TR- September 6, 2009

I spent the late afternoon on the River. Water was a nice cool 62
degrees, even with the hazy sunshine and 75 degree air temps.

There were a couple fish rising at the bridge when I walked up to the
guardrail. I tried a hopper (Madame X) and got a couple splashy
refusals. Put on a Pass Lake and took two of them before the rest quit
feeding.

Waded downstream, taking a couple more fish on long downstream casts
in the clear, low water when the first White Miller caddis started to
cruise the surface. This Spring, Fly Rod and Reel had an article about
European style caddis. One that really caught my eye was the
Superpupa, a swimming caddis imitation.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QV29X8TnU3I). I tied up a few last
week. I pinched off the Pass Lake and tied one on. It turned out to be
*the* fly for most of the evening. 2/3rds of the time the fish would
take it as it floated in the film. The other 1/3 the fish would take
it when it was being retrieved. The floating takes were typical
emerger dimples. The retrieved takes were vicious attacks. I don't
know if they imitated the White Millers' pupas or they looked enough
like the emerging nymphs of the Ephorons that came off later. But
whatever it was the two Superpupas I had tied will be joined in my box
by many others.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2.../IMG_2050a.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2.../IMG_2035a.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2.../IMG_2046a.jpg


Vid of Miller swarms:
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v2...t=MVI_2052.flv

Eventually the fish stopped hitting the Millers and began to key on
the Ephoron spinners that were floating downstream. I switched to a
#14 white Comparadun and hooked a few more fish in the twilight. I
also missed some bigger fish that began to show up as the evening
deepened. I kept fishing until, inevitably, the dark drove me off the
water. Which was no great loss as the fish had stopped rising about a
half hour before. But one can always hope.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2.../IMG_2054a.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2.../IMG_2055a.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2.../IMG_2060a.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2.../IMG_2065a.jpg



I walked upstream to the Taurus, listening to the Indian drummers at
their camp up river. As I was unjointing my rod I looked to the east
and the almost full orange moon was sitting in the treetops across the
bridge.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2.../IMG_2069a.jpg

The day was as close to perfect as 3 hours of fishing can be. I choose
the right rod for a change, a 9' 4wt.* , the trout were actively
feeding on floating bugs and the air was still and warm. A person
could quit right now and end the season on a high note. But I won't. I
have a couple of big fish marked and the White Millers will soon be
joined by BWO's and Orange caddis. There are 25 days left in the
season and I mean to be standing in the River for at least a few of
them.

hth

g.c.

* I'm usually tempted to use a shorter rod when conditions are calm.
But the crystal clear water made long casts the most effective and the
9 footer had the ability to make the 50' casts that took fish. The
short rods can wait for another day.