Getting Dirty

[Copper Dropper]

While adding to a thread about fishing the Poconos this coming week, a thought occured to me. Seeing how we're having all this rain here in the N.E., the streams are going to be pretty ugly for a while.

But to be honest, it doesn't really bother me. Does anyone else out there actually enjoy fishing water that is high and dirty?

Here are the pros in my opinion:

1. Long periods of heavy rain moves the fish around, disorients them and makes it harder for them to find food...so they're hungry and vulnerable.

2. The bulk of the fly fishermen stay away because of the conditions, leaving you with plenty of room.

3. Bright, bulky streamers are the way to go, so matching distinct patterns is not really necessary. It's all stripping and waiting for that "thump."

4. Any place with a current break or calm water, like on flooded banks especially, will potentially be holding fish.

5. You don't have to worry about wading too much and spooking wary fish.

I actually enjoy the challenge very much. In fact, I've caught some pretty memorable trout under such conditions. Once I hit for a 22inch brown in water like chocolate milk. All I saw was a gold flash near the surface and the rod bowed hard! Anyone else with me, or do you stay home and tie flies until the water recedes and clears? Thoughts? Stories?



[This message has been edited by Copper Dropper (edited 13 October 2005).]

[Jax]

I'm with you Copper Dropper;

Too many fly fishers steer well clear of Upside-Down Rivers and streams But hot- chocolate coloured water holds good hungry fish just like you have said.

When I've travelled a long way to fish I get out the Wet Gear and fish the margins and slack eddies with big dark streamer type flies. I have a ball, and like you say NO Opposition. Great!! Jax

------------------
I'm a much better Fly fisher when talking fishing, than when I'm Actually Fly fishing!

[Copper Dropper]

See...I'm not alone in my madness...thanks Jax

[Gnu Bee Flyer]

I love to fish in the rain , it chases the sissys home . Any rain is good rain when you live in semi-desert country . If the lakes around here fill up with runoff , which isn't very often or even every year , we don't have to worry about low water levels and dieoffs due to low water . Knowing these facts keeps me in good spirits when it starts to rain . A temporary day with muddy high water is a small price to pay for better fishing down the road . I have had some very good days fishing creeks in high murkey water . Some lakes fish very well in the rain .

[mantis]

Right on copper but I prefer the reasonably clear high water of the West Branch of the Ausable to the mocca colored high water of the West Branch of the Delaware and it's like. Ausable goes up fast but come down fast too because of all the granite and lack of dirty run off.
I use a streamer every time...beats packing up and going home.

[Eight Thumbs]

I cleaned up on my favorite river just as the water level was starting to get back to normal after Ivan. Banks had caved in, trees were stacked like jackstraws, sandbars were gone but the fish were still there and hungry. A big, black Wooly Bugger did the trick. 8T

------------------
You had better learn to be a happy camper. You only get one try at this campground and it's a real short camping season.

[dudley]

I went to two streams last Saturday in the begining of all this.
The first one had risen to a fishable level after being barebones for the summer and untill a couple of days before. I got soaked but I caught a couple of trout in my favorite stream.
The second stream was up over it's banks, the water was full of leaves from top to bottom It was pretty much unfishable and way to high for my hip boots.
I don't mind the rain or the challange of high water, but I'm glad I fished the first one first otherwise I would have given up.

Oh, and I didn't see a single other person all day even though it was Columbus Day Weekend.

[This message has been edited by dudley (edited 14 October 2005).]

[dudley]

A little up-date on my post above.
Yesterday, one week after my wet weather fishing trip, was the eighth strait day of rain in this area. We recieved about six more inches between Friday night and Saturday afternoon.
Just around the bend from where I fished last Saturday campers needed to be rescued from the rooves of their RVs. Trailers are piled up, crashed into the office.
Three miles down stream, a woman drown when she slipped into the flow while taking pictures.
On the second stream, a man driving across a bridge was washed down stream and drown also.
This was about five miles upstream from where I attemped to fish last Saturday.
I don't think I'll fish the dirty water today.

[This message has been edited by dudley (edited 16 October 2005).]