I posted on Facebook that I needed someone to flick some dry flies for me and prove a few more patterns. Michael took the bait straight away. He is all grown up now but was one of my early hunting and fishing apprentices from when he was like 15. I do admit he was already fly fishing and had some skill before I got a hold of him.
Some 90 years ago Lee Wulff designed a new fly using animal hair for wings and tails instead of feathers. He reckoned they floated better and represented a more significant meal than the feather-winged dry flies available at the time. These are general attractor patterns that most likely imitate a mayfly but we decided they would imitate caddis today.
His first fish was rising to caddis flies right along shore on the edge of a pretty good flow of water. We were about to give up then saw the big tail come out of the water. Our quarry had moved up river a bit. Casting directly into a stiff southerly breeze was a challenge but eventually he got the right drift. A big set of jaws came up and Michael got a little excited and struck with all his strength. The Royal Wulff dry fly stayed in the fish's mouth and we had a laugh.
I tied on a White Wulff and we carried on down river. The next spot had several fish rising. They were clearly eating caddies flies. Today was a Wulff day and we were determined to teach the fish what was to be on their menu. The brown had a casual look a few times and continued to sip caddis flies, occasionally. I told Michael to keep casting and teach that fish that there was a hatch of these white things. Sure enough he came up and sipped the dry. Michael was a little more relaxed this time and landed a nice brown.
The next fish was on a Grey Wulff dry fly but I must say, we were working hard for each hook up. It was early morning and I expected things to improve as the day went on.
Then it was a sighted fish using a Yellow Wulff but the hookup did not last long. Then Michael showed us how to sling shot or bow and arrow cast to a fish that was never going to be landed.
Then it was a bit of stalking from shore with a Black Wulff. The first fish was hooked and lost on the first cast. The next two were challenging but persistence paid off again with another good brown.
We went back to the Royal Wulff for the next fish since, technically, it was broken off on the first fish of the day. The first cast was a missed strike but amazingly the rainbow came back and sipped the fly on the very next cast.
At this point I was out of Wulff patterns to use so we moved onto Humpy dries. These are much the same as the Wulff patterns but tend to be a bit bushier and higher floating. People tend to use them in faster flowing and broken water. We used them in still water.
The Adams Humpy was not fooling the next rainbow but the Foam Cicada did the trick after some effort.
After that, it got a bit silly. Everything we tried worked. The Royal Humpy and Adams Humpy, resulted in photographs but the Black Beetle and Brown Beetle dry flies resulted in break offs. Crackup, I had only brought one of each.
It was nearing the end of our journey so I put on a Deer Hair Cicada with a Bead Head Pheasant Tail with Rubber Legs below. I am a big fan of this pattern under a dry fly. It sticks out like dogs balls and the trout seem to like it, a lot.
So we ended the day just how Michael started it. The big brown came up slowly and sipped the cicada. 'Pulls to hard' had struck again. It reminded me of my Dad who never quite learned to hesitate before a strike that broke off more fish than I can count.
It is safe to say the fishing is pretty ok at the moment! Come and join me.
