Jim started us off with a nice 18″ brown — not picture worthy for someone that catches 20-inchers on the regular. I also caught a 13″ smallmouth on a small black Cheech Leech out of the same run.
We kept working upstream through some great water, with Jim picking off multiple mid to high teens fish. I was able to catch my first brown on a yellow rabbit strip streamer (tying instructions in a future blog post!).
Within the next couple runs I was watching Jim retrieve his Rapala when a brown shot out from a rock and smoke his lure. I was able to run over and net this 21″ pig!
We kept picking off a couple good browns in every run. My strategy was casting about 45 degrees downstream to the opposite bank, throwing a big upstream mend in the line to allow the fly to sink, then let the fly swing across the current while giving the occasional strip or jig. I had more success using the 6 wt and floating line with this method, because it was easier to control the line and track the fly in the water. I recently got the Airflo Super-Dri Kelly Galloup Streamer Float Line for my 6 wt and this stuff is amazing!
Using this “fling and swing” method with a tan and yellow mini Cheech Leech, I casted along a cut bank and had a brown shoot out and smash the streamer. After a good fight in some heavy current, I was able to get him in the net.
We worked upstream through some beautiful country, continuing to catch good browns in every run, as well as a few smallmouth, until making our way to the car at the next bridge. We each had a couple chances at fish pushing 20″, but weren’t able to get them in the net. I can’t thank Jim enough for inviting me. It’s always fun to catch big browns with good friends! My second ever 20-incher will have to wait!
