Match The Hatch 3.0

Here is the latest "Match The Hatch".  As always - look around.  I found this guy crawling on my back pack. I matched him with my handy dandy "bug" guide book - and he appears to be a Little Green stonefly.

Stonefly Match

Trout love stoneflies.  I really like to fish the dry fly version.

I not only like to fish it solo during a hatch, but I often use it as my top fly with a nymph as my lower or "dropper" fly.

Stonefly "shell" on a rock

You will find all kinds of stoneflies in the river.

They often climb up on rocks.  They seem to be present all day long when I fish Sierra rivers.  When there is a hatch, it can get crazy with thousands of them filling the sky.

Even when there isn't a major hatch you will see one or two in the air.  That's why this is one of my "go to" selections.

They make great indicators too.  With their "fluffy" easy to see body and yellow color, a nice stone dry fly is great as an indicator.

Various stonefly flies

I use "stones" so much that I have a separate box just for stoneflies.

I have a variety of sizes, dries, nymphs, emergers, yellow, olive, rubber legged, etc.

They can mimic a variety of other bugs too, so at least in the Sierra, I carry a well stocked selection of stones.

Match The Hatch: Larva video

Here is a new installment of "Match The Hatch".  This one is a quick little video we shot along the Yuba River near Downieville, CA.  This way you can clearly see actual critters that thrive along the riverbed.

Tight lines.

Click here to watch the video

Look for stone cocoons

Match The Hatch 2.0

I have previously posted about fishing the South Fork of the Yuba River outside Downieville, CA.  I like going there for a number of reasons. Part of the allure is that the area is located in the old gold rush area of California and there is a lot of history and many stories to be found as you drive through Tahoe National Forest and the dozens of small mountain communities and towns that have ties to mining and prospecting.

The river is beautiful as well. Its nearly crystal clear and blanketed by lush green forest and ferns and mossy rocks.

At roughly three thousand feet in elevation, the area is high enough and cold enough for trout, but make no mistake it can get plenty warm in the summer with temps reaching into the 90s - in which case you will find certain stretches of the river hosting swimmers looking for a cool dip in fresh mountain water.

There are many days I want to shed the waders and fishing vest and dunk myself in one of the many deep pools.  In fact, this last trip I saw a group of teen boys fly fishing, and they did just that, jumping in for a refreshing dip.

There are a lot of bugs in the area. A lot. You'll see mayflies, and stoneflies and giant salmon flies. The riverbed is teaming with nymphs and larva.  The water is so clear you can see the little cocoons on the rocks and larva crawling on the riverbed.

Remember my little pocket guide I mentioned in Match The Hatch 1.0 - let's put it to use again this time.

I plucked this little cluster off a rock in about shin deep water.

You can see there is a little larva inside, and that's what trout want to eat.

I "matched the hatch" - and in a couple of casts I had a fish on. (Sadly I couldn't get a picture. You'll have to trust me).

This is the cool thing about fly fishing. You could just walk up to a river and not think much is going on.  Just a bunch of rushing water. But there are little trout hidding everywhere. The river is a whole other world of life and creatures and things happening and evolving. You just have to take a moment and look and observe. And when you do that, you not only have a better chance of catching fish, but you forget all about whatever troubles and pressures you face in life, and that's worth the drive, even if you never catch a thing.

Tight lines.

Match The Hatch 1.0

There is so much to learn when it comes to fly fishing, but I think that's one of the reasons I enjoy it so much. Ya gotta be in tune with what's happening around you. Slowing things down and paying attention to nature's world is not only fascinating, but its what helps me get away from the stress and pace of the working world. Its a totally different pace on the river.  And you can't force our hectic pace on nature.  Won't work.  You have to slow down, look and listen.

Besides, if you want a better chance of catching fish, put yourself in a better position. Figure out what the trout want. What's on their dinner plate? You don't have to be a great chef - just a decent entomologist.  But if that sounds a little daunting, no worries. While it helps to know your bugs, thankfully there are plenty of resources to assist.

I go old school. I tote a pocket sized booklet with me, because I am often in remote locations where there is no cell or internet service, so you can't do a quick Google search.

I found a great little book by Jim Schollmeyer called "Hatch Guide for Western Streams". Its full color, with great pictures of the real bug - and then color pictures of the flies to match. It comes in handy.

Here's a sample:

 I found this guy (and several of his friends) clinging to blades of grass along the river.

I checked my handy-dandy pocket guide - and found a pretty good match. Seems like he might be an American Grannom - and - I can see the fly that might look good to a trout.

The book shows bugs in various stages of their life, so, if you pick up a rock from the riverbed, flip it over, and see little creatures clinging to it, you'll know what stage of life the bug is in, and what fly to select.

You'll get pretty good at it over time, and might not even need a reference guide, but just in case you get stumped, its a very useful tool to carry with you.

I'll post a few more of these in the coming weeks. We will take a closer look at the major categories of bugs. Usually, the two main are caddis and mayflies. The bug in the picture is a caddis. I also like to have a stonefly category, as well as a "terrestrial" group. I lump things like ants and beetles and grasshoppers in the "terrestrial" group.

I hope this helps.

Tight lines!

Peaceful Valley Guest Ranch

If you want a fun, family friendly, laid back and somewhat rustic get-a-way try the Peaceful Valley Guest Ranch, outside Lyons and Estes Park, Colorado.

Some of the top attractions include hiking, visiting nearby Rocky Mountain National park, horseback riding, and of course, fishing.

They have a pond on the grounds, right outside most of the rooms.

But the middle fork of the Saint Vrain Creek runs though the property and is fun to fish.

Walt gets a great angle

My crew and I were there to shoot for our new TV show - "Fly Fishing West". We fished and shot along the St. Vrain - but after the day was done, I enjoyed casting into the trout pond and catching a few, just for fun.

Th ranch serves three meals a dal, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Each meal is buffet style, and is served at a set time. But the food is good and you can load your plate as many times as you wish.

Our guide Jesse Clark took us to the creek, and was very knowledgeable about the trout, where to fish, and about the flies we needed. He also is a certified Master Casting Instructor, which proved invaluable since we needed casts that would help us navigate casting in thick brush.     

 Jesse shows me the way

We usually planned our day during breakfast, then shot until noon. We took a break for lunch, and then went back out for the afternoon. We'd return for dinner, and then a relaxing evening at the pond.  I liked that because I could fish for fun, with no pressure about if we would catch fish while the cameras were rolling, or if we had enough footage, etc.

The staff was very friendly and accommodating. They even had extra fly rods at the front desk. They have a small workout room, ping pong table, a nice gift shop and plenty of places to just relax.

Another day we did a horseback ride to the chapel on the hill above the ranch, but you can ride all the way to the Continental Divide for breath-taking views.

This is not a "high end" "fancy" resort or the "Ritz", but you will be cared for and papered in a friendly and wholesome manner.  I really enjoyed it.  My crew and I were there to work, but it can be the perfect place for a kid friendly, fun, relaxing mountain get-a-way.

You can watch a "director's cut" (rough draft) of our morning on the river with Jesse by clicking this link. Enjoy!

Fly Fishing Peaceful Valley