Could Joe Vigor be the last graduate of the year? With summer here it looks like the majority of the 2022 winter class has completed their graduation from the fly-fishing class. That’s a record! On this trip we had eleven other FATC members join Joe on his big day. All met up at Montauk State Park around 8:45am and everyone headed out to parts unknown (well, in the park anyway).Kenny took Joe to the “usual” spot to practice casting and techniques. Joe did a great job and caught his first trout before lunch. The weather was surprisingly mild. Yes, it was hot (in the 80’s) but the humidity was low, so fishing was pretty comfortable. Most of the guys had a good morning fishing.
After lunch Joe got to see the entire fly only area and caught fish throughout. All others did well too. The top flies were the red midge, scuds, Pyscho Prince, P&P midge, egg patterns (beads) and a few others. Almost forgot to tell you about the guys on the trip – Jim Craig, David Knight, Steve Baker, Sid Aslin, Tim Klotz, Bob Palisch, Joe Vigor, Will Black, Al Blair, Ken Welter, Dan Staggenborg, and Kenny Klimes. We all topped the day off with a Mexican food fiesta in Salem , MO.
Yes, it’s been hot but that isn’t an excuse to NOT get out with your fellowship. Gosh, you used the excuse this winter that it was too cold?!?! See you on the water!!
A personal experience that may help other guys.
I had been wanting to work on my soft hackle and dry fly casting and fishing skills.
The first 2 hours for me yielded not a single bite or take. I noticed the fish were pretty much hugging the bottom wherever I went. Looking up and down the stream I saw virtually NO activity on the top. Not a single fish even swirling.
Then I chanced upon David Knight along the stream, who was doing really well with a red zebra midge fished deep.
Of course I switched and did well myself with it. (Thanks, Dave).
Later in the day, fishing near and below the boulder with Sid and Tim Klotz, I mentioned to Tim that I was going to put on sinking line and strip a crackleback just to switch it up and practice stripping.
Tim decided to do that while I kept on with dry flies. (Stubborn me, I never did switch). Tim had pretty decent luck catching 6 in a few hours.
Of course everyone knows it’s important to read the water and adjust accordingly, even techniques. However, the takeaway for me was that if the fish are hugging the bottom (who knows why, but they sometimes do…), a change of technique to stripping a crackleback type fly with sinking line, will often produce fish.
This is a fun way to fish when one gets tired of staring at a bobber all day.
Stag did you know that the crackleback fly was originally made for fishing deep with sinking or sinking tip line. It wasn’t until later that fly fishers discovered it was an effective fly fished dry or swung downstream!