Another Mystery Fly Candidate

With the Christmas shopping season in full swing I had my own list to fill today, but before I could effectively concentrate on gifts that will win me another years favor (hopefully), I had trout and testing another Mystery Fly candidate on my mind.

Arriving at the river around 9 a.m., I tied on yesterday's Mystery Fly candidate to see if it would fish at another spot on the river - the Flats.

It did.

I fished yesterdays selection in the Flats and the pattern quickly found three trout.  Then I retired him to the sea locker and enlisted the second Mystery Fly candidate of the day.  This pattern would explore the Chute just downstream from the Flats

At the Chute the discipline I take is to stand at it's tail and cast upstream to the opening, throw slack line immediately, then hold rod high to eliminate drag.  The takes are beautiful to watch particularly with the water being crystal as it is and the bonus is seeing the flash of the bow as they devour the fly.

The second candidate took six trout from the Chute is rather quick order.  This Mystery Fly candidate is one I begin fishing two years ago on the advice of another fly angler whom I cannot name at this time since this pattern is in the running for Mystery Fly selectee 2019 Classic. It's a great pattern and almost always seems to produce.

There are many more patterns to test and I am glad to volunteer in the testing.  Quite understandable, right?

See you on the river.


Barry

Black Friday On Blue

Not being a Black Friday kind of guy at all and knowing I would have a short day at the mercantile store I decided to head for Blue to test another Mystery Fly candidate.

Today's fishing was close-in fishing.  Short upstream casts, high stick and rod tip held high with only the leader on the water.  The river was gin clear and required 6X or lighter and the trout would have no tolerance for any kind of drag.

At the spot I think is still one of the sweetest on the river, even though it pales in production compared to 10 or 15 years ago, I would tie the Mystery Fly candidate below a size 16 pink Frenchie.

The Pink Frenchie has been one of the best producers for this fly fisher and a good producer for many others on Blue for years.  However, after 40 minutes of fishing today, seven trout had come to hand and the Mystery Fly candidate had captured all seven.  The Frenchie did not produce.

I may very well have found the next Mystery Fly for the Classic in March. 

The river is gorgeous right now.  

More testing to come. 

See you on the river.