Prospector
Well-known member
Water levels were very low. Much needed rain on Sun, Mon & Wed had little effect and the stream remained clear. Water temps dropped to a low of 52 on Wed and that trend caused fish to be sluggish. I monitored the fish under the cross fork creek snowmobile bridge and they remained in a tight ball on the bottom through these cold days instead of spreading out in feeding position as they usually are during early June. I assume the fish in Kettle were acting the same way.
Large dark caddis (body and wing) was the main fly early in the week. Insonychia spinners were present all week. Small golden stones, yellow sallies and little lime green stones were also hatching. Did not see any sz 16 BWO but the fish readily took them (they must be done). We did see sz 20 BWO duns and the fish keyed on them. Otherwise there was a large variety of flies hatching in small numbers. Large yellow mayflies, light cahills, Sulphurs, caddis, in addition to BWO spinners, etc.
Our catch was unique in the low water conditions. The 2016 breakdown was brown - 34.5%, Rainbow - 30%, Brook - 35.5%. Compare that to 2015 when Kettle had lots of water and great temperature and our breakdown was brown - 71%, Rainbow - 19%, Brook 10%. Some of that could be indicative of the large amount of brook trout stocked this year by local groups.
We averaged 7-8 fish per day per fisherman from Sun to Thu then on Friday as water temp was on a rising trend our catch doubled to 15 fish each.
Large dark caddis (body and wing) was the main fly early in the week. Insonychia spinners were present all week. Small golden stones, yellow sallies and little lime green stones were also hatching. Did not see any sz 16 BWO but the fish readily took them (they must be done). We did see sz 20 BWO duns and the fish keyed on them. Otherwise there was a large variety of flies hatching in small numbers. Large yellow mayflies, light cahills, Sulphurs, caddis, in addition to BWO spinners, etc.
Our catch was unique in the low water conditions. The 2016 breakdown was brown - 34.5%, Rainbow - 30%, Brook - 35.5%. Compare that to 2015 when Kettle had lots of water and great temperature and our breakdown was brown - 71%, Rainbow - 19%, Brook 10%. Some of that could be indicative of the large amount of brook trout stocked this year by local groups.
We averaged 7-8 fish per day per fisherman from Sun to Thu then on Friday as water temp was on a rising trend our catch doubled to 15 fish each.
