4 Mile Run report 2013.11.08

[Paul Kalajainen]

I went to 4MR last night around 5:30 and the water was as low as I've ever seen it. Over half the river was totally dry.

I missed a small hit right when I gut there by a small silver fish that I just caught a glimpse of as it went for my clouser. Fished any deeper (more than 1' deep) holes I could find with no more tajes before heading to the warm water discharge.

The tree that's normally in the middle of the water there was totally on dry ground, you could walk to within 20' of the water discharge without getting your feet wet. I tried to get done pictures but it was so dark none of them came out.

I stripped a chartreuse clouser through the current there for maybe 15 minutes and was about to call it a night when I caught a little 6'' striper - my first fish at 4MR. It's been a very satisfying week.

[Vic Velasco]

Paul - You are killing it lately!!! 

[Paul Kalajainen]

4MR has been good to me lately.  Last week I hooked into a big blue catfish right under the water discharge.  I wasn't expecting anything big, so I was fishing with my 5 wt.  After about 15 minutes I finally landed him.  He measured 33" and I'm guessing about 20 pounds.

I was there again tonight (Nov 22) from about 4:30 to 7.  I started with a small popper on the south bank and landed a miniscule blue gill.  If we're being generous it was about 2".  I started having trouble seeing the popper and put on an olive and white clouser.  When I got down to the bridge some guys were fishing there already, so I walked across the bridge and went to fish from the north side near the power pole.  I pulled out two crappie on back to back casts. First crappie on a fly, so I was starting to feel pretty good.

I walked down the path there towards the water discharge to finish up the night.  I missed a pretty good strike on my first cast there, but about 10 minutes later I got another chance.  I landed what I believe to be a walleye (can someone confirm based on the pic?)  I've never caught one before, and I didn't think 4MR is somewhere I'd find them.  At this point it was dark and I was wearing a headlamp, scanning across the water there were several sets of eyes that looked just like the walleye I had just pulled in at the bottom of the small pool there.  I fished for another 30 minutes or so hoping to get another, but to no avail.

Anyway, gotta enjoy this weather while it lasts!

[Paul Kalajainen]

Didn't attach any of the pictures.

[TurbineBlade]

That catfish is massive man -- beats any one I've ever caught in this region.  That walleye isn't bad either -- I'd say you're doing pretty well out there!

Fishing is weird -- the largest fish I've managed on the fly have all been on a 7'6" 3-weight.  If you want to catch a real lunker, you have to leave your water at home so you're totally dehydrated, and don't even think about bringing your landing net.  

Gene

[Senor_denito]

That catfish must have been a blast on the 5wt.  That's also a very nice walleye!  I remember catching my first walleye in the dark without a headlamp, thinking it was a lmb and ready to lip it…then i saw its nasty teeth.

Job well done!

On Friday, November 22, 2013 8:09:14 PM UTC-5, Paul Kalajainen wrote: