippets, Damsel Style

So, we have a "Super Moon" this weekend.  The largest moon of the year to grace our skies.  Amid negativity and skepticism of friends about fishing during a full moon, I decided to test it out myself.   What were the results of going against the odds?  Well, I must say that I learned a few interesting facts about

 "Fishing the Moon"!

Tippet #1

Eat a good breakfast.  This was my nutritious way to start the day.  = )   Especially important because you will need all the energy you can muster to fight all those fish that no one thinks are going to bite..

Tippet #2

Take a self-defense weapon of your choice, as you will need it when everyone else will want to know your secret.  (Even the bears)

Tippet #3

Avoid overgrown, mossy streams.  Thick moss will only tangle you up when catching your elusive, first "full moon" whitefish!   They know where to break off.  You should have seen the one that wrapped line around me two times... I still got him, the little joker.

Tippet #4

Now, that you have foiled the skunk and the "full moon" theory,  go after some happy trout.  Not the mean & ugly bad boys, but the nice, colorful cutthroats for example.

Tippet # 5

Avoid taking a short-cut through the brush.  Don't know if it was the full moon or what, but snakes were out and crossed my path twice!   Ugh...

Tippet #6

Sure, there were fish who I put a fly over their head ten times and had full bellies from their moonlight fiesta.  But, not all make it to the midnight buffet and your caddis larvae and an emerger was just the ticket.

~Safety Net Tippet~

Don't tell anyone that you are going fishing with a full moon.  Just in case you don't catch anything, at least you won't have to listen to their smart alec remarks of "I told you so"!

In Conclusion... My take on "full moon" fishing...  

Some people believe in the lunar tables and fish accordingly.   My take on it is that the insects are more key than the moon phase.  If you have a hatch that is more prolific during the day and didn't produce anything at night, you will have trout interested in your offerings.   My observance of this day was that the larger fish might have had full bellies since they were weren't moving from the bottom of the river.   (It was crystal clear for my observation.)  They could still be enticed, but it would have taken 30 more times over their nose.  Do you take that cookie when you have had a huge dinner?  The smaller fish were still actively rising for a nibble at a falling caddis on the water.  And by casting out an emerging fly pattern, I was able to net enough to keep me happy.    Just remember that if there was a night hatch with the full moon,  there will always be some that missed out.   Heck with bad weather and full moons.  A wise friend once told me "The truth is, you fish when you can fish and if the fishing is slow, you slow down and figure out why, then adapt."   

It's all good...

Smoke On The Water ~ Sunday Tippets, Damsel Style

Yesterday, there was smoke on the water...  Whether it was from the trout or me or both... It didn't really matter.   The river was smokin'!  Red hot fishing... all with two or three flies.  (Hail to the Midgeman)  And once again, I couldn't stay away from Wyoming.  It's just too close and yet just far enough away.

There was a rainbow in every turn of the winding river.  Run after run produced.  You just don't see this happen every day.  Heck, you don't see this happen every month!  So, I just took it all in...

Even Marley Moose wanted to see what was going on...

I was ready to offer my fish to him if that is what he wanted...

The day started at 9 am and my friend and I finally looked at each other at 5 pm and said to each other, "I'm exhausted"!  Heck, I think that I am still tired today... lol.  But, it was sure a lot of fun!

The walk back up the hill was slow.   All the muscles in my body ached from fatigue and a little bit of dehydration...  But, my facial muscles could still produce a BIG SMILE = ).

~Sunday Tippet ~

If you don't first succeed...try, try again.  The previous week produced one and I lost 7, mostly due to sloppy sets and playing the fish wrong once they were running on the hook.   This round I caught so many, I lost count.   I tweeked a few things, took my steroids (ha) and stayed with em'!!! 

NEVER GIVE UP

AND LUCKY SOCKS DON'T HURT...

Thanks, Stockton and Malone.

First time out on a river.  I'm looking for a "comeback".

Visiting The Mothership ~ Sunday Tippets, Damsel Style

Last July, I took a friend from Pennsylvania fishing.  If you remember, it was a "Smoky and the Bandit" adventure...  Yes, Mike "Troutrageous" had his own version of the story too.   Ham's Fork, Wyoming was the location.  The fishing was active.  Lots of smaller fish, as the water level was on the low side.  So, I have wondered the last few weeks if I should venture up there again, but earlier.   I called a fly shop with knowledge of the Ham's Fork of the Green River.  150 cfs and fishing well.  YUP... It was ON!

I invited my buddy, Maynard, to go along as it is a 2 to 2 1/2 hr trip and times flies by faster when you have a traveling partner.  So, we headed out early and made good time.  There she was, the J.C. Penney Mothership.  Yup, back in 1902... James C. Penney journeyed out to Kemmerer, Wy. to start a little business.  The rest is history...

If you have a thing for historic sites and museums, you might like to read about it HERE...  It is actually quite the story.

When we arrived, there was a crowd gathered at the Kemmerer Community Pond. Turned out to be a Youth Fishing Derby...  Oh good!  That would
 mean that the river out of town should be relatively empty.
(Except for a few UTAH license plates!)

So, we ventured up to the dam spillway and walked a mile downstream.  

Those stinkin'

Long Distance Releases...

With a few rainbows in between...

My LDR's though, were in mass number and I was wondering if I would ever keep one on the hook!  Several fish were on for a few minutes with me reeling, letting the fish run, bringing them back... and then GONE.  Maynard even said that he was ready to take a picture of me with a bent rod instead.  It just didn't look like a fish was going to make it to the net!  I won't claim that this was the difference or not.  But, when I woke up and went through my gear, I realized that I was out of a 4x tippet.  So, I ran down to WALMART (I can't believe that I actually did this because of one post that I made fun of their fishing dept) and lo and behold... found the FAIRPLAY by Cortland tippet hanging on the wall of mostly lures and bait hooks.  I had been using this brittle tippet all morning.  

Good Grief, Maynard... Take the picture!!!

~Sunday Tippet ~

This fish came after I cut off my Walmart bought tippet and added my usual RIO  3x tippet.  Whether it was the heavier tippet that helped, or the flexibility of the actual RIO tippet material... I don't know.  And maybe it was my shoddy way of  bringing in fish today.  And I finally got lucky!  
Final tally... FISH 7 RD  1.

Yup... it happens.  It's all part of the game.

Fish won this round.

But, I still had a marvelous day with a good friend and beautiful weather. 

 No complaints.  And guess what... I found new, deeper runs with even nicer fish that will be re-visited very soon.  = )