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. 

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.

All the Best Things Come From Chico, CA

Chico is the home to Chico State University and Bidwell Park, one of the most beautiful city parks in the world.

Upper Bidwell Park
Photo: Wikipedia

The city is also home to Sierra Nevada Brewery.  One of my favorite breweries, and by far the best tap room that I have ever been to.

Cans, so you can take them with you fishing!

It is also the home of Aaron Rodgers.

The Man!

Not to mention Chico (or right outside) produces Lundberg Chips and Santa Cruz Organic Juice.

But the newest and best product that I have found recently to come from Chico are Hogan Brown's nymph patterns.  

I was a conventional fisherman all through college.  Totally intimidated by fly fishing which I knew nothing of.  I still don't really know that much.  But my fishing buddy who did occasionally fly fish and I would frequent the fly shops in Chico, because they were nice and would point us in the right direction to try and catch the areas trout, salmon, steelhead, largemouth and smallmouth bass, shad, and striped bass.  On those trips I remember meeting a super nice kid about my age behind the fly shop counter who was stoked on fly fishing and always helpful.  His name was Hogan Brown.

Fast forward 10 years.  Now I have a minor obsession with catching fish on flies that I tie myself.  My fishing buddy, yes the same one, told me about some patterns he had been tying that I just had to tie.  The flies were Hogan Brown patterns called the Golden Child nymph, Red Headed Step Child, Military Mayfly, and the S&M nymph.  I was really stoked to learn how successful Hogan had become in the fly fishing/tying game.

Hogan Brown's S&M nymph
Photo: Idylwilde

Check out Hogan's Blog. He has descriptions and a short story for all of his flies. 

I have been tying a version of his S&M nymph with a flash back instead of a goose/turkey biot back.  The fly has been deadly.  I have had success with this flashy mayfly with all of the low clear water fishing that I have been doing over the lat couple of weeks.  

This sucker fish wanted to sniff the nymph.

This is my S&M with a flashback or Military Mayfly with a copper bead.

Thank you Hogan and thank you Chico.  

Bad Axe - Big Streamer Paradise

Of all the streams/creeks/rivers/coulees I have fished in the Driftless, the Bad Axe River stands alone as the best large trout factory.

Best Driftless Brown

My most recent trip a was able to hook up with a fish on my first cast, throw some hefty streamers, and catch large brown trout on a 6" articulated streamer.

Off to a good start

the articulated leech

Mmmm, peanut butter bacon sandwich

But, why the heck would a 14 inch brown trout attack or try to eat a streamer almost half its size.  The answer came while I was fishing a small leech, after the articulated leech that I was throwing broke into 2 pieces.  I caught a creek chub.  It ate my leech and I pulled in a 6" chub.  After letting the little guy go, and after I had caught a good number of fish already, I decided to throw on the largest streamers in my box.  They happen to be a Mike's Meal Ticket that I tied myself on size 2 hooks. The first cast with that huge streamer the river exploded as a large brown trout smacked the fish imitation and missed.  After I caught my breath I preceded to catch the 2 largest trout of the day and miss one more in the last 10 minutes of the fishing trip.

So that's why the trout eat my giant streamer!

victim of Mike's Meal Ticket

Swam away a wiser fish

Why didn't I have on that beastly Mike's Meal Ticket in the first place?  I will from now on.