Gold Chironomids-A First for Us

There are so many subspecies of chironomids. Gold coloured chironomids are new to me. Karen and I got out for 5 hours today. We had to work for our fish but we did connect with a few beauties!

 

Not Again!

Two of my grandkids and their parents spent the morning with Karen and I fly fishing. They had a great time. So did grandma and grandpa! It was all about shrimp early and then chironomids! I was amazed that my grandkids lasted close to 4 hours in the boat! They love being outside.

 

Run Off Has Started

Mountain run off is melting and making its way east. The Red Deer river is still quite fishable. Concentrate on the edges and do try streamers or large nymphs like Jimmy Legs or use wiggle worms with large flashy nymphs.

Remember you can head over to Alberta Basins to check flow rates.

Remember to be aware of the faster flowing rivers. Always exercise caution. Safety first!

Shifting to Shrimp

Shrimp is not my favourite food item to fly fish with BUT when the trout are keying in on this source of food, I better change my tactics.

I have been starting my day out fishing shallow looking for trout that are looking for shrimp. I then start moving into deeper water. I often try a blood worm just off of the bottom. I have been keeping an eye out for chironomids and I have encountered some light hatches. The trout then seem to dine on them for a few short period of time.

Some of my regular fly fishing buddies are also using micro leeches others are casting and retrieving leech patterns. An olive coloured flashback or a baby damsel can be quite productive this time of the year too!

Try using a long leader (18 feet) and count down to try different depths and retrieve speeds. Indicator fishing can be excellent too. Sometimes, fishing along edges can be very productive.

A trout that is dining on a variety of food items.

 

Rocky Mountain Whitefish on the Red Deer River

Karen and I spent the afternoon on the Red Deer River nymphing for rocky mountain whitefish! The rockies were quite willing today. We set up just below the Dickson Dam. The water was fast flowing so we added some extra split shot just above our nymphs. We used wiggle worms and rainbow warriors in size 16. Look for riffles that drop into deeper water. 

 

The Joy of Fishing with Grandkids at Fish Lake

Our grandkids love fishing! It has been fun to teach the boys about how to fly fish and how to gently relese the fish back into the lake. We spent yesterday at Fish Lake. The stocked rainbows were in the lake. My Son-In-Law, Alan, and I rigged up their kids rods with a couple of brassie flies and a strike indicator. They cast out and slowly retrieved their flies. They caught fish after fish! Gavin wanted to catch 50. He did just that. All the people on the dock marvelled at their success. I took the time to rig up several spinning rods of those not catching anything, then they were have the same success.

It is a rainy Victoria Day. I hope you were able to get out and enjoy the last two days. They were beauties!

The chances of the kids catching a stocked rainbow was high!

These loons kept diving under the boat and popping up by the boat!

Gavin learning to drive the boat under close adult supervision!

 

Happy Victoria Day Long Weekend!

May long weekend, ...finally! And decent weather too! I hope you get a chance to enjoy some fly fishing on one of your favourite bodies of water! Remember to follow all of the COVID-19 Health Regulations. Visiting with your friends and family on the water is the best antidote for this pandemic! Enjoy the long weekend. If you are camping, do it right. Leave your camping area in perfect condition, no excuses!

...oh yes, we used micro leeches at the start of the day but around noon, the trout got onto chironomids. Another beauty day!

Patsy with a beauty!

Eugene and Scott having a great time. Good barking Batman!

Phil and Sean hooked up!

Tami taming a rainbow.

Brandon and Karen Hooking Up!

Jay tangling with a beauty!

The Rowley family at it!

 

Another Beauty Day Out on the Water

Everyday is a new chapter! It is fun to solve the riddle of what trout are dining on! Throat samples can certainly help once you bring a fish to hand. Today the trout were eating shrimp, daphnia, and chironomids. The chironomids were a mix of black, chromies and at one point a coppery chironomid. Getting the depth right is one of the main keys to success. We caught several sizeable trout 11 to 14 feet down. We used an oliver and copper chironomid to imitate the coppery type chironomids. A water olive chironomid with a red wire rib ( I call it Eugene's Special) definitely got the attention of several trout today!

Match the Chironomid Hatch

Hook: Size 14 1760 Daiichi

Bead: Brown or copper 7/64ths

Thread: Wood duck 70 denier

Rib: Copper Brown, small or mahogany mico tubing

Body: Wood duck thread or add a layer of root beer buzzer wrap