The Bubble Boy Soft Hackle

Sometimes when I get to drinking beer... I come up with some strange ideas.  Last night between tilts of pilsner, I decided to create another beadhead soft hackle, but this time only smaller - in size 16 to be exact.  Not only did I use a metal beadhead, a glass bead was also employed. 

Now exactly what I expected of the glass bead I don't know.  Like I said, I was drinking beer.  But, perhaps my thinking was it would simulate a trapped air bubble or maybe just add a little flash to the fly.  Of course this is a weighted fly, as it's intended to be, and this will allow us to get it a little down in the column., Of course, we can control just how far or deep we want it with a strike indicator which is the beauty of this fly.  It is meant to imitate an emerging insect and thus the air bubble makes a little sense.

Plan on taking it to Blue on the next outing and put it to the test.  If it's a success I'll quickly share the information with everyone.  If it's a great failure then it's back to the tying desk and pilsner.

Rear view of the bubble boy soft hackle

Glass bead is directly behind beadhead.  Click on image for a better view.

The beginning stage of the bubble boy partridge and orange soft hackle.

Two Hours To Spare

Actually there were four hours to spare, but counting driving time and the time I needed to visit with Scotty there would be only two hours of actual fishing time.

When I got to the south wilderness I was surprised at the crowd that had already arrived.  Counting the vehicles, I counted nine other anglers, or party of anglers.

I was behind when I got there!

 

Getting to fish during the week is a rarity for me - usually I am resigned to a part of the day on Saturday or Sunday.  So, I didn't waste anytime getting to the water.  Oh my gosh.... how pleasantly surprised I was at the level of the river.  With the Tuesday evening rain, she is up to about what many of us call normal.  Furthermore, you could see the change in the flow and that was even more exciting.  At least now, a fly fisher can get a decent drift.  I'm still convinced that the flow does make a difference in fly-fishing for trout. 

Sent sailing was the duo of a bugger and emerald greenback brown hackle Crackleback.  The Crackleback would take the first five fish leaving the bugger feeling somewhat jaded.  Finally the bugger would take a bow of his on, but then the Crackleback would take two more.  The Crackleback was taken out of action and the bugger would find one more bow.


The Crackleback - junk fly or just buggy looking?

 

After the second bow taken by the bugger, a fly that would prove to be the "fly of the day", (or two hours), was tied on.  A size 12 soft hackle brown was employed and from there on it was nothing but non-stop action.  The soft hackle would either capture or loose the battle with every cast.  At first I thought a remarkable pocket of water had been found, so I move to another spot I had watched an angler fish for the better part of an hour without catching a fish.  The soft hackle took bows there also.

  

The bugger struggled, but caught a couple.

 

A third spot was chosen to test the soft hackle and he also took bows there.  The two hours seem to pass quickly and some of the bows caught today were pleasantly nice.  Fat with vibrant colors.


The soft hackle ruled today.

 

If the river would stay at the level she was today, I think the fishing would be fair to good most of the time.  The weather was great as far as temperature, but the wind was brutal today and I'm thankful I took a big stick today in order to cut through the wind.


Nicest bow of the day at a pound and half.

 

With my two hours expended, I leave the river having met twenty-five bows.  Today, I left a river that looks somewhat normal and healthy.  I give thanks. 

The Bugger Bombed

Image via Wikipedia

Today on the river Blue, the venerable Woolly Bugger bombed.  At least for me.  I was fishing those tandem rigs I use with the bugger being the lead or deeper column fly.  The first trailer I used was a hot bodied soft hackle and this puppy took several bows.  The bugger took none.

Then came the Partridge and Orange and this pattern also took a couple of bows, but the bugger bombed.  Then the Crackleback came and same results - trout on the Crackleback... bugger feeling like an outcast.  The Hare's Ear steps up to the plate and the bows liked it... poor bugger. 

I sent the bugger to the dug-out and told him to get his crap together.  Put the beadhead Hare's Ear on the mound and this pattern was fairly popular.  Next, a size 18 Flashback Pheasant Tail and this proved to be the hottest pattern of the morning fishing a fairly slow hole. 

Not to be outdone by the trout however, I call the bugger back and send him downstream from the crossing and finally he finds a couple of bows.  But... for the most part the bugger bombed today.

These fish are really stacked up.  If you can get a pool where they are you'll have a banner day.  I watched a couple of fly-fishers fish the same pool that Donny Carter did on Wednesday and Larry Horton fished yesterday.  I bet they caught 50 trout in a row.  It was ridiculous... but fun I bet.

Those Wonderful Soft Hackles

I truly believe that a fly angler can take a soft hackle pattern such as the Partridge and Orange, and catch as many or more fish than using any other pattern in the arsenal. Now... I can already hear the grumbling from those that are steadfast and true to the Woolly Bugger, and I can't deny the bugger is a great fly. However, maybe it's a great fly because we've become so darn dependent on using it, and that includes yours truly. I mean... if I have the Woolly Bugger tied on sixty-five percent of the time I fish, then sure... I'm going to catch more fish with that pattern.

I like soft hackles because I like fishing wet patterns. There's just something kind of special about the whole experience. Partridge and Orange, Partridge and Yellow, and the Hare's Ear Partridge... all wonderful flies. Cast one of these in the film and stay focused on your line/leader connection or the end of your leader/tippet and get ready for a quick strike. If you wait too long in responding then fish will be gone. It's a challenge for sure.

Into The Wild

Last night Miss Carol and I made plans on where we would fish today. We knew that Jeff from Tom Beane would be at Honey Hole in the north wilderness area so we made plans to join Jeff. Jeff helped Miss Carol out last year by giving her a couple of his articulated buggers he ties and showed her how to fish them. But this morning Carol remembered she had an errand to do that wouldn't wait and we got a really late start to the river leaving our prairie home about 9:15.

We decided to go a shorter route but we still wanted to go into the wild and escape the masses that were in the campground area yesterday.

The fog was heavy breathed early this morning but on the trail down the sun was trying hard to burn away the thickness. Since the eagle had been spotted yesterday we packed the binoculars and had the camera ready to go this time. But as it would turn out we didn't see any eagles but did enjoy seeing lots of other wildlife. Just four miles from our prairie home at the Mill Creek bridge a bobcat darted across the road and this kitty was hooking it. At the Reagan Y a coyote was crossing the road also and once we reached the fish hatchery at Reagan there was a ton of geese and ducks on the holding ponds there. We thoroughly enjoyed the trip.

We were almost to the river when I realized this was the first time this year (2010) that Miss Carol has gone a-fishing and she hadn't renewed her license so we turn around and head back to Scotty's to get that done.



The weather was shaping up nicely when we picked up the trail. There was still a little haze in the air but it wasn't bad at all - just seemed like trout weather to me.

We were surprised at the number of cars in the wilderness parking lot when we arrived. Think we counted eight transports when we got there and there were fifteen when we left so the wilderness area also was quite popular.



About a half mile on the trail I convinced Carol to take the scenic route with me which runs by the river's edge. At least here you get to walk next to the river and climb rocks instead of staring at gravel and sand packed road.

Today we would fish a stretch of water no more than an eighth of a mile in length. And, we would fish water we've never fished before thinking the bows wouldn't migrate to such forks and braids. Evidently they do travel to such spots because we found them today.



Carol fished a bugger with a soft hackle trailer and I started with a bugger with bugger trailer - yes, that's right. Let me point out the buggers were different colors.



Carol would hook up with four bows only bringing two to hand and questioning herself as to why. Barb-less hooks my dear, barb-less hooks.



I concentrated on pocket fishing and picked up one bow here and one bow there with the bugger tandem. For me it was refreshing to fish so many areas I've never fished capturing bows and making mental notes as I fished along.

There was one stretch of water that Charlie Wright and I talked about not so long ago as to whether it could be waded and fished. This stretch is no longer than a football field, if that, and today I fished it and this is where most of the bows were captured. Three or four bows per pocket then move downstream to the next different shade of water.



We both took trash bags and picked up debris on our way in and out. Picked up this crappy Keystone can on the way out which tells us someone doesn't know or care about the rules in this area and could care less about trashing the river at the same time.

Upon arriving back at the parking area we came upon this curious sight. Seems like this poor lass had taken the polar bear plunge and she was sitting wrapped in a sleeping bag with her wardrobe hanging on the tree limb clothes line she had created. She was quite cheerful and I guess she accepted her fate as part of a fishing life.



The weather was really nice when we left Blue and looks to be rather nice for the next several days so come a-fishing everyone.

Best Coffee On The River

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

No Fly - Just Tie

I knew that Harley was going to be on the water today and that knowledge made me really ache to go a-fishing. However a phone call and the time and temperature lady announcing it was twenty-one degrees gave me much pause for thought. Her revelation of the rather cool temperatures caused me to admit that I'm too old for that kind of cold.

Besides, Miss Carol, even though most of the snow had melted on the roads, refused to ride the brown pony to work which required me to hitch up the prairie schooner and deliver her to the salt mine. In addition this pretty well locked me in at the bunk house since I'd have to fetch her around one 'clock.

Back at the bunk house I found myself pretty well bored in the absence of Miss Carol. I felt almost like a shut-in and I know very well I do not do well in such a situation. Heaven forbid I ever really get to such a point in life - I won't last long.

Tying flies has always been a big part of my life on the water and since I couldn't go to the river today I took to the vise.



I started out with midge patterns and tied a variety including some adults, tricos, spent wings, and quill midges. Midges have been good producers on Blue for me over the years and they often prove to be the go-to fly when the risers are on.



After the midge setting, I decided to tackle the soft hackles again. Soft hackles have always proven to be a challenge for me and I think it's because there are several different methods to tying the hackle. Today I decided to take one method of tying the hackle and stick to it. This decision worked much better for me today and I produced four or five new trout warriors and I'll have to say the soft hackle is quickly becoming one of my favorite soldiers.



After a round of soft hackles I decided to play and try and create something. For some reason a split parasol midge emerger came to mind. The end result was a little less than desired but it was my first attempt. I asked myself if this fly would fish but the answer to that question lies somewhere in the river. Time will certainly tell.



By now it was time to fetch Miss Carol and I rode through the park and had a look at little Rock Creek. She was flowing quite well through her snow covered banks. Seeing Rock Creek made we want to see Blue even more but it wasn't to be today. Maybe later this week.

I hope Harley slayed em today.