Breaking the law, or trout spey in hard times
It was a long hiatus in fishing due to COVID-19 crap. Recreational activities were banned in Poland. The position of authorities is that there are very few excuses for going outside: going to work, shopping groceries, or walking the dog. Fishing wasn't one of the necessary activities for everyday life.
But I bored so much staying at home for 3 weeks. The weather was very nice for fishing. So I decided to go to Dunajec river, a 100 km trip from Kraków. I got up at 5 AM and drove 1,5 hours on empty roads. At 7 AM I dressed-up, assembled my fly fishing gear and arrived at the river bank.
My first favorite spot is a long pool below the rapids and boulders. I know for sure it holds many trout.
Dunajec was low and clear. Level at Gołkowice 158 cm, flow 28,3 m3/s. Temperature at Krościenko 6,5 C, but my termometer measured 10 C. Everything above 6 C is good.
I started, as usual, with my trout spey gear. Trusty Winston TH-MS 11' 4wt "Microspey", rigged with SA Ultralight Skagit intermediate head, 8' sinking tip and 4' mono leader.
First I tried with proven workhorse - black woolybugger. My tactic is very simple. I go downstream the whole run. Then I change my fly and do it once again.
The first run through the hole was unsuccessful. On the second run, I got a fish. The bite came suddenly, like a snag. It was a strong fish. I almost forgot that feeling, when trout rolling and jumping on the end of the line.
The time of the catch is 7:14 AM. I never had first fish so early at this time of year. Usually, in early spring they start to bite near 9AM or so when it gets warmer.
Then, there was a long pause. I changed streamers, black, brown, white. No reaction from fish.
For this spring season, I tied new streamer: Zonker in "Mallard & claret" color scheme, mimicking eponymous classic wet fly. I wanted to catch something on this one.
2 hours after the first fish, I got the second trout. On this brown zonker. I'm always happy when I catch fish on the fly of my own design.
Fishing was slow, besides these two trout, I had only a couple of takes. I decided to change tactics and assembled the second rod for euro nymphing.
In the meantime, mayflies started to hatch. But I didn't see any fish rising around. I don't know why. Maybe they are feeding on migrating larva or emergers?
This trout was tricked by small black nymph
After 5 hours spent on the first hole, I didn't get any more bites. Time to change place.
I drove to another location, to the probably deepest hole on the whole river section. This place doesn't have convenient access by car. I parked the car on the forest road and walked about 1 km along the river.
Then I reached rapids, where the deepest run begins.
For this place I prepared the fastest sinking shooting head in my arsenal: Guideline ULS 3D+ I/sink5/sink6. I never used this line before, it has a very thin profile, and it cuts through the water like a knife through butter.
At the end, I added Mallard & claret featherwing wet fly on a short leader.
The tactic is a variation of classic downstream swing. Cast the line, make two steps to let it sink deeper, then swing and retrieve. I also add a short twitching motion with the rod tip.
The bottom in this run is sort of "boulder garden". A sinking line can easily snag at the end of the drift. But, because I used unweighted fly, it was often easy to free the line without losing the fly.
In the middle of the run, I got a fish. A small one, on the wet fly. On the next run, I got something big. But fish fell from hook, when I released the tension, trying to pick up line on the reel. What a pity. It was a big fish.
Strong upstream wind didn't help me with casting. My double spey casts were ugly, and often landed more upstream, then I wanted. I tried to switch hands and use my non-dominant hand to hold the rod. Despite an awkward feeling at first, it was more convenient to cast against the wind. Why I didn't do that before? It would save me a lot of screwed-up casts.
I switched to mallard-and-claret streamer again. And it was a success! Another golden-brown beauty.
And she goes!
I fished until 4 PM (16:00). Then I became tired and hungry. But this was a very necessary trip for my mental health.
But I bored so much staying at home for 3 weeks. The weather was very nice for fishing. So I decided to go to Dunajec river, a 100 km trip from Kraków. I got up at 5 AM and drove 1,5 hours on empty roads. At 7 AM I dressed-up, assembled my fly fishing gear and arrived at the river bank.
My first favorite spot is a long pool below the rapids and boulders. I know for sure it holds many trout.
Dunajec was low and clear. Level at Gołkowice 158 cm, flow 28,3 m3/s. Temperature at Krościenko 6,5 C, but my termometer measured 10 C. Everything above 6 C is good.
I started, as usual, with my trout spey gear. Trusty Winston TH-MS 11' 4wt "Microspey", rigged with SA Ultralight Skagit intermediate head, 8' sinking tip and 4' mono leader.
First I tried with proven workhorse - black woolybugger. My tactic is very simple. I go downstream the whole run. Then I change my fly and do it once again.
The first run through the hole was unsuccessful. On the second run, I got a fish. The bite came suddenly, like a snag. It was a strong fish. I almost forgot that feeling, when trout rolling and jumping on the end of the line.
The time of the catch is 7:14 AM. I never had first fish so early at this time of year. Usually, in early spring they start to bite near 9AM or so when it gets warmer.
Then, there was a long pause. I changed streamers, black, brown, white. No reaction from fish.
For this spring season, I tied new streamer: Zonker in "Mallard & claret" color scheme, mimicking eponymous classic wet fly. I wanted to catch something on this one.
2 hours after the first fish, I got the second trout. On this brown zonker. I'm always happy when I catch fish on the fly of my own design.
Fishing was slow, besides these two trout, I had only a couple of takes. I decided to change tactics and assembled the second rod for euro nymphing.
In the meantime, mayflies started to hatch. But I didn't see any fish rising around. I don't know why. Maybe they are feeding on migrating larva or emergers?
This trout was tricked by small black nymph
After 5 hours spent on the first hole, I didn't get any more bites. Time to change place.
I drove to another location, to the probably deepest hole on the whole river section. This place doesn't have convenient access by car. I parked the car on the forest road and walked about 1 km along the river.
Then I reached rapids, where the deepest run begins.
For this place I prepared the fastest sinking shooting head in my arsenal: Guideline ULS 3D+ I/sink5/sink6. I never used this line before, it has a very thin profile, and it cuts through the water like a knife through butter.
At the end, I added Mallard & claret featherwing wet fly on a short leader.
The tactic is a variation of classic downstream swing. Cast the line, make two steps to let it sink deeper, then swing and retrieve. I also add a short twitching motion with the rod tip.
The bottom in this run is sort of "boulder garden". A sinking line can easily snag at the end of the drift. But, because I used unweighted fly, it was often easy to free the line without losing the fly.
In the middle of the run, I got a fish. A small one, on the wet fly. On the next run, I got something big. But fish fell from hook, when I released the tension, trying to pick up line on the reel. What a pity. It was a big fish.
Strong upstream wind didn't help me with casting. My double spey casts were ugly, and often landed more upstream, then I wanted. I tried to switch hands and use my non-dominant hand to hold the rod. Despite an awkward feeling at first, it was more convenient to cast against the wind. Why I didn't do that before? It would save me a lot of screwed-up casts.
I switched to mallard-and-claret streamer again. And it was a success! Another golden-brown beauty.
And she goes!
I fished until 4 PM (16:00). Then I became tired and hungry. But this was a very necessary trip for my mental health.
Comments
Post a Comment