Hi everybody, late yesterday afternoon Everett and I fished the Wood River just above frying pan.  We got there at about 5:30pm. The water tempeture was a very nice 63 degrees and very clear in color. At one point we commented on the water being so clear that it was hard judging the depth in some spots while wading. When we first got to the river very little was going on as far as surface activity is concern. We started out using terrestrial patterns Everett, one of my wasps patterns and I with a flying ant. At 6:00pm fish started showing i.e. rising in some very good numbers. I put my size #14 black flying ant over one of the fish and no response, after presenting this fly to four different risers and no takes I also changed over to one of the wasps. The first fish I cast to came up very violently and hit the fly, no hook up, I just missed the set. Thirty minutes later after casting to five or six risers no takes, as a matter of fact no takes on either the ant or wasps patterns for the rest of the outing, very unusual for this time of the season. I looked on the water to see what might be available to the rising fish, just a few tiny broken off clear wings of some very small mayflies and a few number of tiny spinners. Also a lot of tiny midge, both brown and later into night light in color. I shouted upstream to Everett that these fish have been seeing a lot of tiny naturals and feeding on them I believe very often. 

At 6:45pm we decided to leave and try our luck upstream at the Pines section of the river. We moved downstream from the pines and where casting in place at about 7:10pm. Fish where again rising in very good numbers for both of us. Again I tried my ant pattern, a little smaller, a size #16 black ant, again no takers. At this time it started getting dark, as you know under that heavy forest canapé it turns darker earlier when I waded into the faster water flow to observe what and why these fish where being so selective. I spotted very tiny winged mayflies, the duns, about a size #22 to #24. I do think that these where “Pseudocloeon” the autumn version of BWO’s Blue Winged Olives. I tied a small BWO a size #20 tiny parachute dun on and started casting to rising fish, no takers. This went on for a good 35 to 40 minutes, and by this time it was well after 8:00pm and the fished stopped rising. The next time I go the river I will have a good supply of even smaller duns, emergers, and spinners to match this hatch. Yes I made the mortal mistake of taking my tiny flies out of my vest an into a small chest pack that I change over for warmer weather. I had my full fly fishing vest with me. Long seven x tippet and emergers a very tiny size #22 would be my first choice, if tie your own put a little fine copper wire on the body to have it break the water’s surface.

Safe fly fishing, Ed www.edlombardoflyfish.com