Fishing with Phil

Vince and I boated to the Narrows about a mile above Fall
Creek. Water was off, temp dropping and wind stiff out of the north at 15 mph at 2 pm. The only thing we could do is use a jig and float. Vince had his fly rod and me my spin cast.

We set the boat up on the shallow flat in about 2 ft of water and cast to the deeper side but still not much more than 3 to 3.5 feet. Even with the waves almost breaking over, we could see rainbows all over the place slashing and jumping- they were very active. Vince started with an olive 1/80th oz jig and I with a white 1/50th oz. Vince had a couple before I got my first. It was a white bass- about 3/4 lb. I saw others but they schooled on by.

The wind was really moving us, too fast to catch fish so I threw out an anchor and we really started to nail them. We both hooked some really nice rainbows, lost several but landed a few along with other trout. All rainbows. All were very fat and healthy- lots of color. Caught some males, darken and yellow tinted. We ended it at 4:30- C of O had a couple of B-Ball games and Vince had to get back.

The wind was pretty crazy. It would blow hard and make the water roll, then tame down but the waves kept going. It was rippled so we could see down in and see the rainbow schooling around. We’d throw close enough to see them swarming under the indicator but the float wouldn’t move until, wait…, the float would finally dart. It was fun.

We also tried this- setting the float at 3 feet, we were fishing in less than 3 feet of water. That means the jig was laying on the bottom. I’d hop the float, hopping the jig off the bottom may be 12 inches. When I did this, I’d see one- maybe two- rainbows dart over toward where the jig was, seeing the movement and being drawn to it. I’d do it again and he’d hit it hard.

If we’d used a white jig (we didn’t cause they were on an olive), we would have seen the jig disappear into the trout’s mouth. That’s cool too.

I have to say I was very impressed with the size and fight of these rainbows. I saw others quite a bit bigger than the ones we hooked. I’m excited about our prospects this winter and spring.