Driftless Spring and Early Summer

Fly Patterns of the Year: 

MVP fly of this year has to be Hogan Brown's S&M Mayfly. It has clearly out produced any other pattern I have thrown this year.

My newest favorite dry fly is the Hippie Stomper. It has been a great dry / indicated to hang my favorite nymphs above too.

Photos:

           

Warm water: fly patterns and fish

Trout fishing the driftless area has been amazing so far. But this year I've expanded my horizons, and now I've been doing a lot of warm water fishing. Everything from perch to bass sunfish and a few pike.

The change in scenery and technique has been really good keeping things fresh and interesting. One of the best parts about it is figuring out a way to catch fish using different techniques. Then I can apply those techniques trout fishing. I'm sure that this is going to make me a better fisherman. 

In addition to fishing, I've been doing a lot more tying specifically related to catching bass and sunfish. I have found the magic of the Clouser Minnow and have now I downsized it for sunfish and also found success when casting to largemouth bass. 

So I guess what I'm saying is, if you get bored or find yourself stuck in a rut, then you should get out and try something new. Maybe you should go catch some bass maybe you should go catch some sun fish maybe you should grab your regular fishing pole and bobber and a worm. 

For whatever it's worth. Warm water flyfishing has made me a better angler. 

Mexican Yellowtail

Before I went to SD I had noticed that my buddy, from Chico had his own boat, and was taking people out on trips.  

Turns out he got his captains license 2 summers ago and started a private charter fishing service out of Dana Landing.  John Noble, is his name.  He has been working at Dana Landing's shop for a while now.  His private charter service is Noble Sportfishing.  You can find it on Facebook.

After I contacted him to see if he could take me out, we hashed out the details.  I met him at Dana Landing at 6 am.  He launched his 26 ft. Boston Whaler with a 300 outboard, by himself, and as soon as Dana Landing opened we grabbed a sandwich, some Sierra Nevada, and a 1 Day Mexican fishing licence.  

We took of in his boat with a bunch of sardines and headed to the Coronado Islands.  We drifted some spots off of the islands where these is a significant depth change a bit, looking for cruising yellowtail, and marks on his depth finder.  

We didn't get bit there so after a few minutes we moved to a spot where we could get on to some rockfish.  So, we dropped our sardines to the bottom and started getting bit by rockfish, and hoping for a big ling cod to take one. John started to get bit and we reeled in a few smaller rock fish that we let go  He actually  did get a ling cod, but it was too small, so he released it.  After a few drifts on this spot we limited out with some nice sized vermilion red rockfish.  Which I then turned into beer battered fish tacos 2 days later.

Toward the later afternoon he heard from another capt. there was some yellow tail action on the north side of the west island.  So we took off toward his friends position.  The San Diego and Mission Belle were also in the area.  As we flew by the big party boats we saw that some of them were bent with fish.  

John positioned us away from the other boats and we drifted with our sardines off the bottom about 30 ft. John was tossing an iron out.  He ended up catching a bonito on the iron, which he let me reel in.  Awesome.  

After one last re-position, he had me dropping a yo-yo jig to the bottom and cranking it back in.  After my 5th or 6th drop I got slammed by a freight train of a yellowtail.  I struggled to bring in the first big yellow of the day, but finally got it in.  It had swallowed the jig deep.  

John hooked up, and because I had no idea how to use a gaff I missed the fish.  Another 20+ pound fish shook off after my failed gaff attempt.  

After unsuccessful drifts we moved the boat and set up for another one.  I grabbed a mackerel and put the bigger bait on the hook, and dropped it down to 250 ft. expecting to real it up 10 cranks and let if drift and get back to my yo-yo jig.  Right after I felt if hit bottom the line just got slammed after my first crank back up.  I was put to task reeling a 20 pound yellowtail from 250 ft. down.  As I got the fish close a sea lion was trailing off the boat showed interest in the hooked fish. That sea lion made my failing arms liable for loosing an awesome yellowtail to a hungry sea lion. I did end up getting it in, without sea lion interference.  

That was the the last fish we caught.  So we reeled in and flew home, and by the Mission Belle and San Diego, who had left an hour or two before us.  

Twin yellowtail once back weighed just over 20 pounds.  John filleted all the fish and I got to be the hero of Christmas bringing back enough yellow tail for 2 dinners for the whole family and a fried rock fish dinner for another night.

Montana Ruined Fishing for Me Forever

This year's 14 day excursion, with my fishing buddy (see previous post), into Montana fishing paradise was actually too good.  During the trip I caught the 20 best trout of my life, maybe more.

Thanks to Adam for making this trip so amazing.  Local advice and knowledge made this the fishing trip of my life so far.

The trip included my first 20 inch trout.  It also included my 3rd 20 inch trout in one day.  And more than a dozen 18 inch fat rainbows, cutthroats, and browns.

We fished using Ennis and Missoula, MT as our home base.

It is a place that has more fish, bigger fish, and the most beautiful place to catch them.  I can't wait to get back, and catch those monsters that I couldn't land this summer.

Here is a photo essay of how it went this year.