High water fishing

Mike Kaul, local commentary
Posted 6/29/22

Mike Kaul talks high water fishing.

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High water fishing

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Mother Nature has been exceeding kind to us this spring, bringing forth generous amounts of moisture in May and June, which soaked the parched lowlands and added to the mountain snow packs. The spring weather has been erratic with high and low temperature swings creating early spikes in snowmelt followed by more normal spring flows.

There is still a lot of snow in the mountains and if the temperatures remain moderate for the next couple of weeks we could be in for an extended runoff. If this trend holds, the rivers and streams flowing out of the Wyoming and Wind River ranges will remain high and in some cases, a little off color for the next few weeks. These conditions will offer some challenges for walk/wade fishers, but hopefully, the floaters will benefit by having decent water flow throughout the summer.

Even though our streams and rivers are running high, they can still provide good fishing opportunities if you understand and cope with certain challenges. Locating fish in big water conditions will be difficult since the high volume of water allows the fish to spread out and feed in a variety of locations. Water temperatures will remain cooler due to the fact that most of the water in our streams is coming directly off the snow fields. The fish will be lethargic and trying to conserve energy by staying out of the swift runoff current. They will hold deeper in the water column or close to the banks and behind natural structures that slow the rapid currents.

Larger fish will be as efficient as possible in their feeding habits and expend extra energy only to take large pieces of protein, which will dictate using larger flies. The terminal tackle will also need to be weighted so it will get well down in the water and stay in the feeding zones for a fair amount of time. This is a real challenge in fast-moving currents. Patience will be required since you may have to drag your fly through the feeding zone several times to get it close enough to the fish’s nose for a strike. This can be a tough task when floating down a swift river in a boat.

When you fish deep in the water column, rely on flies with contrast such as white and black or light and dark colors. The flies should have stripes, bars, reflective tinsel or fluorescent hues. The fish will key in on familiar forms of food such as emerging nymphs, forage fish, grubs and worms that are dislodged from flooded stream banks.

The San Juan worm fly meets the form criteria very well during the runoff. If you find water with good visibility and the conditions are right (cloudy afternoons) you could encounter a blue wing olive hatch that could bring the trout up in the water column to feed.

During these high water conditions, I would urge you to exercise caution when wading or floating the swollen streams and rivers. Use a wading staff to probe the murky water to avoid stepping into deep holes. The staff also gives you a third point of contact in the water and provides greater stability. Make sure you know the stretch of the river you are going to float and anticipate trouble such as low bridge clearance and debris.

Consider the wading boots you are wearing in terms of serviceability and suitability. Wading boots, with felt or rubber soles with metal cleats that are in good condition, will help prevent a tumble in the water. Make sure you use a wading belt with your waders and wear it snuggly around your waist so your waders will not fill with water if you happen to fall.

Our streams are going to be running high and off color for the next few weeks so think about the many lakes we have around the county. Depending on the temperature and atmospheric conditions, the fish may be feeding close to the surface so forage fish patterns will work well along with a host of spoon lures. Keep an eye out for rise rings in smooth water bay areas where fish are taking nymph emergers or surface flies. Tie on a parachute Adams or a small black gnat for a surface attractor and trail it with a small nymph like a zebra john, prince or pheasant tail. Do not be afraid to go totally retro and use a black wooly worm.

When fishing lakes from shore or from a boat be cognizant of the wind. Fish that are feeding on or near the surface will usually be facing into the breeze. A lot of the food they are looking for is being blown off the shoreline into the water. Fish will also be looking for spinners (flies that have laid their eggs in the water and died) or cripple flies, which are drifted to the fish by the wind. A good ensemble to use is a large cripple pattern trailed by a small emerging beadhead nymph.

If you are fishing from shore, cast this rig out and retrieve it back very slow with short, twitchy jerks. This gives the cripple fly a little movement replicating its effort to lift off the water and the nymph will jerk upward on each retrieve, replicating its swim toward the surface. If you are fishing from a boat or other float device, use the same technique but be sure to compensate for the wind drifting you toward the fish’s feeding zone.

Fishing still water where the fish are holding lower in the water column will require different bait and tactics. Use forage fish patterns in both fly and spoon categories. When fishing from shore, make your cast and let the bait sink to what you think is close to the bottom. Retrieve the lure with a rapid series of long pulls, replicating a small fish swimming through the water. Slow down the retrieve for a fraction of a second between each long pull. This will produce a slight hesitation by the forage fish as it decides which way to move to keep out of the mouth of a bigger fish. This same technique can be used from a floating platform.

REMEMBER THERE IS NO BAD “FISHIN” !!!!