A small muddler, caddis or Usual cast upstream and deaddrifted down current seams and bubble/foam lines would be my first step. Maybe drop a nymph or bugger off the muddler if I'm not getting any takers on the surface. I'd continue that up stream for half the day and then swing/strip/hang a muddler or wet fly downstream on the way back. That's pretty much my plan on any stream.
The part about start close in is very good advice. All too often people wade into the fish and cast beyond them. On one particularly egregious example, we were camped on the Deschutes one afternoon sipping some beers and waiting for the evening hatch. Two bozos drove up, walked into our camp and waded out waist deep-right into the heart of fish holding water. They hung around for about half an hour making mighty cast well out into the river. They caught nothing. After they left we caught fish right where they were standing right up till dark.
For most wild trout in westside new-to-me water I start with CFS. I assume late spring-early summer the water will be "high". In July I assume moderate flows, August lower flows until the rains begin. I lookup the median CFS readings for that stream or a neighboring drainage and compare to the current readings.
I have some "confidence flies" that just seem to work everywhere, and have proven very versatile under various conditions even when there is an obvious hatch occurring. This is what I usually throw first
So far in westside in streams with moderate to high headwaters it hasn't mattered much for native cutts, wild rainbows-hybrids and brookies. I often catch multiple species if they coexist.
Mind giving me a recipe for that second fly, it looks great!
These two flies look like Reverse Spiders. I even tied up a few of these. But I probably never used them. When I fished the wet side skinny water I was always fishing dries. Since I moved to Montana I have learned how to fish nymphs. There are a lot more fish under water and they are somewhat bigger under there.
Takayama Pheasant Tail Kebari (wet fly, can fish dry until waterlogged)
www.tenkarabum.com
Thank you, Im definitely tying some and trying them next time out!Takayama Pheasant Tail Kebari (wet fly, can fish dry until waterlogged)
*Thread 8/0 black or neon red if you want a hotspot.
*Hook - Moonlit ML062 barbless competition hook (curved shank, wide gape, similar to a scud hook), usually #12 for trout.
*Hackle - I like variegated such as Grizzly to emphasize movement. Webby if I want hackle movement and more sink, stiffer rooster if I want to use it for controlling the drift
*Body - Pheasant Tail
*Thorax - 3 peacock herl barbs spun into a dubbing loop is good but Hareline Ice Dub Olive Brown is more durable, easier to use, & has a UV flash quality in bright light.
*Rib - thin copper, optional. I don't normally use it, but can add durability, possibly faster sink.
Unlike most flies, the Takayama sakasa (reversed hackle) is usually tied from the head, hackle, then thorax and body, with the whip finish at the bend
However, I often tie head, hackle, body thorax, and whip finish between the thorax and head, hiding the thread in the thorax dubbing.Sakasa Kebari
The Sakasa Kebari, or reverse hackle fly, is probably the iconic "tenkara fly." I prefer partridge to pheasant for the hackle, and tie them a bit sparser.
