Fish Talk

Aquatic Insect Aquarium Update & Filling Up My Fly Box

by Matt
PMDs Are Hatching

My tank has been running well despite the temperatures fluctuating a bit. A few bugs caddis, mayflies, and midges have hatched in addition to a growing population of snails and worms. A rare sighting that I observed the other day was a sowbug crawling around in the tank. Every time I take a look at the tank I learn something new.

More PMDs

Although I have seen adult insects hanging out on the side of the tank, I have not been able to observe an emergence. I’ve found shucks of caddis flies and adults fluttering around in my room but I haven’t found any larvae in the pupate stage. There was a fat green caddis that just went missing one day and a few days later an adult emerged. The larvae must have crawled to the bottom to pupate and then emerged when it was ready to hatch. I just recently purchased Gary LaFontaines famous book “Caddisflies” and will be piecing more of the puzzle together once I learn more.

PMDs have been the primary hatch with a few BWOs. The PMD temperature hatch seems to be around the lower 70°F mark. Most of the PMDs I’ve collected seem to be around the size 12ish.

NZ Mudsnails Invasion

There has been a boom in my snail and leech population. Both native snails and invasive NZ mud snails have started to populate my tank. I’ve stopped siphon cleaning the tank in efforts to not further spread the invasive snails. I am curious to see the effects of the spread and will eventually kill the tank once I decide to end the project.
The leeches like to “snake” around the glass of the tank. I’m not entirely sure what they like to eat but they are cool to watch.

I’ve been working on filling up my fly box because oddly enough I’ve never had a full box of trout patterns that I have confidence in. There is still space in my “working fly box” so more tying fun time. I’m planning on restocking my materials and upgrading my vise soon so hopefully that will make tying more productive and fun.

Nymphs & Attractors
Dries & Emergers
Yuba goldfields, Yuba River

Tough Luck On The Yuba

by Matt
Singular Sunset

After spending a few days on the Yuba this week it’s official, the river is fishing tough. Crowds continue to flock the river despite the poor fishing conditions. Every angler I came across shared the same results; skunked.

Why is the fishing so difficult? The river was fishing great when there was a murky tint to it but now that it’s cleared up a bit the fishing has been very tough.

Here is my hypothesis:

The Yuba was flushed about a month ago and we are finally seeing the aftermath of it. The trout were having a full-on feeding frenzy when the murky water was flushing around a buffet of bugs but now with three weeks of clearer green water, the buffet is closed and there isn’t a whole lot of food going around.

Before the blowout the rocks on the bottom of the river were clean and full of insect life. After the blowout the majority of the river is now covered with slimy slippery brown algae. After fishing a run without a single bump, I went over to the riffle above it and flipped over a few brown algae covered rocks. Each rock I flipped had zero bug life. Eager to confirm my hypothesis, I waded to an area were the rocks were cleaner and there they were… bugs!
So not only is the algae a pain to wade through, it is also life-less like the gross slimy crap that it is.

The water is also colder than usual which slows down the trout. It’ll take awhile for the river to regain its strength so we need to adapt and make the best of the cards were dealt with.

Lil Chrome Yuba

I enjoy the challenge and low numbers means every fish counts. The skwala dry fly fishing is as it always is, not a lot of numbers but if your dedicated and enjoy blind casting in attempts to rise a fish then go for it. Nymphing is producing for those who figure it out.

I’ve come to the conclusion that when I am on the water I need to try and be as productive as I can. Learning how to adapt to different conditions makes you a better angler, sticking to one technique when you know it won’t be as effective doesn’t. You don’t throw emergers when nothing is emerging right? Why throw dries when nothing is rising?

Every Inch Counts

I am currently reading Dynamic Nymphing by George Daniels in efforts to try and advance my nymphing knowledge. Nymphing is the most productive way to fish due to a trout’s diet of subsurface insects therefore it is essential to have good knowledge of different nymphing techniques.

I’ve been perfecting my tight-line/Czech nymphing techniques on the Yuba with great results. Tight-line nymphing is productive, active, and fun.
The ponds haven’t turned on yet but I did find a bunch of dry fly bluegills and a bass.

Bluegill Beetle All Day
Basstastic
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Keep Calm and Fly Fish™