Definition #4--- DEATH GRIP

Death Grip:

Simply, breaking-off a trout because of not giving the trout line. Alternately known as not giving the trout its "head"or not letting it run and take-out line. The break-off can occur at a leader knot or hook knot. Either way, It is a clean break (no "pig-tails"...poorly tied knot); strictly "pilot error."

There are three types:

1-grabbiing/stopping the reel's handle as it spins line off the reel
2-pinching the line to the butt section of the rod with one's line-hand
3-pinching the line to the rod handle, between the reel and control finger

There is a higher probability of the death grip to occurr with fly anglers who are relatively new to the sport and/or those who are not accustomed to fighting large trout.

A Guide's Dilemma

What is a guide to do in the heat of battle? Bark-out commands like a rabid Smokey-da-Bear-Capped DI (Drill Instructor...having experienced a few) or stoically say nothing & let the client go with their instincts? I'm sure the answer is somewhere in between.

Over the years I've realized that most of my streamside incantations occur when I'm guiding/instructing a beginner or intermediate fly angler (whatever the latter means) who may have limited experience hooking, playing & landing a decent trout. With an experienced fly angler, generally, a lot less encouragement & coaching is required.

The more intense scenarios by this emotionally unrestrained Italian's yelling & screaming probably totally discombobulates the client's instincts of what to do. Actually I'm still trying to temper my behavior & there seems to be some progress...after all these years. Lots of times I do apologize if I was a bit too vocal & most times the client says it was OK or they were not offended by my behavior. I'm sure there have been times when they may have white-lied a bit.

When your adrenalin is pumping and your client is into a big fish there is a tendancy...for sure...that both of you want to net the trout. Of course I have ulterior motives; my personal gratification since I'm actually fly fishing THROUGH the client. But more important to me is the elation & sense of accomplishment that the client may experience. I call this notion the "shareable world"; the passion of mutual experiencing an event. Plus, I/we do enjoy the high-fives, fist-bumps or primal-screams that occur at the net and/or upon the realease.

3rd Big Bug of June..adult?

I was was guiding on the upper BT on Wednesday and had a brief conversation with a fly angler who I've had e-note communications with since we met at the Pleasanton FFing Show. He mentioned all the Golden StoneFlies he had seen. I mentioned that, personally, I have not seen any adults...yet. Nor had I see any shucks on the boulders. Admittedly, I have not been in the canyon for over a week. Was he speaking about nymphs?

He returned a perplexed look, as if saying "Are you blind?". No, although I do wear corrective lenses & is the reason why I may be alive because I opted-out of becoming an infantry officer in Vietnam. I was being honest and I have to surmise that the adults are prolific in the canyon which he had visited the day before. Yes, I have received reliable intel of them in the canyon; which is a great location to be now for aggressive, "combat-waders" since the flows are below 575 cfs....hint.

As soon as he ventured upstream I returned my focus to the client. Then, I saw ONE shuck of a Golden, amongst a cluster of at least 50 little Yellow Stone exo-skeletons on the downstream side of a mid-stream boulder. For sure, there are plenty of the latter flying around and in the bushes..............with an impressionistic #14 down-wing pattern getting attention at the surface. Regardless, use the NYMPH of the Golden, it will draw attention...below...for more consistent hook-ups.

Yeah, I know it is more of a rush to see that explosion at the surface.

Prime Conditions Have Arrrived

Finally the BT is coming into fine fishing shape. The melt is almost over. Water temps are getting near the prime-floor-temps of the 55 degree mark. Bugs are hatching and some trout are eating on top. But for consistent success nymphing remains the most assured tactic of success.

Right now I personally focus on the stretch from the Boca inflow to the Donner Creek spill-in. This area requires less combat-wading. Unlike like the da Sheriff of da Canyon * whose turf...Hirschdale to the CA-NV stateline, is big water (...and admittedly a chance of larger trout), my clients have not netted a 5 pounder yet.

*www.gilliganguidservice.com

One such trophy was on for an extended, 3-4 minutes struggle last Tuesday, June 22nd.
It ate a #16 Rubber-Legged, Flash-Backed Hare's Ear It rushed downstream, pocket to pocket and finally into a large pool. I'm saying "Great...now we can net it!", thinking it was ready for the net...it simply uncorked.

March Browns, BWO's, Green Drakes & Yellow Stone adults are being observed mid-day. The take has been wild RainBows to 17-1/2" and Browns to 20" and the real native Mountain WhiteFish to 19".

The LT , below Stampede Dam, was lowered to 30 cfs today!!...geez. At 40cfs for the last 3 weeks we've been sight-fishing. Casting to RB's & Browns to 20"; most in the 15"-18" range with the rarer 12"-13" RB. It has been mostly dry/dropper fishing. The producing dries are #10 Green Drake Emergers, #12 ParaChute Black Flying Ants, #16 PMD Cripples and #18-20 CDC,Grey, Biot ComParaDuns. These flows, IMO, are really too low & may be detrimental to the fishery's health. Most especially de-watering the "nursery", side channels, which is where the newly hatched minnows reside.

Gary Amendola from Ohio even managed to land & release a flying trout...

and his fishing partner, Phil Murphy managed a beautiful Brown

The small creeks will remain in ideal conditions for the next couple of weeks.

These small running waters host beautifully-colored Brookie & RainBow in the 6"-10" range. A 12 incher is considered a "hog." An ideal rod for these little jewels is a 2 or 3 weight rod. I'm still a small creek junkie and will visit them whenever the opportunity is there...such as now!

One last comment...Now is an opportune time to visit lake inlets. Over the years we've had encounteres with some out-sized trout. Most of the time we probe the deeper water column; stripping streamers and occasionally wind-drift sub-surface fare under an indicator. If one is lucky an angler can also encounter a very decent surface rise to both Damsels and Callibaetis

Cyber Flash!! #2

...a belated Flash!

The second leg of the fabled Big Bugs of June has landed...made an apppearance. While guiding on Monday, June 21, I personally saw three (3), adult Green Drakes on the Little Truckee from 12-12:10 PM. I also received a report...and you know it is from a reliable source otherwise I do not use it...of four (4) adults viewed in pocket-water along the lower reaches of Glenshire Drive; also at noon. Neither sightings resulted in observed rise activity; which should change soon.

The melt & run-off has decreased and near its end. Finally the BT is fishable with trout that have thus far not been seriously harassesd. Now we'll experience a prolonged season with plenty of water and lot of bugs.

Remember, the sequence of hatch activity is sequenially consistent; when the sequence STARTS is subject to the previous winter's snow-pack & water content the corresponding run-off. Jeff Brown, the manager of the Sagehen Creek UC Research Facility, informed me that at his location they have recorded 146% of BOTH snow-pack and water content.With that in mind, IMO, everything, conservatively, is at least 3-4 weeks behind...if not more.

Now I await reports or personal viewing of the third Big Bugs of June; the Golden Stonefly.

Cyber Flash!! #1

I saw all of four (4) Black Flying Ants yesterday; my sigthing of this season's first Big Bug of June. A #12 SawMill Black Ant produced several Rainbows in the 17" to 19-3/4" range at the Bluff Slick on LT

E-Quicky Report...#1

Finally, we're experiencing some warm weather; with the exception of this morning's greyish-overcast sky & drizzle and gusty winds with clearing skies this afternoon. Because of the unpredictable weather during the last two weeks, I canceled 5 guide days and rescheduled two.

No...I haven't seen the infamous, first Big Bugs of June, the Flying, Black Ant...yet

Here is a report I gave to an inquiring client today:

"The main Truckee is in the mist of run-off, high & discolored. Heavy nymphing with lots of lead and streamers using sink-tips are your best tactics. Behind town it is peaking at 700 cfs and troughing at 500cfs, but, IMO, still too high and possibly very treacherous wading. Looking at the flow charts I'm deducting that the melt is waning, although there is still lots of snow on the high peaks & north slopes.

The LT is very low for this time of year; 41 cfs. The fish are spooky. We're in-between hatches, so there are few consistent risers. If you observe a steady riser, my bet is that they're eating midge emergers. Mid-day you may fool a trout using terresterials, such as ants and beetles; with BH droppers. Be aware...mosquitos have made an appearance!...especially in the shade and at dusk.

The smaller running waters are very near perfect and exploring their lake-inflows are a good ploy...as soon as they clear.

In two-three weeks everything should explode!"