I had the chance to fish for a little while after work this evening and figured it would be a good time to give an update on the status of the Little E. The water temps have been high due to the high air temps we have been having so we have given the trout a break to seek refuge from the hot summer sun. However, the past few nights, air temps dropped down to the 50s, which helped get the water temps back to a fishable level.
I didn't take any photos this evening because I forgot my net at home, which would make it impossible to safely take any photos of the fish as I would have to hold them out of the water while I got my camera ready, instead of keeping them underwater in my net like I usually do. I have been using my new Sage Accel 9 foot 4 wt a decent amount as it makes for an excellent dry fly rod and a decent close quarter nymphing rod. The feel on this rod is excellent, however it lacks the backbone to hold big fish as I lost one tonight that my Orvis Recon 4wt would've handled. It is not a bad rod by any means, just different to the faster action rods I am used to. Anyways, back to the fishing report.
I hit the northern stretches of the C&R because I haven't been there in a while and the hike in is a decent workout. After hiking the field and woods, I arrived at the first run I usually fish. It is a fast riffle section that leads to a huge pool in a deep bend of the river. I fished it thoroughly with no luck.
I moved downstream to an area where a certain ditch feeds in that usually runs several degrees cooler than the main branch of the Little E. In the heat of the summer a few degrees can make all the difference. And it did. I took one rainbow and a good brown on my first 5 drifts and missed a few more fish along the way. I moved downstream to a run known as the cable run, and fished it thoroughly taking several chubs along the way. I was finally rewarded with a decent 11 inch brown that took my anchor fly. I moved downstream and pounded run after run with no luck, not even a single chub. This time of year big browns will move into suitable water and kick other fish out, so if you are fishing an area that you know should hold fish, more than likely there is a big brown in there and you might have to come back and get him when the water gets off color or mouse him at night. I came to an area below where another ditch feeds in that I know holds fish in all times of the year. This area has great current, undercut bank, and perfect overhead over. I have taken several very nice trout out of this run during high water this year and Beachy lost a really nice fish in this run. I Czech nymphed it and took a rainbow and pretty nice brown around 15 inches, but caught nothing in the deepest part of the run making me believe there is a big boy in there. The next run downstream that would hold fish in the low water conditions was a good 10 minute walk from my current location, and it was getting late so I decided to fish my way back up. I took a few more browns as I re-fished areas that I had fished on my way down. I got back to the cable run and put on a single split shot to get my flies deep in the zone of the front of the run. It made all the difference in the world. I caught 2 browns and lost one really nice fish that wrapped me around a snag and broke me off. My Sage 4 wt just didn't have the backbone to keep him out of the snags (or at least that's what I tell myself to sleep at night.) I moved upstream to back to the big pool just before sunset. On my second drift thru something huge nailed my point fly but my hook-set was weak and he spit it.
All in all it was a great night of fishing. I often forget how lucky we are to have a troutstream that fishes this well virtually in our backyard, and for that, I am thankful.
Fly selection and Critical Info:
-Water temp: 65 degrees Fahrenheit (cooler in some places)
-Clarity: Gin clear
-Nymphs: Surveyor, Bishop, Olive Chicken Bone, Beachy's Generic Olive Nymph, Depth Charger
-Streamers: Olive, Black, or Green Buggers in sizes 8-12 (Go small in low water)
If you get out early in the morning or start seeing risers, prospect with a dry fly (Adams, PMX, Foam Beetle, Elk Hair Caddis) When the water gets low, these are the go to bugs and are a blast to fish,
This has been my second post of my fishing report De Lus (The Loop.) Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @amishtroutoutfitters for fishing pics and more.
Tightlines,
-NC