Tough Day on the Caney

[Doc Marshall]

Hey Y'all,

Over the past two years, I've dropped bass fishing out of a kayak in favor of wading and fly fishing for trout.

I've gotten to the point where I can catch 20-30 fish on a good day on the Caney.

Well, the past few outings have been tougher (working harder for 5 - 10 fish). This past Monday I actually got skunked at Happy Hollow. That hasn't happened to me in a long, long time. Just about every other fly fisherman I spoke to was having similar trouble ("I've just about used every single fly I got in my box" was a common refrain). I didn't even see a lot of fish in the water.

I tried small midges (size 20) in zebra, olive, and red. I tried wooly buggers in olive, brown, and black.

Any suggestions on what I could try next (besides m80's)? I know presentation is key, but I wonder if I'm simply not throwing what they're eating.

[Aquaholic]

I doubt it has much to do with fly choice, and has a lot more to do with the amount of kayaks running over those fish every single day. The trout can't settle down and get into a feeding rhythm because kayaks are going over them all day. My .02

[Doc Marshall]

That makes me feel better, but I assumed those fish were accustomed to the traffic!

[TroutFiend]

We kayaked up there on Sunday with a large group. I caught a few but not near as I normal would. I was using TM's. This time of year my best advice is getting out there as soon as you can comfortably see to wade in.




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[Doc Marshall]

Thanks for the tip. My dad is visiting from out of town tomorrow and I wanted to show him how great the Caney is (was). I think an early morning start will be key.

[lforet2002]

Oh yeah its been tough for me too this year in the Caney. I've been fishing in the pond by the dam in my yak.. It was pretty good down there early spring but yes now that the yahoos have taken over the river the fishing is a lot tougher. Last year I did nothing but wading down at the rest stop and Betty's island where I caught much bigger fish with better numbers. Plus the yahoo traffic is considerably lighter as most of them pick up at Happy Hollow. I don't think I'm gonna fish above Happy hollow anymore this year till the cooler weather thins out the yahoos.

[Pinwheeled]

Thanks for the tip. My dad is visiting from out of town tomorrow and I wanted to show him how great the Caney is (was). I think an early morning start will be key.



Early morning definitely helps but I still did decent up towards the dam yesterday after traffic picked up. I was throwing a double nymph rig with a #16 bead head sow bug and a #20 zebra midge. I'd say 75% of them took the sow bug. Caught a few on a white stick bugger too in shallower areas. Biggest was only 16 or 17" though.


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[Saltwaterwalt]

I like October on the Caney. :)

[Doc Marshall]

Early morning definitely helps but I still did decent up towards the dam yesterday after traffic picked up. I was throwing a double nymph rig with a #16 bead head sow bug and a #20 zebra midge. I'd say 75% of them took the sow bug. Caught a few on a white stick bugger too in shallower areas. Biggest was only 16 or 17" though.


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That's a big help too. I usually have a size 20 midge floating under a scud/sow bug.

I hope the weather stays decent tomorrow!

[Pinwheeled]

Oh yeah its been tough for me too this year in the Caney. I've been fishing in the pond by the dam in my yak.. It was pretty good down there early spring but yes now that the yahoos have taken over the river the fishing is a lot tougher. Last year I did nothing but wading down at the rest stop and Betty's island where I caught much bigger fish with better numbers. Plus the yahoo traffic is considerably lighter as most of them pick up at Happy Hollow. I don't think I'm gonna fish above Happy hollow anymore this year till the cooler weather thins out the yahoos.



It has been a little tougher up around the dam this year but there are still plenty of good ones up there. I need to do a float here soon. Plenty of good areas above Happy Hollow but I've mostly been fishing the pond and around Lancaster. This fish came from the pond last weekend. I'm usually gone before most of the kayaks hit the water or already headed downriver. I try to stay out ahead of them.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170706/7309bb1d0a02d06f27688c473f8a4a83.jpg



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[Doc Marshall]

NICE FISH!

The Caney is generating all day tomorrow (midnight to midnight), so that doesn't give us a lot of options for my day off. Elk is sluicing 2400 cfs too.

[long, low sigh]

[lforet2002]

It has been a little tougher up around the dam this year but there are still plenty of good ones up there. I need to do a float here soon. Plenty of good areas above Happy Hollow but I've mostly been fishing the pond and around Lancaster. This fish came from the pond last weekend. I'm usually gone before most of the kayaks hit the water or already headed downriver. I try to stay out ahead of them.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170706/7309bb1d0a02d06f27688c473f8a4a83.jpg



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I assume your there well before sunrise??

[daniel]

anyone seen the Caney today is it muddy below stonewall ?

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[tcintn]

I usually fish up near the steps and then down toward the bluff on the right and every day there has been very rewarding.Large numbers with some big fish. All of the bigger fish were Browns accept for one very nice RB. I have been very encouraged by the numbers and size we have been catching lately. Great river we have.
Will leave in a few days for the Little Red in Ar then San Juan in NM and then a few places in Colorado. Life is good when old and retired.

[lupanfreitag]

I caught around 35.
Biggest bow 20"
Biggest Brown 19" X 2.
Lost another over 20". Jumped 5 feet in the air.
He got off but it was almost worth it.

[trenthamp]

Hey guys I am new to the fishingtn.com site. Not new to fly fishing in Tennessee however. Always keep a good collection of soft-hackles at hand during these dog days of summer. Everyone is spot on with the fish being disturbed by the boat traffic. First few hours of daylight and last hour or so are your best options for numbers and size. Just dead-drift that soft hackle and you should get bit this time of year.

[thejwalker]

I went out and fished at Betty's Island on Thursday morning and pretty much got skunked. I fished for about 4 hours with very few other human encounters which was really nice.

I picked up small chub on my first cast - which got me really excited about what was to come.. but that was it.

http://i.imgur.com/voNj5ue.jpg

I started to see some fish just before I had to pack up and get back to Nashville but they didn't want anything to do with what I was throwing at them.

Regardless.. it's a beautiful...cold place.

http://i.imgur.com/0oVReV0.jpg

[thehick176]

Photography is amazing. Thank you for that!

[thejwalker]

@thehick - thanks!