The 1st post summer hurricane rain is really the start of the fall season. You'll want to head out as soon after the debris and fallen trees have been cleared as you can. Water levels rise and the temps fall from the terminal levels of summer. The big rivers drain the mountains and the smaller waters so give them a few days to clear to a safe level. The best bet is to find small water the day after the storm passes. Typically the water is falling (generally good fishing) and always sheltered from the wind which invariably follows these storms.
In the past I have written and spoke of “known pockets” the trick here is not to fish those but instead to re-learn or explore anew the water you thought you knew & understood. I was on such a creek this weekend. I have fished it to the point where I know where and even how many / how big the fish will be.
Casting well (for me) with solid pinpoint casts. However every known pocket was now wrong or empty or worse still all the fish were dead from this drought plagued toxic summer. I fished up to my favorite pool where I know ever rock and branch and from the car to here had only raised one small fish. If these fish survived from the ice age till now they were likely still here just not where they were supposed to be. Ok time to improvise…
I tied on an Ausable Wulff and went back to work – On small water I always fish upstream and then hike home. Today I would fish only the larger pools and the impossible root ball flushes I always bypassed due to never having taken a fish in otherwise fine spots.
I knew this would be a day to remember when I approached the heavily canopied section which I often see fish rise but can never approach them let alone cast to one. On this day however I approached from above and fished the dry Ausable "wet" and down jerking it like Fran always preaches (this has never worked before). I took fish after fish on this pool even though they could plainly see me, even though I was splashing like a kid with a new “Slip & Slide”. I can not explain this other than to say it worked. I moved down to the open pool, where no man has ever taken a fish and again fished down & wet. I took the first small fish, the best fish of the head of the pool, several small fish along the bank, the best mid-pool funnel fish and several in the tail. Boy this was fun.
I moved downstream with the confidence which can only yield new ever greater discovery (or a nasty fall). At the flush rush of one of the best scourers, I sat lit a cigar and pitched my fly into the abyss of roots & tangles no sane ff would go. Before I could get a full char glow on my AVO I was fast the best fish of the day. Full bodied silky and firm but with some give (is this about the cigar or the fish?). The fish dove for the rock and snags & I thought wow this guy is getting away, but there is really no where for them to go in small water and finally I held in my hand and raise a perfect jewel of color, symmetry and life. He was back in the water before he knew it and I was moving down confident there could not be another fish in this small pool (without being dinner for the guy I just released).
Since the day was going so well I moved down to the lower water and at the confluence with the “other” brook I fish wet and down into the seam pulling the fly upstream a foot or more ever so often until I was again fast to the best fish of the day / outing. This one was a full 13” and firm and wide. He took me out to tail of the broad pool (~ 25’) and back to hand. Again beautiful this was a good one to close out the day.
When Old Guy says try this, it may or may not work, but store it away for a day when nothing else is working and bring it out you may be astonished at the results. Also fish the pools you never catch fish on (or even see fish on). Both may not make any sense in the world you have come to know but is that not the fun of this game?
