Dialing in on the post flood conditions, we got off to a flying start! the week began with some rain and cooler conditions, with everyone getting into fish on the first afternoon that they arrived. We started picking up fish in the first beat that had always been the champion run. We had struggled earlier in the season here, with moments of promise and seeing the first spawning fish activity here in the weeks prior.

the catfish were incredibly active with some monsters coming to hand early. Ehen the Cats are moving, its a great sign for the system and the fishing. The mudfish spawn was in full swing and the water was alive!

We hunted the upper beats the next day and got some good fish but no in the numbers that we are accustomed to. Our middle beat had for some reason gone completely dead, with only grass carp in the rapids. We eventually located the bigger schools, congested in the deeper pools towards the top of the concession. Interestingly the fish all seemed to be much bigger on average. The tippet sizes increased progressively to match the power of the fish in the faster flows. Eventually everyone was fishing 12lb “tippet” and fishing big hoppers and heavy nymphs.

We were on our way back to camp for lunch and I decided to take my guest past a beautiful side stream with the thoughts of targeting some tailing carp that generally work in that area, however, when we got there a big Smallmouth rose in the middle of the run. The run is a gentle bubbling run over a shallow pebble bottom dropping into a deeper trough. The run is fringed by large tufts of grass, hanging into the water, giving it a look of a high altitude stream in Argentina. Anthony’s first cast had a big fish come up and engulf the hopper without hesitation! The action after this was hysterical, every cast had a fish hit the hopper or the nymph below, many lost and many landed and a very stretched session resulting in us being VERY late for lunch!

All in all, it was a fantastic week with a number of out guest being first time fly fisherman, leaving with some incredible memories and a new love for the fish we hold dear and the sport that makes the whole thing beautiful.