Strawberry River Monday, September 12, 2022
Date / Time: 9/12/22 12-6pm
Location: Strawberry River Starvation Bridge To Next Access Down Paddleboard Float
The Characters: KK
Weather: Sunny and bluebird, warm.
Water Temp: Likely high 50s to low 60s
Water Level: Around 280 cfs according cuwcd
Water Clarity/Quality: Clear
Moon Phase: 2 days after full
Hatches: Sporadic pseudos or infrequens, midges
Best Flies: Only fished the hopper
Fishing: Fished the Green with Brian the day before and was heading home so figured I’d break up the drive by stopping and floating with the paddleboard. Had been a month previous, and there had been a lot of hoppers with the moisture this season so figured it could be good. It had been super hot for weeks with triple digits and then cooled a bit, so may have been a few days late but still highs in low 80s. Decided to float from bridge down to next access since I had never fished this section. I thought it was indian land on some of it, but there is a state fish access sign at the bottom so figured it was state land. After I got home, I saw that some of it winds through indian land so need the permit next time.
My intention was to just throw hoppers, but initially saw one rising in the pool at the launch, so grabbed the smaller dry rod too. I threw the hopper at it anyway and a fish in the area smacked it but not sure it was the same one. Moved down and fished through some water and had one look and refuse along the bank. Threw the ant at it, but no reaction, got it to look at the hopper again but no commitment so moved on. Had one boil on it and another grab it on the swing off of a shelf but nothing committing and a lot of good drifts with no reward. Kept hopscotching down with paddle board tied to my waist. In one spot, got too deep so I tried to slid onto the board but couldn’t get all the way and went down filling my waders. Stopped and poured the water out, but was soaked. Good thing it was a warm day. I worked through each pool pretty hard with no results. Finally along a shallow far tailout, I had one slow sip the hopper but had a ton of line out and lost it almost immediately after hooking it. At least I finally got an eat! I was spooking fish like crazy when I would float down along drops and tailouts and softer water and thought about the streamer but didn’t have them with.
I kept working through pools and eventually had a good fish crush it in a mid depth boil drop off type spot. The fish ripped like crazy and was super strong giving me a great battle. Ultimately landed it and it was a solid low 20s great shape fish. Although I had hoped for better fishing, I was stoked to at least get one killer fish!
The hopper crusher
I moved on and tried to hit the slower areas, tailouts and drops where it seemed the fish were concentrated but it continued to be a lot of work for little reward. I got one more to eat in a shallow side channel drop off and stuck that one and landed it. It was a good fish, but slightly beat up with a missing mandible and not a great battle. Cool eat and fun nonetheless. I continued down and pounded likely spots, but didn’t get any other eats.
Toward the bottom of the float, I ran into a guy landing a fish on a streamer and asked him how it had been. He said he had gotten 3 in just the first short stretch he fished, so in retrospect that would have probably been the way to go. I made my way down and out through the mossed over sidechannel that arrives at the access point and took out. It was a fun little float and I’m hoping to go back in a few days with the streamer rod! Weather turned cool and there is continued overcast wet weather coming so it could be quite good. Will see if I can make it happen.