Arrogant presumptions
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By Jack Simpson
Preconception: [pri' kon' sep' shun], noun; 1. An idea or opinion formed beforehand.
If a ‘little knowledge is a dangerous thing’, then a sizeable amount of knowledge, applied without observing the basic rules, can make one look ‘REALLY stoopid!’
Such was the lesson I learned AGAIN, last week. My assessment of lake conditions last week was that caddis nymphs should be migrating and trout would be targeting those lime green, distinctively coloured aquatic bugs. So, I headed off to a lake, known for its caddis hatches, with a box full of nymph patterns of various shades and sizes, tied in the evenings prior, full of smug confidence that my experience, knowledge and skill would ensure my success. I don't know how I had forgotten that Mother Nature loves to spank presumptuous people!
I arrived at the lake by mid-morning, launched the pontoon with a rod lined for nymphing, armed with a pale olive caddis nymph pattern on a 16' leader and tippet designed for deeper water nymphing.
I trolled my fly over to a beautiful shoal and drop-off, anchored and began casting out, over edge of the drop-off, with my back to the shoal and the reed lined shore. A dozen casts/retrieves later---nothing.
I could hear some water disturbances behind me, but had observed some mallards near the reeds and in my smug confidence, dismissed the splashes as ‘duck sounds.’ Until, out of the corner of my eye, some movement got my attention. An adult caddis popped to the surface on the shoal and instantly disappeared in a swirl of water! COULD IT BE?
Yes, indeed, no doubt about it, as I watched another caddis adult popped to the surface, skittered about two feet, and then taken under by the swirl of a trout partaking in a ‘traveling sedge buffet’.
The traveling sedge hatch was happening on the shoal shallows and I had had my back turned to the event, for the past hour! The single most exciting event in stillwater fly fishing and I had been BLIND to it! I frantically pulled my bow anchor, spun the pontoon 90 degrees, re-anchored and fumbled about with panic-stricken hands, hurredly tying a cinnamon sedge dry pattern on my tippet.
A quick, short cast to the shoal edge of the drop-off, one 8" strip retrieve and BANG! Fish on.
This went on and on, for hours. I have never experienced a traveling sedge hatch that lasted for five continuous hours, until last week. Amazing to think that some very dedicated fly fishers have never experienced even one sedge hatch. No wonder I love the lakes in this region!
Replay: what was happening was the caddis pupa were coming out of the marl on the shoal (about 3' of water) rapidly swimming to the surface and emerging through the surface film to skitter across the top of the water, drying their wings with a rapid flapping motion. As they skittered toward the deeper water, the trout were surging upwards from the safety of the depths to snipe the large caddis adults on the surface.
Technique: once I ‘clued in’, the procedure was to lay the SA Nymph Indicator line with 12' leader/tippet and #12 caddis (sedge) dry out parallel to the drop off and retrieve the fly in a fairly rapid 6"-8" strip/pause motion.
The ‘take’ is powerful enough that a hookset is not required: the fish set the hook themselves.
(Sedge Pattern Taken)
The interesting aspect of this particular ‘fishery’ is that the more ragged and soaking wet the ‘dry pattern’ became, the more effective it became.
(insert Sedge in the Net)
The moral of my day was to reinforce the basic procedures for successful fly fishing:
-Take the time to observe what is going on all over the water (repeat as required)
- Arrive at the fishing destination with an open mind
- Be prepared to adapt to sudden changes of conditions relating to insect emergences
Oh, and don't let your knowledge blind you to what is really going on.
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