Well the weather is starting to climb here in the desert. Last Friday approaching 98 Degrees Fahrenheit in Phoenix AZ. Some of the higher elevation streams above Five Thousand feet are closed due to extreme fire warnings.
There are still streams open in the white Mountains and some of the Apache Reservation is closed. It is a bit confusing as to what is open and what is closed, so we all must check before heading off. Nobody is allowed in the closed area, which is a good thing. If a fire started it would be very difficult to out run it with the winds that have been gusting recently. Rain is desperately needed for a very wet monsoon season which typically starts in another month. There is so much dry grass under the trees that we need to get the land soaked to be safe from fire. Fingers crossed!
I decided to go to the Salt river at Blue point just up from the bridge. On the river at six thirty am, already about six Fly Fishermen fishing further down below the bridge. The water is cooler due to coming from the bottom of the Dam at Saguaro Lake which feed this stream/river in the summer.
Being that is was already so hot I decided to wet wade for the first time this year, great idea as my upper body was hot with my lower body being much cooler. Dehydration is a big problem in the desert, it can sneak up on you quickly, so bring plenty of bottled water for the day.
This time of year, the water is flowing about a Thousand Cubic Feet per second, a lot of water and fast moving.
Fished two wet Flies near the bottom, landed a few small Rainbows, losing at least four more that just wriggled off the flies. My set up consisted of a Hybrid Dry fly which was a cross between a grasshopper that had Beetle legs. I know I said Dry Fly, but when you put floatant on the fly, it makes it float higher up under water, which enables your lower fly to stay nearer to the bottom and away from the upper fly. The bottom fly was a green weeni, which is just a strip of light green body with a short tail, very basic fly but it works well here for Trout and Bass.
I had a strike indicator above with a split shot above the upper fly. The bottom fly was about Eight feet down with the higher fly two feet above. The water depth was about six to eight feet.
It was my day to lose fish, I had one very big strike that just snapped my line taking both of my flies as I was retrieving. I think probably a big Bass as it was a very vicious hard strike!
Around Eleven thirty or so moved to fish higher up the stream, it was now getting hot and I guess the fish went to have their siesta!! That was it for the day.
Flyfishingwhynow 