[The T.O. Show]

With the local rivers high from runoff, it was time to head 8 hours south to chase some tailwater browns... Yeah yeah, some Montana boys already made a video and told this story, but here is some fish porn for you from last weekend. The rumors are all true....

I'm not going to name drop the river, but I'm sure most of you can figure it out. This is definitely no secret... Bottom line, there are TONS of fish there and it was absolutely a blast. The water was super off color and I was kind of skeptical at first, but it didn't take too long to shake that off. We netted over 60 fish in two days. Mostly on nymphs, but some on streamers. Never did see that many fish rising, I think the water was just too dark. Thank god we broke out of work commitments on Friday and drove down Thursday night because on Saturday there were probably 10x as many dudes out there. Definitely a mid week fishery if you can swing it. It's a very cool place though. We saw tons of turkey and chukar, some incredible sunrises/sunsets, and drank a bunch of whiskey and generally had a great time. Even met a super cool Canadian/Australian fishing duo that were on an epic road trip that I would love to go on... if only it wasn't for this stupid career thing...

 

[Jim F.]

Nice report, nice fish, nice photos & nice net handle!

 

[freestoneangler]

Nice! Really like the one photo, close-up of the fish eye... amazing colors! Also, I'm kinda of thinking you boys aren't hoping the water clears up too fast .

 

[ZNUKE14]

Nice report! I miss going being only an hour drive away from that river.

I've been itching to make my way down there in the next couple of weeks! Were they eating dry flies yet? I keep hearing the flows are keeping them down, as of late.

 

[The T.O. Show]

Nice report! I miss going being only an hour drive away from that river.

I've been itching to make my way down there in the next couple of weeks! Were they eating dry flies yet? I keep hearing the flows are keeping them down, as of late.

Yeah the water was so dark I think it was hurting the top water action. Although we talked to one guy who said it isn't usually much better than that so I'm not sure (that was the first time we had fished it). We saw some rises here and there and had a decent hatch in the evenings, but the nymph game was so good I never wanted to switch. I think it would be dangerous for me to live an hour from that river. I would never leave haha

 

[Alosa]

Great report and thanks for NOT name dropping even though it's not a secret. That river has been on my bucket list for a while. You just moved it up a couple of notches on my list. Thanks for that.

 

[J3000]

A river I'd for sure like to hit someday. Pretty cool.

 

[dust in the wind]

I have some great memories of camping with Dad down there. And basically exploring the whole SE corner.

I don't remember anyone fishing. But that was 20 years ago.

 

[The T.O. Show]

Great report and thanks for NOT name dropping even though it's not a secret. That river has been on my bucket list for a while. You just moved it up a couple of notches on my list. Thanks for that.

Do it! Its totally worth the drive. Just try to avoid the weekend. There were so many people coming up the road Friday night, we were shocked. It's small water so it doesn't support all those people very well even though there are boatloads of fish.

 

[The T.O. Show]

I have some great memories of camping with Dad down there. And basically exploring the whole SE corner.

I don't remember anyone fishing. But that was 20 years ago.

That's the first time I've fished it, but the masses must have figured it out between then and now haha. I can't even imagine what that would be like if it was big enough water to support boats....

 

[Penobscot]

Nice Post.
I know a secret about that place that would blow your mind.

Think Full Moon
Mice
half mile
and 1/2 hour after sunset

 

[dryflylarry]

Nice Post.
I know a secret about that place that would blow your mind.

Think Full Moon
Mice
half mile
and 1/2 hour after sunset

I've said for years I always wanted to try that there.....has to be killer. I dry fly it 90% of the time there. I found a fly they can't resist!

T.O. ----The water is always off color like that.

 

[ZNUKE14]

Yeah the water was so dark I think it was hurting the top water action. Although we talked to one guy who said it isn't usually much better than that so I'm not sure (that was the first time we had fished it). We saw some rises here and there and had a decent hatch in the evenings, but the nymph game was so good I never wanted to switch. I think it would be dangerous for me to live an hour from that river. I would never leave haha

I hear that! Why change what is working!? I fished that river so much last year, you should try to make another trip up around June/July when the hatches are off the charts! I still dream about the last day I went. Seeing slabs of butter sitting in the top 6" of water, waiting for a bug to come by.

And you caught the rare rainbow! A good one is like a unicorn on that river! Good fish, good pics man. Keep it up!

 

[BaldBob]

Nice Post.
I know a secret about that place that would blow your mind.

Think Full Moon
Mice
half mile
and 1/2 hour after sunset

It is illegal to fish there between 1/2 hr after sunset to 1/2 hr before sunrise.

 

[The T.O. Show]

And you caught the rare rainbow! A good one is like a unicorn on that river! Good fish, good pics man. Keep it up!

Funny story about that actually... we had heard there were very few rainbows in there but they were total slabs. So we were fishing this run and I caught a little bow maybe 12" and was pretty excited to find one. Then just a few minutes later my buddy Mike caught that fat greedy SOB in the picture. I think that was the biggest fish landed on the trip. Those were the only two we saw.

 

[Penobscot]

It is illegal to fish there between 1/2 hr after sunset to 1/2 hr before sunrise.

Which is why I said 1/2 hour after Sunset.
If sunset is at 8:38, fish until 9:08

 

[Penobscot]

There are plenty of rainbows, fish the fast water

 

[The Drifter]

I dig it. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Lue Taylor]

Looks like fun great pictures