Yellow Breeches, Cumberland Co., 11/27/2016

[TigerTrout4wt]

Fished from about 11am - 3pm
Water level is very very low. Water temp was 46 degrees.

Started out below the lake at the first run and had no luck.
Had one hook up and failed to land the fish.
Moved to the fast moving water below and got 2 small browns on a size 22 olive midge with a crystal bead head.

I didn't get a lot of action till I got below the allenberry playhouse. I slowly moved down the fast water and landed 3 rainbows with the same midge. I also had two more hook ups that I couldn't land.

Water is low but fish were hitting strong. Had a great day on the water.

 

[DaveKile]

Thanks for sharing and sounds like a fun day!

 

[TigerTrout4wt]

I didn't get a chance to upload the pictures to my computer to upload them. I will be doing that as soon as I get off work today. For some reason I can't do it on my phone.

 

[TigerTrout4wt]

Nvm. I got it now. I can take a picture of the midge and upload it if anyone is interested.

 

[TigerTrout4wt]

Here is the recipe for the midge too.
Dai riki 125 in 22
Midge size crystal glass bead
Small gold wire
Olive 70 ultra thread
Super fine light olive dubbing
Just make sure your thread makes it far down the hook bend. Taper the body like a zedra midge. Make a really small dubbing noodle. Less is always more with a midge pattern. I also tye these in grey, red, black, brown, and tan. I keep the crystal colored bead on all the colors. But beads and different colored wire would be great things to try. I tend to like my midge patterns really simple. Great tye for winter.

 

[nomad_archer]

Great report. I keep hoping I get a deer so I can use one of my planned deer hunting days to go fish the breeches for the first time.

Just wanted to make sure I understand, you use the dubbing to build the taper on the midge? If that is what you are doing, I like the approach versus using thread to build the body. I am going to have to give this a try.

 

[SeaSickSailor]

Congrats on your day! I got skunked for the first time there the afternoon after you! Was speaking with a few old timers and they said that this is the lowest they have seen the stream in their lives so far!

I was trying streamers at first to no avail. Moved to a dry dropper Caddis with emerger below and missed two. Got fed up with a huge tangle after a missed hook set and cut that away in favor of small dry flies as they were sipping midges like crazy plus I saw small BWOs popping off as well. Missed the same small brown 3 times in a row on the smallest BWO I had in the box.

Notes:
Water temp was 47. Water LOW and CLEAR. Rock check showed cased Caddis and small (size 18-20) nymphs. Saw a few redds but was expecting more. All redds seemed abandoned or had big suckers on them (assumed feeding). Saw the HUGEST Mink I have ever seen there on the slack water of the canal! Looked like he was missing fish too...

Rain this week will no doubt help!!! Cheers

 

[TigerTrout4wt]

Nomad,
I do not use the dubbing to taper the body. I use the thread to taper the body just like a zebra midge. I put a small dubbed coller on the fly be hide the bead. Although making a dubbed body could make a interesting midge pattern. I might need to try this out. Thank you for that question. It has open my mind to new possible patterns to try. I will try to get a good picture of the fly and upload it for you.

Seasick,
My father and I will be going on the breeches today. He will be using my 10ft 4wt with my nymphing rig that was in this original stream report with this midge. I hope to see him have the same outcome as me. I will be using a 9ft 5wt and I will try to throw some meat. I don't expect to be super successful but it's worth a try. I was also disappointed to not see many redds. This is also the lowest I have seen this stream... it's very dissapointing to think about. I will post a new stream report today if time permits. Thanks for your reply! I'm glad to hear people out on the water.

 

[Dave_W]

Breeches has treated me well lately (I have mostly focused on upper YB) and have seen a good amount of spawning this year.

The rains the last couple days will really help flush the creek as algae and leaves are very thick due to the low flows.

 

[nomad_archer]

Thanks for the clarification TigerTrout. I am going to now have to try both the fully dubbed and just the dubbed collar on my midges. It could be interesting to see what happens.

 

[afishinado]

Midges can be kept simple > small bead (or not) > thread body > and ribbing (usually). You can dub a collar (or not).

Here's a tying vid for Mercury midge that sounds close to what is described:

 

[nomad_archer]

Thanks for the video. After TigerTrout mentioned that he dubs the collar, that is exactly what I was thinking of. I like midges, I have almost 1/3 of my big nymph box with different colors, sizes, and variations of different midge and midge pupa patterns. Surprisingly I don't have any with a clear glass bead. I will now.

 

[Dave_W]

nomad_archer wrote:
Thanks for the video. After TigerTrout mentioned that he dubs the collar, that is exactly what I was thinking of. I like midges, I have almost 1/3 of my big nymph box with different colors, sizes, and variations of different midge and midge pupa patterns. Surprisingly I don't have any with a clear glass bead. I will now.

Clear beads are very realistic and provide a nice taper to midge nymphs.

Be careful not to use beads that are too large. I see midges and nymphs all the time with beads that are too large and that close the bite of the hook. Keep beads fairly small. Midges are very subtle and slender. Oversize beads can wreck a midge's profile in addition to affecting hooking ability.

 

[nomad_archer]

Dave_W wrote:

nomad_archer wrote:
Thanks for the video. After TigerTrout mentioned that he dubs the collar, that is exactly what I was thinking of. I like midges, I have almost 1/3 of my big nymph box with different colors, sizes, and variations of different midge and midge pupa patterns. Surprisingly I don't have any with a clear glass bead. I will now.

Clear beads are very realistic and provide a nice taper to midge nymphs.

Be careful not to use beads that are too large. I see midges and nymphs all the time with beads that are too large and that close the bite of the hook. Keep beads fairly small. Midges are very subtle and slender. Oversize beads can wreck a midge's profile in addition to affecting hooking ability.

Thanks, I picked up the smallest glass beads I could find at the craft store 15/0 or 11/0. They are very small. I will make a point to keep the beads small and not over dress midge. It is really easy to get to much material on a size 20 hook.

 

[TigerTrout4wt]

My dad and I had a blast today! I will do a new stream report but here is the picure of this killer midge and the nicest fish caught there today.

 

[nomad_archer]

Thanks for the pictures. I guess I will need to make it out there before it gets to cold. One more week of hunting then back to fishing for me.

 

[joebamboo]

It is my understanding that the Allenberry owns the property on both sides from where the Run empties in all the way down stream past the facility itself.

Since it has been posted, that pretty much puts the entire catch and release section off limits until the" hold harmless insurance" issue is resolved.

Hoping the no trespassing status is not violated as to have a negative affect on what the future may hold for the stream.

 

[TigerTrout4wt]

Joebamboo I was going to address this matter on my new stream report. I didnt get time to post it this weekend but I will post it this afternoon. It will be a little long to explain everything and want a keyboard to write this out. So anyone that is interested in this information about the allenberry being posted please look at my post on the yellow breeches on dec. 2nd

 

[Dave_W]

Gents,
There is a thread dealing with the particular matter of Allenberry access. It would be better to post updates or observations on this issue in this thread rather than specific fishing reports. This will allow for better information control as the access issue moves forward and new info comes to light.
Thanks,
DW

Allenberry Access

 

[TigerTrout4wt]

I will do that. Thanks Dave I didn't know this matter was already being addressed somewhere else.