Bream (Lepromus macrochirus)

Pond permit, miniature trevally, bluegill. Call'em what you want. Everyone who's anyone knows the angle on these little giants, including a few of us here at Flytimes.

4 Rods w/Reels, 1 Camera w/waterproof case and 1 Landing Net....

4 Rods w/Reels, 1 Camera w/waterproof case and 1 Landing Net:
~2.3 Sport Units ($2,300)
Recovering your boat, intact and with oars:
2 Sport Units
You and your pal crawling out of the river, living and breathing:
Priceless.

Not much to say really. Me and Chet spent three days on the Clark Fork River last week. The fishing was slow for the first two days, a smattering of Gray Drakes and March Browns, one or two skwalas. Very few fish to the surface. Flows @ St. Regis ~ 8,500 cfs.
On Day three we decided to float from Tarkio down to Forest Grove, having floated from Forest Grove to Big Eddy the first two days. Found a couple of fish in the canyon throwing a big streamer.
Then we hit the rapids. I should mention that these rapids were avoidable but we zigged when we should have zagged and the current sucked the boat into some very large standing waves. My 11ft drifter didn't have a chance, those waves might have been four feet tall and they were shaped like pyramids. Like they say, it happened fast.
Thankfully the tumble cycle was short. I surfaced, figured out which way was up and located Chet.
"YOU ALRIGHT!"
"YUH!"
We made for the nearest shore but quickly realized that we would never cross the current to get to it so we headed downstream, towards the next bend.
The current was fast and the water was still very choppy. I consider myself a strong swimmer but the water was cold and I didn't know how long I would be able to kick for. Thankfully there weren't any wierd hydraulics. Lifejackets you ask? In the boat last I saw them, bungied under the seats.
I was never so scared in my life. I kept swimming, closer and closer to the far bank. I hauled myselft out and saw that Chet had done the same. We were at least 500ft downstream of the rapid that flipped us.
Chet somehow managed to grab the boat's anchor line during his swim. He and the boat made the bank about 100 ft below me. The boat was upside down and pinned against a large rock.
Somehow we recovered the boat. All three oars, and the life jackets were still in it We donned our PFD's and dumped the water out of the boat. We had lost one of the oar locks. so we had to row canoe style. There were a couple of rapids that we had to line the boat around.
We left a lot of gear somewhere in that river and nearly drowned. But it was a good day and we both knew it. We caught some lucky breaks and were thankful for them. Yeah, things got bad in a hurry but it could have been a lot worse.
We both learned a lot that day. Most of it we should have already known and the rest of it, well some things you only get one chance to learn.

The Drake

The Drake Fly Fishing Magazine

The '07 edition of The Drake is at your local newstand NOW. This year's issue is the biggest volume yet. The usual Drake fare here; pics, stories, humor, more pics, page six chicks, Trask The Dog, poaching, piratry, and permit. All good stuff. There's even a piece on Bull Trout written by local boys Bob Elam and Curt Kraemer.
Check it.

The Empty Spaces

mjl photo

Idaho man MJL went fishing somewhere in the Great Basin and snapped some nice pics. This one reminds me of an old timey bomber sortee.
Check out the rest of the pics and the report at Westfly.

Good stuff.

Double Bunny

Articulated Double Bunny

Here fishy fishy fishy.

Yesterday on Pass Lake

Arrived at Pass Lake around 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon. As I prepared to launch my boat I saw tens of dozens of empty midge schucks floating at the water's edge. Then I noticed that there wasn't a drain plug in my boat. Brilliant.
Fortunately I have lots of experience with situations like this. I've even made up a check list.

#1. Don't panick, remain calm.
- Okay I'm calm, ignorance is bliss.

#2. What did I do last time this happened?
- Never done this one before, first time for everything.

#3. Is there a spare?
- Yes but it's at home, sitting on the workbench next to the one it's supposed to be a backup for.

#4. Look around, did anyone see you do this? Is Wife present?
- No one saw - self esteem intact. Wife's not here, no second guessing - confidence intact.

#5. Search rig, find duct tape. If no duct tape call 911 and/or light signal fire.
- Check, duct tape located.

#6. Formulate plan*.
- Check, plan in head...now.

#7 Gather tools and materials, implement plan.
- One roll of duct tape, one tube of chap-stick. Implementing plan.

*formulat plan" is survival checklist speak for "make something up" and stick with it until you...
a) fix problem.
b) help arrives.
c) something worse happens.

Twenty minutes later I row across the lake, chap-stick/duct tape drain hole plug firmly in place. Crisis averted.
The fishing was much less eventful. Leeches and streamers were ignored. Too early for the usual hatches of caddis, mayflies and damsels. No boatmen were observed. I was forced to fish chironomids.
It's called bobber fishing around here. The idea is to tie on one or two chironomid pupae and suspend them near the lake bottom using a strike indicator. When the indicator goes down you set the hook. It's just like fishing for bluegills with a bobber and worms.
It can be effective as live bait too. When stillwater trout are locked onto hatching chironomids this kind of fishing can provide non-stop action for hours. Other times you get vertigo from staring at the indicator for so long.
So I fished chironomids for the last couple hours of the day. I picked up one big 17 inch rainbow and a couple of fiesty 12 inchers. I hooked lots of other fish but they were recently planted stockers that shook off the hook before I could land them. Slow day.
At the boat launch at the end of the day the talk was that the hatch ended at about the 3 o'clock. Apparently everyone was doing real well until then.

Damsel Nymph

Marabou Damsel Nymph

Hook: TMC 2312, #12
Tail & Body: blood quill marabou
Eyes: plastic or x-small bead chain

Good for trout, bass, sunfish, carp and who knows what else.

Lakes: They're all we have left!

Stillwater Chironomid Pupa

Looks like the rivers around here are never comin down. That leaves lakes. Fourtunately there are some great early season stillwaters here in Washington and Washington Lakes has the dope on all of 'em. Tie up some chironomids, grab those indicators, pump up the tube and get out there!
Let us know how you do.