Will Spry Fishing Report Mar 2017

McKenzie Country Report
With the late arrival of Summer (deliberate capital S), we have enjoyed some great fishing in the Mackenzie Country. Cicadas showed up and the fish came with them, responding well and actively to just about any larger terrestrial imitations cast onto the water, often feeding from good depth in all water types from boulder-strewn to slower sections with undercut banks. It truly is a spectacular way to fly fish and a great time of year for novices to really get into some excellent dry fly fishing. The winds have settled and the rivers are at a great level to access and fish relatively easily.
There are some special tricks to be employed when fishing terrestrials in the height of summer, especially for less experienced anglers. Pretty much any cast is fair game for trout in these conditions, as trout will move a long way to intercept a larger dry fly, even returning a long distance downstream to tackle a passing cicada. Once your fly is on the water, leave it there as long as possible before re-casting – this is especially important alongside grassy or shaded banks, where the fish can lay up easily out of the sun and await passing morsels at their leisure. Crashing the fly onto the water is not really a major problem either. Traps for novices however, are striking too quickly once the fish has grabbed the fly (sometimes even before the fish have secured it!), or if they are running downstream in pursuit of a floating fly, as the fish is often still in “take mode” and may either reject the offering at late notice, or may not have taken the fly totally in before you strike and set the hook. In the case of rainbows (and sometimes the more wily browns), they may have a second try after a short take and will often have a second go with another cast. However, an outright rejection requires a change of fly and/or drift to ensure that an adequate presentation is made – don’t lose heart – they are keen to feed at this time so keep applying yourself to the fish until you catch them, or they move on or shut down.
As we move into autumn, the presence of mayflies becomes more pronounced again and the terrestrials start to drop away again. However, an “Indian summer” may be on the cards this year, extending into our traditional autumnal fishing times, meaning that terrestrial offerings are still acceptable to trout. If in doubt, put a black gnat down in front of the trout and see how they approach it. However, do keep a stock of emergers and duns in your kit as the mayflies start to come on line again. A spinner fall may be on the cards too, so be prepared to change to suit the phase of feeding. Of course, a nymph through the riffles is always a great option.
The last month of the main season is just about upon us and with Easter mid-way through, it’s a great time to bring out the trout gear for one more run and a chance to get the last few trout of the season.
While the rivers close down at the end of April, there are still plenty of angling opportunities after this, with the bigger lakes still open and of course, plenty of fishing opportunities in the hydro canals. Enjoy the calmer conditions that are promised with the coming of autumn and make the most of what has been a great season.
Cheers,
Will Spry
Categories
Archive
- September 2023
- August 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- December 2013
- March 2013
- September 2012
- July 2012