Tidal Basin Report (sort of)

[Jeff Brach]

I've been watching this group for awhile but never felt like I had the knowledge to post anything.  I've been living in the DC area for almost two years now.  Specifically, I live on Bolling AFB.  Off and on for the past two years I have taken a spinning reel out to the banks of the Potomac on Bolling AFB and dragged in mostly catfish but the occasional bass or perch.  Several months ago I googled information on local fly fishing and found Rob Snowhite.  I had been fly fishing off and on for almost ten years now but it has almost all been in the Durango, CO area for trout.  I decided to purchase a few hours of Rob's services as a guide and get me and my oldest daughter some time on the fly fishing on the Potomac.  It was near the beginning of the shad run and Rob set us up on the Virginia side next to Chainbridge.  Skunked would be the appropriate word for that day of fishing.  My daughter did reel in one fish near the end and I think Rob posted that picture to this group or his website.  I do not believe this is representative of Rob's talent as a guide because I saw very few fish come out of the water that day from others around us and the few I did see were catfish.  My daughter and I went out a few days later to the same area and she caught several small fish near the banks while I was trying for the shad further out and in deeper waters.  Skunked would be the word again despite a gentlemen near me reeling in shad on every other cast.  I found my way to Fletcher's Boathouse a few weeks later and made my way up the banks trying to figure out this stripping thing which is a lot different than dry fly trout fishing.  Skunked again.  Not even a nibble.

I figured my gear was not necessarily set up for this type of fishing (floating line, etc) so I stopped by Urban Anglers a couple of times and purchased some sinking line and a good collection of clousers and other patterns.  I practiced casting near my house on base to get used to the extra weight on the line but I think I only pulled out one fish that almost matched the size of my clouser.  Not quite sure how he got the hook in his mouth.  I can't say that it is good fishing near Bolling either since it requires quite a good cast to get anywhere near the current of the river.  I think I have caught one striper worth talking about in my two years fishing with a spinning rod.  Plenty of catfish though.

After a long weekend of taking care of the kids while my wife was out of town, I decided to head to Fletcher's tonight.  Then I decided it was too late to head to Fletcher's so I figured I would try the Tidal Basin for my first time.  I found a parking spot near the bridge over the inlet and scoped out the area.  I tried the river side first but the incoming tide and previous storms put a lot of debris in this area and I only stayed there for a little while.  I made my way to the other side of the bridge and the fish were rising to the surface all over the place.  Can't quite say what they were but some of them had long noses (Gars???).  I made my way through my tackle box starting with a white/chartreuse clouser, followed by a chartreuse bullet looking lure (sorry I still don't know the names of these things), followed by a dark frog pattern, and ending with another clouser (golden).  I stayed near the bridge for most of the time because that's where I was seeing the most fish.  I cast towards every rise I could reach.  I cast under the bridge, or at least as far as I could get the lure.  I stripped at different tempos.  Nothing.  The final clouser got snagged as I started to make my way away from the Bridge and I lost it along with all the leader up to my sinking tip.  I determined I didn't want to go through the effort of tying on new leader so I packed up just after sunset.  I think I was out there for about 90 minutes.  Long story even longer, my report is that the Tidal Basin is really slow...for me.  But, as you can tell, even on good days, fishing is really slow for me.  Don't know if I have my account set up correct but I put my nickname down as Nomad.  Maybe I should changed it to Skunked.

I don't get out every week due to family obligations but I would really like to figure out what I need to do differently.  I did notice someone posted about canoeing recently and looking for a partner.  I'll be keeping an eye out for those types of messages.  The one drawback is I only have a DC license so it limits me to certain locations.  I've been meaning to go to the second Monday Beer Ties to meet and greet some of you face to face but being the father of a 10 and an 8 year means fishing isn't the top priority.  I'm not going to make it to the beer tie this month either.  I hope to see some of you out on the Potomac and welcome any suggestions.

[Aaron O]

Hey Nomad,

 

       I was actually the guy inquiring about the canoe and I would be happy to go out with you sometime over at the Tidal Basin and help in any way I can.  I do most of my fishing on shore over at the basin, fletchers cove and the chainbridge locations and also only have a DC license so that is not a problem.  Don't give up on the sinking lines as as little practice will go a long way to increasing your catch percentages.  I am far from an expert but I fish these areas pretty regularly this spring/summer and would be happy to show you any help/suggestions I got under my shleves.  Maybe we can swap lessons as I need to work on my usage of the floating line. 

 

Let me know your thoughts,

 

Aaron

 

       Curious, What size rod are you using?

[Aaron O]

I dont know what I was thinking or typing but I keep my hints and suggestions under my SLEEVES!  , not my SHELVES!?!  It's a much better hiding spot.

 

No more drinking monday morning......atleast not until noon.

 

 

[Todd Kuethe]

I haven't fished the Tidal Basin in a few weeks, but I've had some luck fishing on the banks along the FDR memorial and north (clockwise might be a better way to say it) from MLK.  I've pulled in a few bass, sunfish, and catfish using a sinking line with a clouser or wooly bugger.  I also fished after work in the evening.  

[Lane Thurgood]

I generally fish the Tidal Basin with a floating line, generally with a clouser or klawdad on the end.  I pitch the fly along the edges into shade, near floating debris, whatever.  I am generally not using long casts. --- On Mon, 6/11/12, Todd Kuethe <toddk...@gmail.com> wrote:

-- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders" group. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msg/tidal-potomac-fly-rodders/-/NZ5kNsLc9VIJ. To post to this group, send email to tidal-potoma...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to tidal-potomac-fly-...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tidal-potomac-fly-rodders?hl=en.

[Trent Jones]

Jeff,

I am sorry to hear that you have had a rough go on the Potomac. I was at the Tidal Basin Tuesday evening with Dan Davala and again Thursday evening by myself, and seemed to find plenty of Stripers. It sounds like you had the right gear and flies for the job, but perhaps the fish were just not biting. It is important to keep a few things in mind. First, good fishing is almost always a moving target and yesterdays fishing report is, well, yesterdays fishing report…sometimes you are on the water just before or after the fishing turns on. Second, fishing is meant to be fun.

Since we do not have a font for sarcasm it is hard to tell weather you were smiling or frowning when you mentioned you were going to change your name from nomad to skunked. I really hope you had a big grin on your face as you typed that! Most of us are not fishing to feed the family, we are doing it for the fun. So make sure you don’t get to bummed out over a skunking or two/three/four/etc...

Know one likes breaking a rod. I have a friend who breaks more rods than anyone I know….except for a guide I know…. When my friend and I go fishing together and are stringing up our rods, he usually asks me, "so, how long till I break this rod today?", to which I respond with laughter. My point is that although it can be frustrating when the fish are not biting or when we break an expensive rod, we keep fishing because it puts a smile on our face…and when you do hook into a nice fish, the feeling will be that much sweeter.

On a pure fishing report note, the Stripers at the TB last week seemed to be pressed right up against the south wall as the tide was coming in under the Ohio Drive bridge. I was almost jigging for them with 2/0 clousers, 7 feet of straight 0x Fluoro and a floating line.

Keep fishing hard and have fun!

-Trent

　

On Sunday, June 10, 2012 10:13:16 PM UTC-4, Nomad wrote:

[HeaveToo]

Don't feel bad.  I just got skunked for the first time, ever, on my "home" waters.  The Occoquan was not productive at all.  The wind was pushing my yak all around and the water at the back of the river looks like coffee with creamer in it.  It was UGLY!  I went to popping bugs and I couldn't even get a brim to bite.  Better luck next time, I guess!

On Sunday, June 10, 2012 10:13:16 PM UTC-4, Nomad wrote:

[Carl Z.]

On Sun, Jun 10, 2012 at 10:13 PM, Jeff Brach <kir9...@gmail.com> wrote:

I had been fly fishing off and on for almost ten years now but it has almost all been in the Durango, CO area for trout.

 

I don't get out every week due to family obligations but I would really like to figure out what I need to do differently.

Jeff,

Having transitioned from western trout fishing to DC fishing,  here is my advise.

1) think big,  a size 8 wooly bugger is a bluegill fly.  Bigger fish will take it, but it takes a while to get used to throwing size 6,4, or 2 flies.

2) Fish the Potomac on the changing tide and where there is moving current (creeks, coves, tidal basin)

3) Get the fly down.  While you can catch fish on topwater, heavily weighted flies are more productive.

4) Morning and evening are better during the summer.

I am sure others will chime in.

Good luck

Carl

[flyrodder]

While I have relatively little experience Potomac fishing, I find that the basics are true the world over. Match the hatch, look for great structure, and good presentation are your mainstays. The rest is trial and error (e.g. strip rates, depth, etc). There are also times when the fish just "turn off" and you will catch very little during these times in most cases. As others have said, tidal changes are also huge as this is generally when all the fish "turn on" with a vengeance. Good luck!

On Sunday, June 10, 2012 10:13:16 PM UTC-4, Nomad wrote:

[Jeff Brach]

I fished the Tidal Basin again this past weekend.  I think it was Saturday evening (sunset until 2130).  I started outside the Ohio St bridge thinking the outgoing tide would have fish looking for food exiting the tidal basin.  I didn't hook anything but debris.  I moved to the eastern/southern side of the basin next to the bridge and pulled in what I think was a small crapppie on my third or fourth cast.  I was using something that looked like a green wooly bugger with a bead head.  It all went downhill after that.  I switched to a white popper with a small nymph dropper.  The popper indicated a couple of small strikes but I was never able to set the hook.  I noticed a lot of minnows jumping out of the water so I chanegd to a white/yellow clouser thinking there may be some bigger fish pushing the little guys to the surface.  I didn't have any luck with this one either.  About this time I ran out of light for tying on new flies so I decided to head home.  I have to admit, I do enjoy the sunset while fishing at the tidal basin.  It never seems to disappoint.

--

You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders" group.