I have fished in most any kind of weather imaginable. My least favorite is high winds, but over the years I have noticed that I often have unusually good fishing right after a rainstorm. I have had days when fishing in the rain and it has just been dead, then the rain stops and its game on. Not so much with saltwater. I remember an incredible day salmon fishing in crazy heavy rain off of Sekiu. Anybody else notice this?
Fishing and weather
- Thread starter Aufwuchs
- Start date
Sorry for the long-winded tale... it's how I remember it.
This set of circumstances has only happened to me once when I was on a trip through WY, fishing the N Fork Shoshone. Clouds were moving in from over the ridge to the west above the river and building above me. I was not getting or seeing any fish. It seemed sudden; the wind kicked up and the sky let forth a driving rain. My newwaterproof(ed) insulated softshell was not keeping me dry. I took shelter under the lee and conveniently overhanging side of a BIG streamside boulder where I could see the water. After 10+ minutes the rain stopped, and a substantial dark winged Green Rock Caddis hatch began. 20 ft upstream in a cleft between two boulders that I couldn't reach from downstream a BIG fish began sipping them in. I tied on a #12 green Deer Hair Caddis and I carefully went further downstream, crossed the river, walked upstream near the other bank, and worked my way back down. I got to practice my drift on another large fish a ways upstream but lost it in the current. The BIG guy was still sipping as I worked into position for a quartering downstream cast. On the first cast the line got caught in the hydraulic in front of the outside boulder forming the cleft which took my fly out into the current. I put a big upstream mend in the line on the 2nd cast so the presentation was fly first with at least 10 feet of line straight upstream just inches away from the boulders lining the bank. The fly went into the cleft, up rose the fish to sip it in. I set the hook. As it darted out into the current I did a 2nd firm but controlled hookset (that really helps for me). This time I worked my way down below the fish and fought him upstream to use the current against him. I wasn't using Measure Nets and didn't have a tape or markings on my rod but I netted a fat (conservatively) 18"-20" fish. Also, as the wind was kicking up, my buddy had worked his way a few hundred yards downstream to a sheltered bend and landed a bunch of smaller fish during and after the rain in the slack water seam at the bend.
The moral to this story: If you're on or near the water as a brief storm cell passes through, watch the water for insect activity as it lets up.
This set of circumstances has only happened to me once when I was on a trip through WY, fishing the N Fork Shoshone. Clouds were moving in from over the ridge to the west above the river and building above me. I was not getting or seeing any fish. It seemed sudden; the wind kicked up and the sky let forth a driving rain. My new
The moral to this story: If you're on or near the water as a brief storm cell passes through, watch the water for insect activity as it lets up.
I hate wind too. Although one of the best day dry fly fishing on a lake was when it was windy.
As I get older, I question my sanity when I go fishing in the cold, rain, sleet, for winter steelhead. I'm really liking warmer days when the sun is out.
As I get older, I question my sanity when I go fishing in the cold, rain, sleet, for winter steelhead. I'm really liking warmer days when the sun is out.
I had a similar experience on the Deschutes several years back. Despite a bluebird forecast a quick squall blew through mid-afternoon. Immediately afterward the bit turned on big time.
I was fishing a local Eastern Washington Lake one time in March with very limited success. I was in a pontoon boat, and it started hailing so hard that I just quit fishing, pulled my hood up, put my hands in my pockets and just sat there hoping to ride it out. Just a few minutes into the hail storm I thought I noticed dorsal fins popping up everywhere, but with the hail hitting the water I wasn’t sure. Once I realized that is what it was I started casting and hooked a fish on literally every cast. The hail died after about 10 or 15 minutes, but the hot fishing went on for about 45 minutes before it died down again. No idea why, could’ve been a coincidence. But it was stunning.
I also love a little bit of wind. A buddy of mine who fishes lakes in Oregon that hold some very large fish calls a slight breeze, enough to put a light chop on a water the 10 pound chop. But he can tell you if the chop is too big or too little. The 10 pound chop has to be just perfect.
On stillwater winds within reason aren’t that bad. If you’re able to anchor Both bow and stern, you can have the wind at your back and just roll cast. However I totally agree in general I don’t like wind. Especially on the streams.
Some of my best beach fishing days, especially for salmon, have some in some of the craziest winds I could manage to fish in.
One memorable day a handful of years ago myself and several other forum members toughed out some pretty insane winds at an area 9 Beach and were rewarded with some damn good fishing. That was a uniquely fun day.
I get quite a bit of pleasure suffering through awful conditions only to come out victorious and catch fish. In many ways those days are more enjoyable for me than the blue bird days.
One memorable day a handful of years ago myself and several other forum members toughed out some pretty insane winds at an area 9 Beach and were rewarded with some damn good fishing. That was a uniquely fun day.
I get quite a bit of pleasure suffering through awful conditions only to come out victorious and catch fish. In many ways those days are more enjoyable for me than the blue bird days.
A little wind to put a chop on the lake when fishing a balance leach is killer.
I have a big bass story.
One of the ponds right along Hwy 97 that is next to the Columbia river has some really big bass.
Well this bas likes to hang right under a big rock at the very end of the pond and he/she can see everything that comes close to it's hide out.
One day headed up north to work the wind was blowing hard making white caps on the pond.
I got as far away as I could cast and put a minnow pattern right on top of the rock, let it settle then pulled it off the edge and as it sink, BANG!!!
22" LMB
Got to love the wind when it's just right
I have a big bass story.
One of the ponds right along Hwy 97 that is next to the Columbia river has some really big bass.
Well this bas likes to hang right under a big rock at the very end of the pond and he/she can see everything that comes close to it's hide out.
One day headed up north to work the wind was blowing hard making white caps on the pond.
I got as far away as I could cast and put a minnow pattern right on top of the rock, let it settle then pulled it off the edge and as it sink, BANG!!!
22" LMB
Got to love the wind when it's just right
What do the pundits say about clear sunny weather, no wind, temps rising to about 58 degrees? I've been out twice under these conditions (yesterday being the most recent) and the mayfly hatch was conspicuously absent. If I had hair I probably would have pulled it out.
I count myself lucky though, in spite of the slow fishing. The beauty of the day, the amazing scenery and great company went a long way toward mitigating feeling like a dope from standing in the river for several hours thinking 'it'll happen any minute now'.
I count myself lucky though, in spite of the slow fishing. The beauty of the day, the amazing scenery and great company went a long way toward mitigating feeling like a dope from standing in the river for several hours thinking 'it'll happen any minute now'.