Alex Argyros
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Great to have you back, Jimbo.
I was with the lower river crew during stocking and I’m happy to report that the fish were in remarkable shape. Not only were the fish all alive, they were healthy, vigorous, and full of color. I know that this isn’t a contest, but Crystal Lake seems to consistently do a better job than the Nebraska hatchery (and, or, is a closer to us).
Take care,
Alex
Great news.
I’ll be able to help. Will this be the last stocking of the year?
I would like to add to JC’s comments the following thought: What is needed on the Guad, more than more stocked trout or stream improvement, is a cultural shift.
I’m not saying that a comp will accomplish that, but it wouldn’t hurt. The competition world is, first and foremost, composed of people who passionately care about streams, trout, and fly fishing. Comp anglers may be competitive (may be?), but they’re also champions of much that is good about our sport. To have them on the Guad could only have beneficent effects.
Alex
There are obviously going to be some concerns (guide boats, general public crowding, etc.), but I think that this is a great idea. I’ll help any way I can.
Ron,
All you need to start out is a few perdigons in sizes 16-20. The simplest perdigons to tie are what Devin Olsen calls Lite Brite perdigons: a hook (I like Dohiku 644) with a tungsten bead (I like inverting beads in bronze and silver), some tailing material (CDL is what most Euro guys use), thread as the underbody (the color of the thread affects the color of the fly), and Krystal Flash for a body. My most successful Perdigon has been the Butano as tied by Olsen, but almost any combination of thread and body works.
A few perdigons and a some eggs (my most successful pattern has been the Tungsten Taco egg in cream, again, as tied by Olsen) should get you started. After that, almost any nymph tied with a bead will catch fish. Just go to tacticalflyfisher.com or flyfishfood.com for ideas.
Good luck,
Alex
Thanks, Bill. That’s very interesting information. Enjoy your hiking.
Alex
I’ve caught a few trout since last summer that sure looked like juveniles (too small and cute to be state stockers). All were caught in the upper river, above Rio. Some were pretty far from Ron’s nursery, so I assume that they’re wild fish, but who knows.
As always, your report and analysis is clear and enlightening, Jimbo.
For a long time, my view is that we gain very little by stocking enormous fish. Since these large fish come from a hatchery tank, to catch one is no special accomplishment (as opposed to a fish that grew huge naturally in a stream). Sure, it feels good to reel in (or hook) a lunker, but that feeling is “borrowed” from fishing streams with large wild or holdover trout populations. Here on the Guad, it takes no more skill to hook a 24″ trout than it does to hook a 17″ trout. It’s just luck.
The downside of stocking large trout is considerable. Clearly, large trout are a magnet for anglers, some of whom do not have a conservationist mentality (i.e., don’t respect the trout or the law). In addition, there are fewer trout in the river. Lastly, I have seen anglers (and been guilty of myself) playing large trout to near death, especially when using thin tippet.
I think that a survey of LAP members would be a good thing. I, for one, would vote for a majority of nice trout (say 14-18″) with some lunkers thrown in.
Alex
The tip on my rod got broken because I tripped and fell on it. Other than that, I’ve fished it hard, on and off, for years now with no trouble. I can’t say that about my T&T Contact 1, which has broken twice through no particular fault of my own.
Good to hear from you, Jimbo. Among Austin Creek, Pacific breezes, and some tolerable wine (St. Helena isn’t Fredericksburg, but you can’t have everything) it sounds like you have a pretty good life out there. When you come back, we must go fishing.
Thanks, Scott.
We may, indeed, have a good one, exactly the person the Guad needs.
Very interesting. Do you have the phone number of the kayaking warden?
Good travels, Dana. Will you be near trout fishing?
Alex
Good point, Scott. Now if only the Upper Flats would follow.
One good thing about the masses above the weir (interesting how everyone seemed to know where we stocked) is that it kept the crowds away from other spots. I had Barking Dog Pool all to myself for the early afternoon, that is, until JC and Trent floated by and scared away all the fish.
