Are You Ready to Fish?

My friend Jeff Perin, owner of The Fly Fisher’s Place here in Sisters, OR, writes a terrific weekly fishing report and mentioned opening day is just around the corner. I’m somewhat spoiled because my home waters, the Metolius River is open year-round. But not every fly fisher is that lucky. But it got me wondering, are you ready to fish? I wondered if I was.

We’ve returned to our favorite river in the last week. It had been a while because of our traveling. I haven’t taken time to clean up my fly boxes from last fall and I wondered if I had all the flies needed for the expected hatches of BWO and PMD/Cinygmula or a flying ant fall. I took a chance and we hopped in the campervan and drove to the river, donned our waders and packs and marched downstream to a favorite spot hoping to see a few fish rising.

We leave our rods strung up in the van with a fly tied to the leader from our last trip and I noted a size 20 BWO Sparkle Dun tied on the leader. I remembered removing the leader and fly from my Winston BiiX 9′ 5 weight fly rod as I packed for Patagonia and I replaced the leader and fly upon our return. I thought the small BWO imitation might be the ticket.

Arriving at the river, I noticed several larger Caddis flying over the water and laying eggs. Butterflies were in abundance as well and even an October Caddis. We saw a splashy rise and I decided to tie on an imitation. I wondered if I even had the correct fly box in my fishing pack. I did, but when I opened it, I smiled at the “mess”. You saw the image above. Do your fly boxes look like that?

Well, I found the fly I wanted to tie on, covered the spot I had seen a rise and the fish gods smiled at me and I hooked up on a nice Rainbow. But I wasn’t expecting the Bull Trout to follow the fish as I was playing it, grabbing the fish! I was gentle, but I broke off the fly and perhaps the Bull Trout ended up with a late lunch.

But I didn’t plan on writing a fishing report.

As I prepared to tie on another fly, I got to thinking about what fly boxes I was carrying and did I have everything I needed for a successful fishing day.

I looked down at the pocket in my waders and wondered what was in it.

I didn’t remember, but I was happy as I sorted through the pocket to refamiliarize myself with its contents.

Here are a few thoughts that may help you prepare for a successful, stress-free fishing day:

Practice tying knots

If it’s been a while since you’ve fished, pull out a fly and leader material and tie a couple of knots. I hope your muscle memory quickly reminds you how to tie a proper knot. I generally fish with dry flies and add tippet using a triple surgeon knot with a Davy knot or improved clinch knot to attach the fly. Being proficient at knot tying will eliminate frustration.

Restock your fly boxes

If you haven’t fished for a while, how many empty spots are in your fly boxes? It might be a good time to check and sit down at the vise or visit your local fly shop to restock those boxes.

Steam your flies

I’ve talked about this before, but it’s a great way to “refresh” those dry flies that have been scrunched in a fly box since the last time you were on the water. You’ll be amazed how this technique works! Here is a link to my RiverKeeper Flies YouTube channel where I demonstrate how it’s done.

Check tippet

How many different sizes of tippet material do you carry? I have one roll each of 4X, 5X, and 6X. Take them out and tug on a length to see if it breaks. How many years has it been in your bag? Check it now instead of losing a nice trout due to a break off!

Check fly lines

While you are checking tippet, it’s a good idea to check the fly line for cracks or nicks. I had a nick in one of mine a few years ago and ended up breaking a fly line while fishing the Madison River. I retrieved the line and was lucky I carry an extra fly line for us on our fly fishing road trips. In addition, my friend Greg reminded me to clean your fly line too.

Check waders for leaks

Were your feet wet the last time you went fly fishing? Don’t remember? It might be time well spent, especially if you plan to go soon and the weather is cold.

Lastly, it’s been a while since I posted any insect images. Here are a couple from that day.