Chattooga 5/8

[jamessig]

Merganser, B Karma, Chuck Morris and I spent the day enjoying the Chattooga before the C&R rules end next week. Water was fairly low and clear with a temp of 59. It was overcast all day, and a bit cool with a light breeze at times. There were quite a variety of mayflies all day but never enough that the fish seemed to key in to a specific species. Quite a few cahills, a few green drakes, BWO's, march browns, sulphers, and lots of others. The fish were rising all day but soradically. Chuck did well with a yellow stimulator including one 15"er. B Karma did well also throwing a bit of everything. Merganser struggled a bit. I had a good day. I caught half a dozen with a parachute adams/prince dropper mostly on the nymph. I'm glad I also carried my spinning rod using pink and natural colored plastic. Big fish was a 19" bow on pink. I also caught a 13" brookie on pink. There were lots of fish stacked up in the plunge pools.
The evening hatch and feeding frenzy never happened. When we left the river near dark there was zero bug activity and no rising fish. I think we all were expecting some great dry action and it just never materialized. Go figure.

[B Kar Ma]

however, to a great river that I just got introduced to this year through Chuck Morris. Can't wait until October when we can start all over again!
And, of course, I lost something again on the 'tooga. I had my walking cane one minute and the next it was gone. Missed it several times navagating the river bottom. As darkness approached, Jamessig and I were walking back downriver when all of a sudden Jamessig waves this brown cane at me! It had become fowled in some rhododendrum bushes in the river! He saved me $10!
And my bobblehead collection has reproduced once again! Mrs. Chuck Morris, AKA Doris, found a bass bobblehead so that during the warm water season I will still be protected! Thanks, Doris and Chuck!
Now we must turn our attention to bream, bass and other pond species.....

[scottoutdoors71]

I was also up there that weekend, we had great success on caddis flies. Friday evening after the rain, we caught a few, all rainbows. Went back the next day for some nice fishing. Started with a caddis with copper john dropper, but was mainly catching on the caddis, so I cut off the dropper and fished primarily with the caddis with good results. Also caught a few on a #14 goddard caddis. Friend caught a 20" brown for the big fish of the trip. Second straight trip where he got the big fish. Wanted to fish Sunday, but it was raining hard, so we called it and made the 4hr trip back home.