Christmas Vacation

by Chris Schatte
(Texas)

Spent a week on the Lower Mountain Fork River between Christmas and New Year. It is amazing how a river can change from season to season. I was just there in November on a conservation project and the sweet spots were different once again. Never the less, since I had a week I had plenty of time to find them, as well as what fly was best to use. Size 24-28 bwo emerger was the only thing that worked consistently. I tied some sakasa on sizes 18 and 20 that worked only if cast into fast water then let to drift deep in slow pools. Anything larger than an 18 did not work at all. My Son and his wife joined us for 3 days and he caught his first trout using a Tenkara rod. It was exciting for me just to watch! I did keep 1 from the keep area of the river. Big fat 18 incher using my Daiwa LT39S-F. Of all the Tenkara rods I own, this is my favorite since it performs the best!
Chris Schatte
Texas

“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten” - Benjamin Franklin

"Be sure in casting, that your fly fall first into the water, for if the line fall first, it scares or frightens the fish..." -
Col. Robert Venables 1662

As age slows my pace, I will become more like the heron.

We've all had situations where seriously chewed up flies kept catching fish after fish after fish. It is no sin to tie flies that come off the vise looking seriously chewed up.