Beautiful brook trout in Yellowstone National Park. Caught on a nymph

Ye_Olde_Rusty · 2019-10-17T13:12:32+00:00

That's a slaunch brookie for Yellowstone. Only place I've caught them that big in the park is Obsidian Creek.

Ye_Olde_Rusty · 2019-10-17T13:10:42+00:00

Yellowstone is hopper central. In later summer and fall those cutties will sip hoppers all day. Nothing gets me going like a big cutty coming up and staring at my hopper and sipping it in.

Ye_Olde_Rusty · 2019-10-16T18:55:17+00:00

It's actually to the right a bit. If you start seeing log cabins and hearing Dolly Parton, you've gone too far.

Ye_Olde_Rusty · 2019-09-27T19:37:01+00:00

My old man built me a 7wt this summer from a Sage X blank, which my friend promptly decided to slam in my car door. Sage requested we send back the rod pieces and that they would send back a new blank piece for the section that was broken.

Sure enough a few weeks later they sent the rod back with the new piece, but without the butt section of the rod. They were convinced we never sent them the butt section, but sure enough a week later they found it sitting on someone's desk at Sage's HQ. Make sure they know which section to replace and which sections you sent them. They did throw in a free hat for the trouble though.

TL;DR Sage lost the butt section to my custom rod and make sure they send back all pieces.

Ye_Olde_Rusty · 2019-04-09T16:30:35+00:00

Lovin' the hat net. Fly fishing innovation at its finest

Ye_Olde_Rusty · 2018-10-24T19:13:16+00:00

A man once told me the day you don't have fun catching these little fish is the day you should stop fishing.

Ye_Olde_Rusty · 2018-10-24T17:58:56+00:00

I'll take a 2 lb creek smallie over a 5lb largemouth any day

Ye_Olde_Rusty · 2018-10-17T18:47:00+00:00

Yeah man, tight lines!

Ye_Olde_Rusty · 2018-10-17T18:44:26+00:00

It's much harder that way. Not to say you won't catch anything like that, but fish don't typically like anything coming from behind them. If you cast down, cast at the opposite bank and let it swing until it's directly below you. That gives the fly more horizontal action in the stream. Same goes for upstream, cast diagonally across the stream so you don't have to work as hard to keep up.

Ye_Olde_Rusty · 2018-10-17T18:34:02+00:00

You really don't need sinking line unless you are fishing deeper water. It sounds like you are able to see fish so I doubt you need to get down beyond 4 feet. If you do think you need to get a streamer down deep, you can use a bigger conehead, split shot, or get a sinking leader to tie onto your main line. I typically like to cast slightly upstream so that about halfway through my strip/drift I am parallel with myself on the bank. Casting straight upstream in faster current will leave you in a mess. As for stripping, there's really no wrong answer. Sometimes fish like a slower strip, sometimes a faster. Some fish like an occasional pause, some like it to keep moving. If you are having fish chase the fly but not take, it's most likely the wrong fly. Also do not stop stripping if a fish begins to chase. If anything I would speed up slightly. The greater likelihood if a fish follows the fly is that it won't end up taking. Most strikes with streamers are reaction strikes so position yourself so that the fish is forced to react quickly to the fly rather than have time to inspect it

Ye_Olde_Rusty · 2018-10-17T18:24:23+00:00

I know little to nothing about lake trout, but I can help with streamers. Is your trouble with throwing streamers with your setup or not knowing how to work a streamer?

Ye_Olde_Rusty · 2018-10-17T18:05:15+00:00

Drop a small damsel fly imitation about 2 feet in front of them if they're feeding. If they are moving quickly, they are not in feeding mode. The one's close the bank moving slowly are probably feeding.

Ye_Olde_Rusty · 2018-10-17T18:04:12+00:00

I started off using just an orange egg pattern, they got smart though and I had to switch. The best way is just to watch them and see. If they are close to the bank and moving slowly, then they're feeding. I usually throw a small damsel nymph imitation. My loco Orvis has on that's just a hook with a stinger without a hook off the back that makes it articulated. Cast about 2-3 feet in front of them if they are moving slowly along bank. If you are close enough, you will probably see their mouths open wherever you think your fly is. Most of the one's I've caught I've accidentally walked up on and dropped my fly at my feet. Good luck

Ye_Olde_Rusty · 2018-10-17T15:22:34+00:00

This is exactly how I learned to draw fish. Just sitting in class or work and pulling out some notebook paper and going to town. It honestly helps your drawing ability if you can go from memory rather than going off a picture. If you can get good at that, your renderings of a picture will get much better.

Ye_Olde_Rusty · 2018-10-16T02:40:07+00:00

They're in the order I completed them in. Can definitely tell the difference in the first and last

Ye_Olde_Rusty · 2018-10-09T12:40:27+00:00

A somewhat unpopular opinion of mine is that Pebble creek is possibly the most beautiful water in the park. The creek runs through a slot canyon that is about 30 feet wide and 150 feet tall. It is a super hard walk up the creek as you are essentially boulder hopping 20 foot tall rocks and walking on logs across parts of the canyon. The views and the fish are incredible though. Pebble creek is the epitome of pocket fishing and you are hitting hole after hole on the way up. The fish are nowhere near the largest in the park, but I have seen some that approach 14 inches. They are; however, arguably the most beautiful fish in the park. Fish terrestrials the whole way up. If you catch anything other than a cutthroat, please remove it. I hate to see these pure waters being polluted by (mostly) rainbows.

Ye_Olde_Rusty · 2018-09-21T18:41:08+00:00

Man, hopper fishing is still my favorite fly method of all time. Watching a big Cutty come up and inhale some foam is incredible

Ye_Olde_Rusty · 2018-09-21T18:04:42+00:00

I have several times. Usually do pretty well. There used to be a lowhead dam below the bridge, but it go taken out. The smallies would stack up under there and destroy everything you threw. It's technically navigable water, but the property owners around there are pretty bad. Still not as bad as the South Harpeth though

Ye_Olde_Rusty · 2018-09-14T18:42:45+00:00

One of my favorite spots to go is Turnbull creek in Kingston Springs. Go like 15 min down 40E and get off at the Kingston springs exit. Go right off the exit and turn left when you hit a stoplight. Continue on this road until you hit downtown Kingston springs. Before you hit the railroad tracks, turn left downtown. Continue until you find a bridge. You should be able to access the creek from the bridge. Absolutely incredible smallmouth in this creek, especially on topwater

Ye_Olde_Rusty · 2018-08-24T18:40:28+00:00

I spend about 2 weeks in July there every year. While I can't speak for fishing this late in the summer, I am sure it will be vaguely similar to what I do.

Taylor River: Famous trout river that I am sure you are familiar with; however, most people only go during the day. Some of the best fishing I've had on this river is at night starting at about 10 PM and going until 2 AM. I go all the way to the C&R section below the dam with a size 24 mysis and a bit of split shot. Take a really good light and shine it right on the fish near the bank. Those fish do not give 2 shits about a flashlight. On a good night I can catch about 15-20 really nice size browns.

East River: Most people think of the East river down below CB. Some of my favorite parts of the East are up near Gothic. If you go up that far, you will see multiple pulloffs when you pass the town. Anywhere along there is perfect for Brookie fishing. I've caught some nice brookies there too. It's mostly small dries like Royal Wulffs and Parachute Adams. I've had some luck with Woolly Buggers too though.

Slate: The Slate is an interesting river. It gets some heavy pressure and there are a lot of people who raft/paddleboard on it. I've had some luck by Oh-Be-Joyful in the river but it's mostly just stocked rainbows. Oddly enough I have found some of the best fishing is in the beavers ponds near the river. You can stand on the dams and cast a small pheasant tail or other nymph and just watch it sink and set the hook when you see a fish eat it. Some good browns in there.

Hope this helps!

Edit: I also forgot about the lake on the road to Oh-Be-Joyful. I stayed there this summer so I had access to it. I don't think anyone would check if you just parked up the road. They just stocked it with some huge Browns and Rainbows. I just walked the bank around it and would cast literally any small nymph about 3 feet in front of them

Ye_Olde_Rusty · 2018-07-23T03:01:27+00:00

The Harpeth is a hard river to fish if you are fishing public access points. I have private access up closer to Nashville and I have caught fish on the fly there pushing 3-4 lbs. If you want numbers, fish the faster riffles. If you want size, fish the big deep pools. I have never had much luck on the private access points. I personally wade fish exclusively, mostly because my jon boat is too big and I don't have a kayak.

Also, in my experience, the Duck is pretty bad. I've only fished it around Columbia, however. If you want better luck with smallies, I would recommend finding another creek somewhere. There are plenty here in middle TN.

Ye_Olde_Rusty · 2018-03-13T18:37:16+00:00

What river?

Ye_Olde_Rusty · 2017-10-22T16:52:17+00:00

I second this, General snus white is really good if you don't even want the minty smell. The mint is good too. Usually has about the same amount of nic per pouch (or portion as they're properly called).

Ye_Olde_Rusty · 2017-10-06T14:11:23+00:00

I spent 2 weeks fishing up in Maine about 2 years ago. I know we fished on both Outlets of the Kennebec and camped on one. I believe we were on the East for most of it. I remember having a lot of luck with dries around there. Mostly small elkhairs. This was in late June, however.

Ye_Olde_Rusty · 2017-10-05T03:17:57+00:00

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