Light Dam Release on the Caney Fork

A Heron Just as the Rain picked Up

Winters can be good for fishing and some may not be so good for fishing. This winter seems to be feast or famine as are the water releases from Center Hill Dam. We were on the Caney again and this time with Gary, who is an accomplished fly fisherman. Gary is dedicated to fishing at least one different river each month. The rivers Gary has fished appear to be endless and he is extremely comfortable on the water as well as in the casting brace. Add with that some cool stories and it makes for a fun day.

We launched the boat just minutes after the one hour pulse of 4250 CFS began from Center Hill Dam. We started early with streamers and found few looks through the upper stretch. We had a decent brown and saw several flashes. A nice larger brown trout that did everything but take the temperature of an articulated fat head that Gary was throwing. The banks of the river were still showing us low water when the generator shut down and the Army Corps went back to the normal 250 CFS sluice.

Gary Just After a Brown on a Streamer

We drifted nymphs with trailing midges through productive water and rowed back upstream on several different occasions. As I was rowing back through Lancaster it seemed no fish were rising anywhere, so we took a break and had a quick shore lunch. Sometimes just sitting and observing the passing water makes it easier to think of the next few tricks to try. We had success on streamers but finally the fish appeared to start midging half-way through our meal. So, we opted more for mostly dries with droppers of midges and nymphs for the second part of the day.

The traffic on the river was somewhat heavy for a winter day. The other boats were polite and we all worked together as each boat reported a slow day. After a small bottleneck, Gary and I broke out of the pack, bagged a decent brown and then missed a few fish. Gary keyed into a rising fish and threw an excellent cast just upstream of the rise. A quick mend and then seconds later the indicator dove to the bottom. When Gary set the hook the fish broke off. It was a straight break of tippet and no pigtail for those who are wondering.

A Cold Winter Day and Ice Falls on the River

The slow action continued throughout the remainder of the day, but Gary, who is a veteran of the water knew the score and kept his spirits up. It was fun joking with other boats and watching Gary throw streamers while I was changing midges and nymphs on the other rods.

Slow was the word of the day, but it sure felt good to be on the water. And, this time we were able to launch the boat at the bottom of the ramp instead of the top. Bill and Josh it was nice to meet you both and hope to see you on the water in the future.

Caught & Released

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