Caney Sluice and Fly questions

[faddy]

--if this seems as a double post, sorry..Hey all. Looking to go fishing on Tuesday early AM on the caney. Notice that the the corps is Sluicing at 250cfs. does this mean that the river will still be mostly wadible while sluice gate is open? Since they are sluicing does this mean that the upper region (damn to Happy hollow) would be more advantageous? My experience with spring fed systems is that trout will move up stream with colder temps and more O2 in water. is this true with tailwater systems? I am packing a midge, wholly bugger, Ozark crackleback assortments. any other suggestions?

[MNfisher]

It will definitely be wadable if there are no gens going. They have had 250 cfs sluicing for a very long time! Fish will be anywhere from dam through Betty's.

[MNfisher]

It looks like they will be generating 3-4 hours sometime on Tuesday, so just make sure you know when that is!

You are going to need someone else to answer your fly questions, that is a foreign language to me:-).

Good luck fishing and report back!

[Catchingtrout]

You will be in good shape if the generation is in your favor.

[jad2t]

250cfs is nothing, the river is plenty wadeable. As far as the flys go, I've only flyfished in there with wolly buggers and although I've caught trout stripping them back, it's not the most productive method. I never got into knowing what flies hatch when and having 50 different midge patterns and all. I know it works, I just never got into it. TravisC, where ya at man? You can help him out with that kind of advice.

[bd-]

The 250 cfs is the minimum flow for the river.

bd

[Travis C.]

Originally Posted by faddy

--Since they are sluicing does this mean that the upper region (damn to Happy hollow) would be more advantageous? My experience with spring fed systems is that trout will move up stream with colder temps and more O2 in water. is this true with tailwater systems? I am packing a midge, wholly bugger, Ozark crackleback assortments. any other suggestions?

Looks like they are running the same amount of water today as they will be tomorrow. Just check to be sure when that will be. I'll post a water times for you after this so you'll know roughly how long it takes to get to where you are on the river. But with the additional sluice bump it will be a little faster.

Midges typically work well this time of year as well as scuds, sow bugs, soft hackles and pheasant tails. There is a very small caddis that has been coming off too. However, I was on the river this weekend and it was very tough fly fishing. The only things I could get fish on where soft hackles and a san juan worm.

You can probably pick off some fish on the grass beds and deep pockets using a size 6-8 brown, black or white wooly bugger. We caught a bunch of fish above Happy using 3" brown trout jerk baits over the grass flats and deep holes so a jerk strip retreive on a 3" fly would be the same.

The Brooks are full of eggs by the way.. the browns should be coming along by month's end so if you know trout you'll know where to look.

[Travis C.]

These times are for one generator. An added sluice bump will make it arrive sooner.

Dam arrive 0 mins - fallout 30/45mins

Lancaster arrive 35 mins - fallout 2 hrs

Happy arrive 2 1/2 hrs - fallout 5 hrs

Betty's arrive 3 hrs- fallout 6 hrs

Kirby's arrive 3 1/4 hrs - fallout 6 1/2 hrs

Stonewall/Thayerwilson arrive 6 hrs - fallout ....long time.


It takes twice as long to fall out as it does to rise.

[clbumbaugh]

ditto what Travis said, very tough fishing this weekend.

Go with soft hackle and zebra midges, everything else seems to worthless right now.

[faddy]

trip got delayed til Wednesday, thanks for the info and will report back with what i find.

I am taking a first timer with me, so hopefully he will catch something. I am fine being immersed in nature and getting the waders wet.

[Travis C.]

They should be running the same that day as well. Just have to wait and see when.

If you are below the Dam, be very wary of the horn and get out after you hear it. I am not sure how long it is until they turn on but the extra 1750 through the sluice plus a generator will rise pretty good leaving not much get out time if you wait too long.

There are some shallow flats and runs below the Dam that a swung soft hackle will catch anyone new or old fish.

[faddy]

got below damn at 6:45 am yesterday. Got a a 10-12 brook about 5 casts in on a zebra midge. also landed a rainbow and missed another on a green crackleback. The generators chased us out about 9:15 so we went to the rest area to get another couple hours in. the rest area was extremely dead on action. I did notice a couple of super small white/pearl larvae or scuds when kicking up rocks. i also noticed an occasional small caddis landing.

all in all a great time but not the best for action.