X Diamond Ranch Arizona
Just spent some days up at the X Diamond Ranch fishing for rainbows and browns. The water was slightly higher than in the past with some color.
Fished with Marie McClean, who is the secretary of Desert Fly Casters Club of Arizona. Marie caught the fish of the trip. Fighting a good healthy Rainbow over twenty inches, fat and feisty. Bringing it to the net three times over a five-minute battle, only to lose at the last moment when the fish shook the hook at the net. As if to say you have had your fun and I am off! Marie more than made up for the loss with plenty of nice fish caught.
Marie also made up some flies when we were there, making a couple of bright six-legged hoppers that did the trick. Orange and yellow, easy to see and the fish seemed to like the six-leg silhouette!
The fish seem to be on and then off during the day. Mostly taking grasshoppers off the top with some taking small nymphs as a dropper.
Fish ranged in size from ten to sixteen inches with the occasional twenty plus fish.
Small stream fishing using three weight, seven-foot rods. Great fun!!
My friend and I average about eight to ten fish per day, missing about the same amount.
Some of the fish just seemed to strike the hopper without actually taking it, hard to catch!
Lots of fun, stayed in a nice cabin, beds were a bit hard but a beer at night took care of that problem. If you want to get into the high country in Arizona, this is the place to go.
Flyfishingwhynow 