Left Hand Blues

Date: May 11, 2008
Location: Great Lawn and Bridge
Air temp: 60s
Water temp: ?
Hatches: Caddis!
Fish landed: 6 (4 browns, 2 brooks)

Present members of the Fly Anglers Guild :|: Upper Midwest Chapter, for this outing were:

Xan


Sunday was sunny and windy, with waters sadly unaffected by the recent rain. The water at the Great Lawn and Bridge were low and clear. The primo conditions of early season are quickly becoming a sweet memory, as the water level drops and the fauna rise. To make matters worse, the start of the regular season is bringing added pressure to fish that are learning once again to be more wary.

Most tragic of all, Booter's triumphant return to the streams ended before it began, most likely due to some South Asian scourge. The only thing that could save this day would be the later season's saving grace, juicy hatches.

Caddis, followed later by tricos, grasshoppers, hex, mice, etc..., are a solid hatch throughout the warmer months. A heartier meal than the tiny mayfiles of early season, they will offer a steady rise throughout their convergence to the water's surface.


I was lucky enough to arrive in the middle of a hatch. I started catching fish not far upstream from the Lawn's access point. I lingered at a few runs, picking off trout here and there, but had the hankering to keep moving up. I was curious to fish the large pool not far up, but saw some folks from the Lawn Compound already there. I headed back to the car and went to the Bridge. The caddis had died down by then, and with that, the action. I hit a few runs, but quickly called it a day.