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Hopper time
I put on my waders, my felt-soled boots and a fleece vest because it felt a little bit cool when I got to the Oldman River. The sky was cloudy, threatening rain. A chilly breeze was sweeping down the valley from the west. But within 20 minutes I was sweating like I was in the tropics, the breeze had stopped and the sun had popped out from behind the clouds. I should have known. Summer might be winding down, but it ain't done yet. I'd come down to the Oldman River below the Three Rivers Dam to try a bit of late-afternoon grasshopper fishing. No, not fishing for grasshoppers. I mean using big flies imitating grasshoppers to fool some trout into playing with me for a bit. It's the time of year for grasshoppers along the river banks to start leaping and flying around looking for mates.
Fly Fishing Federation a great teaching group
Last week, Yours Truly was privileged to sit in on the fly tying workshop presented by members of the San Juan Fly Fishing Federation. Not only are Ray Hood, Willis Knight, and Jon Haxton great fly tiers, they are truly good people. In fact, I have been duly impressed with the Fly Fishing Federation as a whole. The entire group is friendly, plus they offer free fly fishing clinics, casting seminars, and tying demonstrations. And, they schedule monthly group fishing trips, volunteer to work with children and charitable projects while regularly having highway cleanup projects near the Quality Waters section on the San Juan River. The club is truly service-minded and the members' love for fly fishing shines brightly through every thing they do. It was not until recently, last winter in fact, that I joined the Federation.
Cool nights bring trout back to the forefront
Hearing there is 60-degree water in the streams is more than enough information for a bonafide trout nut to stumble through the closet or garage to look for fly and spin tackle abandoned after the spring stock. Rivers are low, clear and finally cool thanks to night time temperatures that have provided a bit of chill to the drink. Bass fishing has taken a backseat for many, as fishing has just experienced a revival for juicy holdover trout. The morning bite has been steady with nymphs and midges and again at dusk as big Isonychia, hexagenia and yellow drakes rise from the water and into the sky. Surface action at this time can be stellar, as these are some of the biggest flies of the year. A big Adams or Olive in a size 10 will mimic the general outline and produce.
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