[Eamn]

Morning all.

The past few times out I have experienced high winds, which seem to pushed all the leaves in to the river.

I was having a tough go getting fish. I know they were there, but no fish were game with my flies. I tried going bright to stand out, then reverted to neutral and natural colours, still with no avail. I varied depth, swing speed, flies....

When the leaves are flowing heavily down river, do you find the bite turns off?

If you are still getting them, how are you adapting your game to overcome these conditions?

Cheers.

 

[bigbadbrent]

Nothing worse then a leaf day! Actually, slightly worse is the slight bump in water so you get a leaf day, plus pine needles and small twigs...

I feel that the fish are getting sick of dodging leaves or eating them with no reward that they just hunker on the bottom and wait it out. My typical solution is a push to the boat launched followed by good coffee

 

[Speyducer]

I've also found that Atlantics also tend to spend their time dodging the leaves & not biting flies too!


Mike

 

[Peteo]

Leaf days are the worst. Never did well when I lived in the GL region and the trend has continued for me here on the west coast the last 15 years. I now just stay home and tie flies.

 

[Read1t48]

Yep... no fish for me on leafy days ---

BTW folks -- we're not talking about the occasional flutter of leaves that float to the river. We're talking sustained winds that DRIVE leafs, needles and other tree debris on the water surface / subsurface. Lots of debris floating above and below.

No fish for me on these days, but I still enjoy getting out.

 

[waynev]

About 25 years ago I caught a hatchery hen. It was not doing well after I unhooked it. So I bonked it and took it home to eat. The stomach contents - leaves.

 

[Back Eddy]

Souds Like A

Tying Day and Gear Clean Up... No good flogging with no hope

 

[TheWhiteman]

The stomach contents - leaves.

Interesting, guess we should start fishing leaf flies

 

[fish0n4evr]

I timed the leaf-hatch just perfect this last time out. With steelhead/salmon rivers being only as close as 8 hours driving away and no closer - it's nearly impossible for me to avoid the leaf hatch anymore... compared to when I lived at the river.

Sometimes there is just no choice than to go deal with and enjoy being out in it.

 

[bigbadbrent]

What I have noticed though, is that it's pretty rare for more then one day in a row of leaf days.

 

[MZilliox]

Oh man, the worst part for me is that you hook leaves on the swing all day. you can;t keep your fly in the zone without doing so. My solution is fishing nasty stuff that nowhere comes close to looking like a leaf. something real bright or shiny. It worked once... and thats about all the evidence i need for steelhead, haha

 

[Deep Swing]

Leaf days are the worst. Never did well when I lived in the GL region and the trend has continued for me here on the west coast the last 15 years. I now just stay home and tie flies.

+1 learned years ago to sit out these two weeks, which are one inprocess
DS


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[808steelheader]

I have raised steelhead to the surface and hooked up to a few in leafy days. These were days for which I have devised "inverted" skaters with the hook point on top of the fly, though admittedly, I have not actually landed a steelhead with my inverted flies yet. These skaters have done well in dodging the leaves, but if I recall correctly, the rises I've gotten seemed to come when the leaf hatch subsided somewhat. I've not been out when leaves and debris are actually coming downriver all day long.

Todd

 

[goochm]

Maybe you should ask Steelerheeler to send you some beavers...:chuckle:

 

[GR8LAKES FLYER]

I've witnessed a steady down pour of leaves while fishing on Cape Breton , the river seemed to not have water that was flowing but leaves !!
Here in the GL's I can usually deal with it and do admit that the leaf hook up can be frustrating at times . I usually fish an appropriate tip , a smaller fly and head for slack water seams and back eddies where the leaves are less . The swings are short though , which is not my preferred way to fish , but I have done okay doing this on my home river .


Mike