Dry or die

Skawa river has very good hatches now. The weather was sunny, but windy. Air + 12 C.
Water was low and clear, level 125 cm, flow 11,2 m3/s, temperature +6 C.

When I arrived to the Jaroszowice, the place near the bridge was busy, as usually.
I walked upstream to more solitary place. There's a pool , more suitable for streamer and nymph.


I fished with SA Skagit 210 intermediate line and streamer through this pool.  No result.
I returned to the bridge, and watched few big trout under the bridge. One of them raised to eat insects.
It was a hint, that I must use dry fly here. 

I re-rigged my rod with floating line and 12' tapered leader, attached CDC dun.
The rod I used was Epic 580 5wt, and line - Royal Wulff TT 4wt.  Interesting, that this rod worked pretty nice with underlined line.

The fish was still there, rising from time to time. I carefully descended to the river, and on third cast I got it! Nice rainbow, on dry fly.


I moved upstream, then down, around the holding water. Fish were rising, but not very often.
Then I noticed more fish activity under the bridge.

I positioned myself downstream from the feeding area, to present fly upstream.  It was very windy, so I often changed my position. 
After many unsuccessful attacks, I got another rainbow.


They are so fast, like a rocket. This one jumped few times.

Another fish took my fly, then jumped 1 meter above the water, and fell off the hook in the air. It was so spectacular.

There's shallow flats on the river, which is like a hatching factory. Many insects hatching there, and fish feeding on the whole width of the river.


These flats are easy to wade in low water conditions, as it is now.


I prefer left side of the run, because there was high bank, covering me from the wind, and it was easier to cast from this position.


After may unsuccessful attempts, I got bigger fish. It was a very strong brown trout, I even picked up my line to the reel . 



I returned to the spot under the bridge, because there was very productive spot.
I changed fly to small emerger (hook 16), and there was a lot of empty takes.  


Dry fly fishing is very exciting, and highly visual. But percent of hooked and landed fish is very low.
From another point of view, I do not care much about numbers. This is not competition. 
I enjoy every moment, when fish hits my fly. Even if it's not hooked. 




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