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Fish hopping for hoppers
As a general rule of thumb, the insects that make up the trout diet tend to get smaller as the summer progresses. The most notable exception is the grasshopper.
These bugs are relatively long-lived, and they grow larger during the season. In the last week of July the hoppers made their appearance in the Sierra, and they have the trout looking up for chow. The most common color at this time is tan. The critters are young (1-inch long) and size No. 12 or 14 flies will be a close match.
The most notable hopper bite from an anglers perspective has been on the Walker River drainage on the east side of the Sierra. Jim Weil from Kens Sporting Goods in Bridgeport reports that on the West Walker river along Highway 395, hopper fly patterns are the No. 1 fish catcher.
The West Walker is just now getting down to fishable flows, and a big fly will get the trout to swim up through fast water to take an insect on the surface.
Fishery News
ROSSLYNLEE TROUT FISHERY, near Penicuik (01968 679606): Bannockburn Angling Club's 13 anglers took 27 fish with a total weight of 100lb 6oz, giving an average weight per fish of 3lb 11oz. The heaviest bag of the day went to B. Dawson who had four fish for 16lb 13oz including one at 6lb 2oz. Runner up was J. McKee with four for 15lb 15oz with his heaviest at 5lb 2oz. S. Allen had one fish at 5lb 12oz. The water is now cooler and the fish well spread out, now taking dry flies again such as Daddies, CDC's and Hoppers, although Buzzers and lures are also taking a great number of fish. BUTTERSTONE LOCH (01350 724238): Conditions have changed dramatically with water temperatures plummeting from the 20s down to 16oC. Water clarity is nominal at around 1-1.5m depending on the day and the wind conditions stirring up the bottom.
Killing Fish to Make Room for Others
(KCPW News) Apparently Utah's state fish doesn't do well with competition. State wildlife officials have wiped out the existing population of Brown Trout and Mottle Sculpin in a portion of the Diamond Fork River to make room for 10,000 Bonneville Cutthroat Trout. DWR Conservation Manager Scott Root says the state used a naturally occurring toxin to kill the fish. "We used backpack sprayers to apply the rotenone and we had 20 different trip stations with the chemical. As far as we can tell it was a complete success." Root says the poisoned fish will decompose and fortify the food base for the new Bonneville Cutthroat in the river. The toxin has not been shown to hurt other organisms in the river system. Wildlife officials installed a barrier to keep Brown Trout from moving back upstream into the portion reserved for Bonneville Cutthroat.
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