Caney tomorrow?

[MattC]

Im wanting to wade the caney tomorrow morning with a few friends. Does anybody know what time they will be generating? We are planning on leaving around 5 am, and then the hour and a half drive will get us there around 6:30. We will probably fish the dam and if its slow move. bringing lots of scuds, midges, and nymphs. Are the fish biting by the dam? ANy info is appreciated.

[txnative]

Generating 1 from 3-5 am and again at 2-4 pm, you should be able to wade near the dam. I'll be there Saturday, but at a different time/place. Post a report on how you do so that I'll have an idea of whether or not I should go thru the trouble to convince my wife to venture out there with me in the near future.


Chris

[Travis C.]

Hey Matt, we caught a bunch on 5x leaders under an indicator and this color midge ..... check your pm's :D

[Alphahawk]

You will catch a ton of Brook trout. If you can get to the deep holes you can get some Bows and Browns. If you hang around until dark you might get some good ones then also....but in the day.....and in the shallows...it has been mostly Brookies. But there are certainly plenty of those around...Good luck.


Regards

[MNfisher]

I am also heading to the caney on Saturday with my wife and parents! Let us know how you do!

[MattC]

Just got back. Only fished by the dam and caught 4, missed 3 hookups. When i got there they were rising to something tiny and i couldnt figure out what it was so i threw on a griffiths gnat and made countless casts to the fish i could see and caught one and missed another. Caught the rest on black zebras. I could see plenty of fish but they just wouldnt cooperate. Not bad for my second trip to the caney.

[txnative]

. Caught the rest on black zebras.

Isn't an all-black zebra really just a black horse ???

Sounds like you had a good time. I'll be on that river Saturday, I'll post a report on Sunday.


Chris

[Travis C.]

Just got back. Only fished by the dam and caught 4, missed 3 hookups. When i got there they were rising to something tiny and i couldnt figure out what it was so i threw on a griffiths gnat and made countless casts to the fish i could see and caught one and missed another. Caught the rest on black zebras. I could see plenty of fish but they just wouldnt cooperate. Not bad for my second trip to the caney.

Nicely done.

They may have been taking emergers instead of adults on top which could be why you didn't hook up on the gnat more.

Unless you see the rise and they break surface and dip down head to tail like a dolphin then its a better chance they were eating emergers. That is one of the hardest rises to figure out the rise to an adult and rise to an emerger in the film. The trout could have broke the surface some but after it chased the emerger towards the surface.

Situations like that is where a swung soft hackle shines.

[MattC]

Situations like that is where a swung soft hackle shines.

I thought about tying one on. oh well. Oh and around the time i was leaving i think they were dumping more trout into the river

[Travis C.]

I thought about tying one on. oh well. Oh and around the time i was leaving i think they were dumping more trout into the river

What I look for when I get up there is if the water is dead with nothing going one its a black size 8-10 beadhead wooly bugger to start with until I find them. If there are few fish here or there making rings or splashes I start with a size 14-16 soft hackle and swing it around them. Finally if the fish are not rising but working the bottom or mid-section of the water column but not coming up its size 18-22 midges or sometimes size 18-20 sowbugs almost all the time.

[MattC]

What I look for when I get up there is if the water is dead with nothing going one its a black size 8-10 beadhead wooly bugger to start with until I find them. If there are few fish here or there making rings or splashes I start with a size 14-16 soft hackle and swing it around them. Finally if the fish are not rising but working the bottom or mid-section of the water column but not coming up its size 18-22 midges or sometimes size 18-20 sowbugs almost all the time.

Great info, thanks. How do you fish the soft hackles and what type generally works best in the caney?

[Travis C.]

Great info, thanks. How do you fish the soft hackles and what type generally works best in the caney?

Soft Hackles are probably the easiest outside of a wooly bugger to fish. Set it up with a tippet to match fly size or one size larger. Preferably a 9 foot tapered leader then 3-6ft of tippet and your fly... that's it.

Basically you pick a section of water usually a section with some current like a riffle or shallow flat where fish are active.

Stand upstream of where you want to fish then depending on current speed either cast straight across (slower water) or at a 45 downstream (faster water). You want it to move slowly across the current than fast downstream because bugs don't run towards fish.

Once you cast simply hold the line allowing the water to catch the fly line causing the fly to "swing" thru that area. As your line get straight hold for a second the fly will stop swing and rise toward the surface. You can add depth by using an upstream mend after your cast and also create a better lift at the end by raising your rod.

A lot of the strikes will come as it is held at the end. How long you hold is up to you. You can even just hold til one bites it. If a fish is there he will see it coming by trying to escape and usually the rise at the end closes the deal.

Be aware the strikes are hard. They may break you off on small tippet so don't jerk a hook set just raise the rod letting him hook itself.

After you have cast, held at the end for a little bit just strip it back in small strips take a step downstream and repeat the whole process until you covered the flat or riffle.

It's a great way to catch a lot of fish and great way to get a newbie hooking up.

[Travis C.]

Great info, thanks. How do you fish the soft hackles and what type generally works best in the caney?

Sizes 14, 16 and maybe 18's

Yellows and greens are good but most any will work. A pattern called Eat at Chucks is my favorite. You can get it at Cumberland Transit unless I was there prior to your arrival...:D