Thinking Tandem

More and more I find myself using tandem rigs on Blue River.  Most of the time I use a bugger or other streamer pattern as the lead fly with a variety of trailing or tag-along friends.  But, a beadhead Hare's Ear, Pheasant Tail, or good sized soft hackle can also be used as the lead fly.  Here are some of the tag teams I've used that have worked quite well in the past.

Olive bugger with soft hackle - partridge and orange is my favorite.

Olive bugger with Hare's Ear Nymph

The Zug Bug is not used a lot on Blue River but I've found it to be a good pattern trailed behind the bugger.

The Mademoiselle is not a well known pattern, but again I've had a lot of fun with it.

Sow Bugs behind a bugger also work surprisingly well.

For the longest time I had little success with the San Juan Worm, but lately it is producing better and better.

A Mayfly Emerger pattern given to me by Michael Mercurio - good pattern.

Maybe the most overlooked producer on Blue - the Crackleback.

In murky water on sunlit days use Ralph James' Silverback trailed behind a Black Damsel Marabou.

In murky water on overcast days trail a Copper John behind a Black Damsel Marabou.

In murky just plain brown water use brown patterns such as this leech.  The Zebra always makes a good trailer.

Last Chance Drifter

Going to Tishomingo on business today, I knew that this might be my last chance to fish the river Blue for some time. With the Arctic express at our threshold, fishing time is currently of the essence.

I've grown use to my new model of fishing, with that being, in itself, rushed and hurried brief trips. But a brief time on the river is better than no time at all.

At Tishomingo I grabbed a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos and that would serve as my lunch. In a hurried fashion I drove to the river and when I arrived the temperature was twenty-nine degrees. The wind gods were rather quiet today but still breathing just enough, when combined with the temperature, to make an angler uncomfortable. Knowing that I would try and fish in a draw... Seventeen or Glory Hole come to mind.

No man is an island and no man is a river, but as far as I could tell, I was the only soul fishing the mile of downstream water from the crossing when I drove in.

At Seventeen I tied the Olive yellow split tail on again with Zug Bug as the trailer. After six or seven casts and drifts I was sure that Seventeen was unhappy because I hadn't noticed a single wink from this pretty girl.



It didn't take long for the ice to form in the guides but that was okay too because feeling rather lazy today I planned on simply drifting the flies. I decided to fish about two feet further in the mid-pool, and it was there... tickling the belly-button of sweetest Seventeen, she would flinch and show the bows. The bugger drew first victory and would take two more bows in short fashion. The zugger hadn't even had so much of a look but shortly there would be a cast where the bugger would again strike in battle and the zugger would also strike.

It's been quite some time since I captured two bows in one cast. It was fun.




Evidently I didn't mash the barb down good on the Zug because the hook was deeply embedded in the jaw of the bow so I cut the fly off the tippet and let the fish go.

Next, the San Juan Worm was chose and with gloves on I attempted to tie it on but that was futile. Finally the gloves were ripped off and the knot finished. A cast more upstream was made and as the flies passed in front of me the San Juan found a bow.

Two more bows would be battled before I hung a rock and couldn't roll the flies loose so they were lost in the field of battle.

With the gloves off, hands hurting, standing in the river with barren leader... the day was called.

It was a good outing despite the briefness.



On the way back to the work place I drove my Blue's little sister Pennington and she is looking quite well these days.

At 2 p.m. I was back at work shucking onions, trimming corn, but thinking about the river.

Other days will come.

Short....but oh so sweet.

I knew my time would be short but I didn't care...I wanted to simply fish. Also I wanted to see for myself just how dingy or off-colored the river is, not to mention finding out if Blue is fishing or not.

Arriving sometime after the noon hour I parked in the main parking area since time was of the essence. Besides that, after reading about Harley's fate on Sunday when he took the big dive into the open icy arms of this lady, and having to walk back in twenty-five degree ambient temperature weather...I was rather cautious today. I, like so many of us have found our way in that "been there - done that club", and I have to tell you...a little bit of that crap goes a long way. It also has the tendency of sticking with you and making you righteous... at least for awhile.

I knew I would fish the upstream side of the crossing and when I got there a fly angler was in the middle of the crossing casting upstream. He looked familiar to me...a man named Ken but I can't be for certain. Shortly, he went to the opposite side of the river and sit on a rock to fly-fish.

Today I decided to fish the olive bugger with olive/yellow split tail with a friend trailing. As that friend I chose my little friend Zug Bug as the first tandem rigging.

I was there thirty-five minutes...I brought sixteen bows to hand...and missed at least a dozen more.



Although the Zugger didn't do quite as well as the bugger he held his own and battled several bows. After bow fourteen I lost Zug and tied on a Mademoiselle. With the first cast with the Mademoiselle as a trailer there was a strike, my reaction, and the loss of the Mademoiselle - bad tie I guess.

I searched for another Zug and indeed I did find one more and tied him on. Two additional casts and two more bows. I was done.



It was thirty-five degrees today while I was fishing but there wasn't a whisper of wind. With the exception of my hands I never felt cold or uncomfortable at all. Have to get something done about my hands...they are in bad shape.



So the story is right now that yes the river is slightly off-colored but trying to clear quickly. Do the trout care if the river is slightly off-colored? I don't think so.

The fly-angler across from me was also battling bows at a fair clip and he was still there when I left. If, staying through the afternoon was in his plans...I'm sure he had a grand day of catching.

I left the river to go back to work. Yeah...had to go back to the darn workplace after a thirty-five minute enjoyable and refreshing reprieve.

Right now I hate my job.