Caney Fork Fly Fishing Report

John wanted to put the world away for a minute, so he called and booked a fly fishing trip on the Caney Fork River. When I passed the local bank in the early morning the temperature on the bank sign read 32 degrees. Just above freezing and highs in upper 50's, this should be a good day on the water.

The Skippies Are Still Hanging Around

We launched at the dam a couple hours before the generator shut down. My favorite generator was pushing the water. Yes there is a big difference, when fishing the dam pool, with the different generators. John warmed up his casting arm with some long casts and short strips. The reward was several skip jack, but no trout...yet.

As of late the generation is slowing, which gives more time for wading and low water floats. The weather is calling for major rain + the rain we received over the past 24 hours, so the US Army Corps may be forced to release additional water due to their Water In-Water Out policy for Center Hill. We will see...

The First Brown of the Day

After most of the other boats got out of sight, we slipped off down stream too. We began trying to unlock the code for the trout sipping bugs just under the surface. We tried several different patterns and missed a fish here and there, but never really dialed in. Then John and I both agreed on a particularly fishy looking piece of water and started a slow, painful drift of a nymph. When the fly didn't produce a fish, in a spot that usually is good for at least a hatchery brat, I asked John to give the spot one more drift. John threw the fly in and got just the right mend. The reward for the second try was his first Caney Fork brown of the day. This was the start we needed.

John Hooked Up With Another One

One of Several Rainbows for John

We stayed with the nymphs for most of the float. Sure we mixed in some midges and tried some other "hot flies", but the real code crackers was the usual mending skills and proper depth. Also, getting the right fly in front of the right fish helped too. Making sure everything was right for the mending set up was critical. John wanted to use this float as a learning tool and you could see the fish come to life as he got into the zone. His mending techniques improved as did his line management as the day wore on.

Another Secret....The Rally Cap

The Results of a Good Mend, Good Fly Placement and an Ain't In No Hurry Drift

John's Best Brown of the Day

John was in the Zone, so it was just a matter of time before he was going to be rewarded with a quality fish. We started adding the "fish to the fish that are feeding" mentality. When a nice fish rose with a splash in front of the boat, John set up and took his best shot. The reward was a quality brown and a hero shot....or two.

Healthy Rainbows Getting Into the Slot

One of the More Colorful Browns

Casting Into Still Water

Toward the end of the float the day was winding down. There were some short periods of sprinkles, not enough to worry about, but enough to pull out rain gear that had been stowed since Fall. The clouds were in and out most of the day and even the brief periods of sun weren't around any longer. With a push of water coming and no light to see the indicator we slowed to a stop at the takeout and put the drifter on the trailer. The day, well it turned out nice. The fish, they were healthy. The float, the float was another successful float on the Caney Fork River. So far we are making 2011 the year of getting out there.

Caught & Released