Fishing Staycation - Day One

I debated long and hard where to start my nine days of my fishing staycation  After talking with Sue and based on the temperatures I opted to make a run to Joe Wright. 

The reasons were numerous.  My fishing buddies were unavailable for the day, so it’s easier to launch a tube by oneself than a boat.  Joe Wright is cooler air, so much cooler that I wisely wore long handles for the event.  And I’m still dreaming of getting the MA certificate for Grayling and I figured Saturday would have the most anglers available for witnesses.

I didn’t get a particularly early start to the day, it was 8:30 before I got there and it took me another 30 minutes to rig everything and get launched.  Of course chatting with a couple kayakers slowed me a bit too.

As is the norm for Joe Wright, the breezes, or should I say winds, came up. Wind is the reason I primarily float tube Joe Wright.  Kayaks are great for covering lots of water, but a pain to hold your ground and fish, especially fly fishing.  While I don’t cover near as much water in the tube, I’m able to hold position a lot easier in wind and that’s important to me.

I thought about checking out the inlet, but didn’t, as the area is hit and miss for me, there’s either a ton of fish or zero, whereas the main lake toward the dam is always productive.  Turns out I got a report from a TU member who fished it Saturday and did well.  So it’s an option for those heading up.

After launching I worked the dam face fully across to the stream that comes in at the dam corner, nary a strike.  I then worked out to the mid-channel area about a quarter of the way to the inlet from the dam.  Over 70-80 feet of water I picked up a few fish.  During this time I also started switching flies in and out.  AP peacock, black hare’s ear, hare’s ear, red and black ants, pheasant tails, copper John’s red, copper, chartreuse, scuds, and orange and yellow soft hackles. 

It turns out the fish were plentiful, but they were being picky.  Yellow, they wanted yellow or chartreuse.  Oh, I caught a few on an orange soft hackle and a copper John, the majority came on a yellow soft hackle.

As to where, I found them from the dam out over deep water, and did best when I was fighting the wind to hold position.  A tiring proposition and by four that afternoon I gave it up.  But I didn’t mind as I got my grayling fix, a good one at that. I lost count after three dozen fish.  Fourteen inches was the biggest, short of the MA, but that alright, it gives me an excuse to visit again this summer, not that I need one.

A great start to my fishing staycation.