[Mumbles]

Well, if you really are going to read this, let's get it rolling:

After finding out that I'm on call and will miss Red's event this Saturday I was bound to fish today. After planning the outing I got a Thursday night surprise that there was a Friday evening function at my daughter's school and the misses had an appointment to get our taxes done in the morning. Those two things narrowed the window for fishing, but what the hell, I'm out of the cubicle and it is Fishing Friday.

Weather:
Left the house in a downpour, 48 degrees.
One mile from the house the downpour has progressed to an all out hail storm, pea to mothball sized.
Sunglasses on, bright and sunny.
Sunglasses off, dark as night.
Arrived, WINDY with lots of chop on the surface.
Unpacked and dressed, dead calm, no rain, peek a boo sunshine.
This cycle randomly repeated itself throughout the afternoon.

Arranged to meet new Hoh Down friend AR at a year round stillwater. We exchanged messages and had all the rough details settled. I arrived about a half hour earlier than planned and got the float tube wet fast hoping to beat AR to the fish. Kayak guy on the way out said he left plenty of fish out there for me. For a short time I have the lake to myself. AR arrives, I go in to help carry the toon to the shore and helped with a few adjustments, this is the boat's first voyage on a lake.

For the next three, maybe three and a half hours we both worked it. A few others joined us on the water and there were a variety of techniques being tried by all. Chironomids, dries, emergers, streamers and more of those and others. Fish showing their willingness to rise. Others cruising, seemingly feeding on emergers. There are lots of bugs. Taxon might be happy to hear that I've been studying a bit. There were a lot of chironomid shucks. There were some small pale green bugs coming off that I believe to have been midges, really small ones. There were callibaetis too. I read about them in another thread and wondered if I might see some, and I did. Not a bunch, but a few. I even plucked one off the surface on the landing net (since I was not catching any fish) and took a good look at it.

No one on the lake while I was there hooked up. I missed one quick bump. One other guy, fishing the chironomid via the thingamabobberindicatorfloat thing, had a solid take down that both I and AR saw. The guy was distracted by my uber cool float tube rod rack when his float got sunk. Swing and a miss for him.

The cold front that pushed through hard last night likely is to blame, not my skunkiness. Water temps were pretty cool to the touch but I forgot my thermometer.

I made it off the water in time to actually beat the family to movie night at the school by about three minutes. I wish I would have had the full day, right up to dark because I know that I'd have found something that they'd like...maybe next time.

Planet 51 was a big hit by the 6 and under crowd, just in the event you were wondering.

 

[Bob Jones]

Another great day for Mumbles!!! How do you do it It looks like you sent the signal and no ones even viewing your sorry story. I always read the Mumbles statements and stories I always learn something, just give me time I'll think of what it was in this tale. You were lucky to have your family to salvage the day for you. I'm looking forward to seeing you again. May 15 th

 

[Jim Wallace]

Mumbles, It must have been tough fishing for trout in any wetside lakes today. I went up to Nahwatzel this afternoon, a little late. Didn't get started fishing until nearly 4pm. Saw lots of fish on the sonar, but nothing was biting. I tried a few different flavors of buggers, a 2-fly rig with an #8 olive bugger trailing a #14 brown hackle peacock, and a #10 BH black sparkle bugger, at various spots and depths using a clear intermediate line, for the fish I saw deeper on my sonar.
Tried a #14 Gray Hackle Peacock fished in the film with a dry line. All I did was spook the few risers to which i was able to glide within casting range. Then my casting sucked, since I'm out of practice.
I saw some black bugs about #14 skimming the surface, caught one in my hand to get a look, and it had long feelers, two sets of wings, and a hard black wing case, and was about 3/8" long. There were some really small pale green midges flying around, probably like the ones you saw. I didn't notice any callibaetis.
I had only one light tug all afternoon/evening, and I fished until dusk. It was the slowest, most uneventful skunking that i have had in that lake. the surface temp was 47 F when I started, burt was 46 when I quit, and my fingers were numb from the cold.
All the other anglers I talked to were experiencing the same difficulty. Three guys in one boat managed a total of five trout all afternoon trolling pop gear and worms, and a couple other anglers had a fish or two. But everyone said it was slow.
I usually find some good action, but not today.
Got home and found 4 unrelated bummer messages on my answering machine.
There's no beer in the fridge, and its too late to have one anyway.
Dang, I am reduced to tacking this whine onto your "sort of report"....
Can it get any worse?
Can I request a "rewind?"

 

[Old Man]

Well if you all must know, I went out yesterday also. But I only stayed outside for about one hour. It was quite nice when I got to the river. But after I strung up my 3wt, tied on a EHC, walked down to the river's edge on the Beaverhead, the cold wind started to blow. No takers on the dry so I rigged up my nymph rod. Played with that until the wind caused the eyes to ice up. To damn cold so I bagged it.

The sun was out but the wind has quite a edge on it. Enough to send me home.

But nice report Mumbles. Afraid to name the lake you were playing around in??

 

[Mark Walker]

R/T airfare to the Ca. fishing from Seatac-$231

 

[Nick Clayton]

Nice report Ed. Glad you were able to hit the water for a while. Too bad you didn't have more action, but it sounds like you learn something every time you get out. Keep that up and you'll have em dialed in in no time. Then you can meet me at said lake and share the wealth.

My brother is in town from Texas, else I'd be on that lake right now. Hopefully next weekend.


Nick

 

[Mumbles]

Jim, sticking to the wager that it was the strange weather front.
Jim, not afraid to name the lake I fished in. I just did not name it. I share plenty. The only thing I'm afraid of is being little spoon.
Mark, that is just wrong. You know my vacation is all gone after spring break's home improvement projects.
Nick, take your brother fishing, if he is into that thing.

Hate talking someone in to going fishing in a place that leaves us both skunked. Normally the fish are more cooperative.

 

[Old Man]

No it wasn't a weather front. The wind coming from the south blows down over all the snow from up in the hills it doesn't get a chance to warm up from the sun before it gets to Dillon. I've been up there when the wind wasn't blowing as hard and the weather is half way nice.