Beaver Creek 10/1/2013

[James Ovelmen]

I decided last week to take advantage of my first government shutdown furlough day by trying out Beaver Creek. I had never fished it before, but Trent Jones at Orvis recommended I give it a go. I drove first to Beaver Creek Fly Shop, I got there at 10 AM, which is when I think they open.  I talked to James, he gave me the lay of the river and how to approach it.  I also picked up some ants and crest bugs per his recommendation. I drove to one of the parking areas and met some fellow furloughed federal workers.

I hit the water about 10:30ish and mostly used a hopper dropper rig. I tried to fish from the bank without getting in the water as much as possible to avoid spooking fish. I am still kinda of new to trout fishing, so it was probably my best day trout fishing without a guide. I got two small rainbows and a brown trout. Two were on a green scud and 1 on the crest bug. I missed a big fish that went after the hopper and then missed some other takes on the dropper nymph.  Couple of things I noticed: The takes on the nymphs were super light and subtle, not even taking my hopper under. I had to just look for it to sop suddenly or twitch, etc. I really had to focus to not miss strikes. Also, I think having a stealthy approach made a big difference. On one stretch I just couldnt cast from shore so I stepped down into the creek and a big trout I never saw blew out a few feet away. Finally, there are a lot of fish in that creek and I plan to go back soon!

[flatsca...@gmail.com]

Congratulations James.

 Keep keeping your eye on that hopper.

 Which Beaver Creek were you fishing?

 

GScott

[James Ovelmen]

Thanks, Beaver Creek in MD, in between Hagerstown and Fredrick.

[James Ovelmen]

Went back to Beaver Creek today. I broke out my new Bamboo rod for the first time, it is a short 2-3 WT. I started fishing a Hopper Dropper like I did last time with no takes. Finally, I decided to try a streamer. The bamboo is not really my first choice for chucking a streamer, so I went with a small olive bead head woolly bugger. 2nd cast I had a huge brown trout materialize from under a sunken tree and chase it. Next cast a large, however not as large, Rainbow went after it. Threw back where the brown was, I let it sink to the bottom of the hole and then boom, I had a 20+" brown on. He took me almost into my backing up river, he turned around, came back to where I hooked him and wrapped me around an underwater branch. He wiggled there for a bit, till I got the nerve to hop in the water and waded chest deep across the pool, just when I got to the branch, he got off. Checking the fly, he had straightened out the hook. It was awesome and terrible all at the same time.  I am afraid the light bamboo was jut not enough stick to keep that brown away from all the snags, but honestly I am not sure I could have kept him from going where he wanted with any stick

I had several other big follows and unfortunately refusals from browns and rainbows in the next couple of holes. Then the wife called, so I headed home...