Brown Drake Tip

A thread or two below Hex hatches are mentioned with a note on micro-habitat

Although it's a 'doh' message, it still surprises some anglers that each
type of bug needs a certain type of habitat.

The most recent example that comes to mind was Brown Drakes ( like the Hex a
burrower ). The "word was out" and when I arrived for the last light
happening there were many anglers sitting and waiting on the bank.
Instead of that I got in, crossed over, ( I'd never met the hatch in this
exact area before ) and waded around until I found the right degree of silty
bottom and then staked my "claim." Sound travels well over water at times
and I heard a couple guys commenting that I was wasting my time so early,
but when the hatch started and I was dead center in the most bugs, I think a
few guys were ****ed and most simply didn't understand why their gravel/rock
bottom area wasn't getting much action.

My point? You don't need to speak Latin, but understanding the bugs
really does help catch fish ( and is great fun, in it's own right )


That 40 yards I mentioned about Hexes was a short, eroded, muddy bank in a
mile of bedrock bottom ... same deal .. habitat

"Larry L" wrote in message
...

The most recent example that comes to mind was Brown Drakes ( like the Hex
a burrower ). The "word was out" and when I arrived for the last light
happening there were many anglers sitting and waiting on the bank. Instead
of that I got in, crossed over, ( I'd never met the hatch in this exact
area before ) and waded around until I found the right degree of silty
bottom and then staked my "claim." Sound travels well over water at
times and I heard a couple guys commenting that I was wasting my time so
early, but when the hatch started and I was dead center in the most bugs,
I think a few guys were ****ed and most simply didn't understand why their
gravel/rock bottom area wasn't getting much action.

Silver Creek by any chance?

JT

"JT" wrote


Silver Creek by any chance?



No, I've never fished them there. Too damn many choices in June G

On Jan 17, 11:34 am, "Larry L" wrote:
A thread or two below Hex hatches are mentioned with a note on micro-habitat


Got me thinking about Brown Drakes on Silver Creek.
I did that once.
The main (public) meadow was so overcrowded (during the day)
it was hard to bear. Parking was difficult.

Just before dark the armies swarmed out from their Winnebegos
and staked out standing-room only spots along the creek.
Certain mud-bank spots seemed to be more popular than others.

I considered bagging it.....reminded me of openning day in New Jersey.
Then, just before dark, the spinners showed up. They formed a long
snaking cloud, all oriented parallel to the center of the stream, as
if
lined up by a polarized light beacon. The all flew head first
upstream.
Billions of them. The birds went nuts. It was like Hitchcock's The
Birds
Is Coming. Enough spinners fell out of the air it became like a
hatch.
Fish were rising everywhere. I forgot all about the over crowding.
You didn't need to move. Within casting distance were dozens of
rising fish.

A #12 Parachute Adams worked better (during the spinners) than
the giant extended body flies they sold at the fly shops.

Then the spinner event started to taper off. And then it was dark,
and almost as suddenly the duns started coming off. You couldn't
see. But huge slurping noises came from everywhere. Head lamps
lit up on heads like giant fireflies. But those lamps were only good
for changing flies. You couldn't see to dry fly fish.

So you had to cast across and down, and set the hook when the line
tugged. After a catching a zillion fish, my blood lust was all leaked
out.
I went back to the rented condo in Ketchum, 40 some miles away,
and contemplated the day's events over a glass of good whiskey.

"while-one" wrote in message
...

Got me thinking about Brown Drakes on Silver Creek.
I did that once.
The main (public) meadow was so overcrowded (during the day)
it was hard to bear. Parking was difficult.

Just before dark the armies swarmed out from their Winnebegos
and staked out standing-room only spots along the creek.
Certain mud-bank spots seemed to be more popular than others.

I considered bagging it.....reminded me of openning day in New Jersey.
Then, just before dark, the spinners showed up. They formed a long
snaking cloud, all oriented parallel to the center of the stream, as
if
lined up by a polarized light beacon. The all flew head first
upstream.
Billions of them. The birds went nuts. It was like Hitchcock's The
Birds
Is Coming. Enough spinners fell out of the air it became like a
hatch.
Fish were rising everywhere. I forgot all about the over crowding.
You didn't need to move. Within casting distance were dozens of
rising fish.

A #12 Parachute Adams worked better (during the spinners) than
the giant extended body flies they sold at the fly shops.

Then the spinner event started to taper off. And then it was dark,
and almost as suddenly the duns started coming off. You couldn't
see. But huge slurping noises came from everywhere. Head lamps
lit up on heads like giant fireflies. But those lamps were only good
for changing flies. You couldn't see to dry fly fish.

So you had to cast across and down, and set the hook when the line
tugged. After a catching a zillion fish, my blood lust was all leaked
out.
I went back to the rented condo in Ketchum, 40 some miles away,
and contemplated the day's events over a glass of good whiskey.


Great report!
-tom

Larry L wrote:
A thread or two below Hex hatches are mentioned with a note on micro-habitat

Although it's a 'doh' message, it still surprises some anglers that each
type of bug needs a certain type of habitat.

The most recent example that comes to mind was Brown Drakes ( like the Hex a
burrower ). The "word was out" and when I arrived for the last light
happening there were many anglers sitting and waiting on the bank.
Instead of that I got in, crossed over, ( I'd never met the hatch in this
exact area before ) and waded around until I found the right degree of silty
bottom and then staked my "claim." Sound travels well over water at times
and I heard a couple guys commenting that I was wasting my time so early,
but when the hatch started and I was dead center in the most bugs, I think a
few guys were ****ed and most simply didn't understand why their gravel/rock
bottom area wasn't getting much action.

I'll wager this was either at Silver Creek or Henry's Fork below Osborne
Bridge.

Those anglers sitting on the bank were waiting for the "hatch." A good
brown drake hatch on Silver Creek is something. There are so many big
spinners in the water, floating in the eddy pools, that the fish are
stuffed and they won't take. The action in the beginning of the hatch is
furious.

The really serious anglers stay on the water all night, picking off fish
that want their midnight snack after they've pooped away their first
brown drake pig-out.

Before the "hatch" starts, stripping a brown drake nymph to the surface
is the ticket. They're powerful swimmers.

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.

"rw" wrote


Before the "hatch" starts, stripping a brown drake nymph to the surface is
the ticket. They're powerful swimmers.



I'm certain this could be true, but I've never found a nymph pattern that
worked well for me ... suggestions ... pictures ... want my address to send
me a dozen G ?

"while-one" wrote

So you had to cast across and down, and set the hook when the line
tugged. After a catching a zillion fish, my blood lust was all leaked
out.
I went back to the rented condo in Ketchum, 40 some miles away,
and contemplated the day's events over a glass of good whiskey.


Great story ...thanks


I've often said when asked to pick a favorite hatch/ water, " The second or
third night of the Brown Drakes somewhere below Millionaires Pool on the
HFork. The first day, the big fish don't often key in on the Drakes, the
second night is usually pretty damn good, the third one is the stuff of
dreams. By the forth day the word is out and it's so fricken crowded it's
hard to cast without catching another angler."


I remember a Bow of about ( honest) 25 inches taking me 150 yards downstream
as I wallowed as fast as I could to keep up, in pitch dark. It was all by
feel. I remember saying outloud as he got that close, "This net isn't
big enough!"

I have chills running down my spine NOW as I remember and type !! and I
shook for a long time after I released him. It says something for our
wonderful 'hobby' that it can bring a worn out, cynical, and grumpy old man
to the point of shaking from pure joy and excitement.

"while-one" wrote in message
...
Got me thinking about Brown Drakes on Silver Creek.
I did that once.
The main (public) meadow was so overcrowded (during the day)
it was hard to bear. Parking was difficult.

Just before dark the armies swarmed out from their Winnebegos
and staked out standing-room only spots along the creek.
Certain mud-bank spots seemed to be more popular than others.

I considered bagging it.....reminded me of openning day in New Jersey.
Then, just before dark, the spinners showed up. They formed a long
snaking cloud, all oriented parallel to the center of the stream, as
if
lined up by a polarized light beacon. The all flew head first
upstream.
Billions of them. The birds went nuts. It was like Hitchcock's The
Birds
Is Coming. Enough spinners fell out of the air it became like a
hatch.
Fish were rising everywhere. I forgot all about the over crowding.
You didn't need to move. Within casting distance were dozens of
rising fish.

A #12 Parachute Adams worked better (during the spinners) than
the giant extended body flies they sold at the fly shops.

Then the spinner event started to taper off. And then it was dark,
and almost as suddenly the duns started coming off. You couldn't
see. But huge slurping noises came from everywhere. Head lamps
lit up on heads like giant fireflies. But those lamps were only good
for changing flies. You couldn't see to dry fly fish.

So you had to cast across and down, and set the hook when the line
tugged. After a catching a zillion fish, my blood lust was all leaked
out.
I went back to the rented condo in Ketchum, 40 some miles away,
and contemplated the day's events over a glass of good whiskey.


Sounds very familiar. I've fished Silver Creek on a few occasions and heard
of the famous Brown Drake hatch. We hit it purely by accident, we had no
idea it came off at the dark of night.

Thankfully I had put a head lamp in my waist pack or none of us would have
probably caught a thing. I had two buddies standing within a few feet of me
so we could all use the light. We all caught several fish.

It was a riot.

If I remember correctly, we also drank a little whiskey that night...

JT

"Larry L" wrote

pattern that
worked well for me ... suggestions ... pictures ...



I missed the Brown Drakes last year as I was in Canada at the time.
Looking around my own website, wondering if it was worth keeping on the 'Net
I found this which I put there a couple years ago. I had really good
fishing with this pattern one Drake season ( only a few nights each year
:-{ ) but I had forgotten about it. IMHO, a few nights is not proof but
it is a start. I especially like the fact that fish ate this regardless of
how it was presented ( within reason, of course ) a very nice thing in the
dark or near dark.

http://tinyurl.com/285err