This is the second night on the Millers River this year and all this water we have been receiving this year has kept the Millers river high.
Low water conditions below typical year
Photo above shows high water levels
Normally this time of year you can see the water level much lower at the banks exposing the ground. Not this year the water is up to the grass banks.
First time out July 12, I stuck out due to high water conditions. I felt my flies were not swinging down low enough in the water column. I fish a two fly dropper system when I fish almost all the time especially at night.
The two flies I was using were two versions of the picket pin two great flies for the Millers River they have all the qualities that fish like. But not that night.
I felt I needed to use a couple flies that would penetrate the deep water and swing in the zone of where the brown trout maybe feeding. I decided upon using bead head woolly buggers the extra weight of the brass beads would give me enough weight to swing deeper in the water column.
Last night I swung by Pete Mallet’s house before going down to the Millers River.
We discussed about a upcoming event to be held at Pete’s house this September for the Millers River Fisherman’s Association members. Keep an eye open for notice in this blog and in your e Mail inbox all members will be contacted for the final details.
Back to getting ready for the nights fishing for those brown trout. I was setting up my fly rod with some new flies in Pete’s garage, away from the Mosquitoes. For some reason or another I could not locate my woolly bugger fly box disappointed and upset I tied on two other flies for my night out on the river.
For a while I have been breeding genetic hackle chickens and some of my chickens provide me with very large spey hackle types of feathers. I tied this fly on below
It has a peacock herl head, copper wire body for weight and the largest spey type of hackle wound along the body with a dark tail. A very basic fly that pushes water and has a weighted body of copper wire to over come the resistance of the fly rising as it swings through a pool.
The next fly is my favorite a Black Winged Lead Wing Coachman one of my favorite flies for all occasions.
The leadwing coachman was my end fly and the spey type of fly was the dropper.
I arrived at the waters edge much later than I really wanted to do so, it was already dark and had to gear up in the dark. Not a big deal but sometimes the action starts early as the sun goes down. I missed this opportunity getting to the river late tonight.
Tonight the water was down a few feet but still very high for this time of the year. The mosquitoes were not bad tonight, last week I needed to wear a mosquito head net to fish without being overcome by the mosquitoes biting you, but tonight I went without a net.
All geared up and ready to go I glanced at my watched 9:20pm and the first cast was made. I normally fish at night traditional wet fly style, quarter cast across stream and swing the flies on a tight line as they make their way through the pool.
9:26pm at the end of a swing bang and out of the water a brown trout as it hammered one of my flies. Nice fish and good resistance. I couldn’t wait to see which fly this brown trout took. Nice fish of about 14-16 inches. I just wanted to get this trout back in the water soon as possible after taking a picture.
The spey type of fly won out this brown trout hammered this fly viciously.
Now back into the water to make some more swings through the pool. 9:33pm a second take this time a very gently take when I was lifting the line preparing to make a new cast.
This brown trout just a little bigger took the leadwing coachman.
These beautiful well colored brown trout are fat and active so they must be doing well in the Millers River feeding and growing.
A few more casts fishing till about 9:50pm with no other takes from the resident brown trout I decided to call it a night.
I noticed the brown trout I catch at night in the Millers River bite very early and fast within an hour from 9-10pm. I have fished till the wee hours of the morning and never found them to continue feeding through the night. Could be just were I fish, no need to waste anymore time fishing the pool once the activity dies.
Generally the fish show themselves if more than a couple of trout are in the pool, so I knew time to go home.
If you are not fishing at night on the Millers River give it a try you never know how you will do. Just fight your fish hard and fast and get them back into the water ASAP to live another day. The fish are not leader shy so use a heavy tippet and release them as quick as you can making sure to revive them.
Any questions or just comment on this blog if you are a night fisherman and wish to exchange ideas.
