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Greetings!
Welcome to the first "new" Slate Run Tackle Shop Newsletter. Thank you for joining us. Kick back and let us fill you in on what is happening on Pine, Slate, and Cedar as well as news from the Tackle Shop. What an incredible year! And, it appears the great trout fishing will continue this fall to make this a year without parallel. Many of last spring's Pine Creek trout made it through those hot six weeks of the summer utilizing spring seeps and the mouths of tributaries to survive. Couple those trout with which we are already familiar with The Shop's fish and the Fish Commission's stocking October 2nd, and the scene is set for a spectacular fall. As we look forward to the next few weeks on the big creek, fishing has been productive on Slate and Cedar although stealth has been the rule as the fish have been particularly wary. Fish of every size have been observed, and a few have been landed in the 18 inch category that are deep-bodied with deep olive flanks, and, one was landed on a green weenie that measured 23 3/4 inches. Fall and its special hatches should only add to the excitement of fishing the runs as well as Pine. |
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Tips
 Keep in contact with the shop website and watch for the newsletter. We will be updating stream conditions and articles often so you are aware of conditions and how the fall season is stacking up. If late summer and autumn pan out as it now appears, we hope our communication allows you time to plan and schedule Pine into your fall schedule. It was a spectacular spring, we want you to be able to take advantage of a possible equally great September, October, and November. |
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Hatches and Methods
Major hatches, those with larger numbers of flies that the trout are feeding on include: Slate Drake in a 12 or 14, the Shop has them tied on a 3x shank hook to better imitate the body on the drake; sulphurs, which includes the normal sulphurs along with the Light Cahill (cream, yellow, and orange variations) in various sizes and wing configurations; BWO's, which seem to be ever present and will even increase in the fall - 16-18; Brown Caddis in a 14-16; Yellow Caddis (Neophylax) in 14-16; dark moddled stone fly in a 12-14; Tricos in 18 (16 if you're lucky) and down to a 22, and also have a very proliferous white midge in 24-28. Add to these the occasional grasshopper, cricket, green weenie, and the corresponding nymphs and wets, and you have a fairly comprehensive fly box. If water is higher with a greater flow volume, it would also be good to have a few tried and true streamers.
To fish them, particularly on the runs in the typical clear water, a nine foot leader would be a minimum length tapered down to a 4x or 5x tippet. Stay away from where you believe the trout will have its feeding station and make a longer, careful cast to provide an optimal presentation. You may still spook a few trout but with this stealth your chances of a hookup will greatly increase. (Brownie in picture above was caught in Cedar Run by Harry Finkbiner on the green weenie still hanging from its mouth - the trout was 23 3/4 inches long and took the weenine during the day.)
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From The Shop: Great Equipment Sale
From time to time there are equipment changes at Orvis which allow us to pass along severe cuts and close-out prices on certain items. Some of the waders with Close Out Pricing include: Silver Label 3 Convertible Stockingfoot Wader reg. $295, now $195; Pro Guide Stockingfoot Wader reg. $395, now $225; Silver Label Bootfoot Wader with Eco Trax soles reg. $475, now $299; Sonic Weld Pack & Travel Wader Pant (x-large), now $198. Wading boots with Close Out deals include: River Guard Ultralight Boot with Eco Trax soles reg. $198, now $148; River Guard Easy-On Brogue Boot with Eco Trax soles reg. $198, now $148. Also on sale are Orvis Trout Bum Shirts in burnt red, light blue, and olive reg. $65, now $43; and very limited numbers of the Under Wader Fleece Suit reg. $129, now $99. Fly Line Close Out Wonder Line fly line & Orvis Silver Label - floating, sinking, sink-tip, various tapers and weights reg. $69, now $29.95.
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Please take a look at the picture included in the feature article on the right of the newsletter. If you can identify where the pool is located, give The Tackle Shop a call to see if you have it right. If you are one of the first three callers that correctly identifies the spot, you will win a free pair of snips! Give it a try...
Thank you for kicking back with us; we'll be back to you soon with our next edition. In the meanwhile, if you have any questions about the creek, runs, hatches, equipment, check out the news on our website slaterun.com or if you just have a comment, drop us an email or give us a call, we want to hear from you... Thanks again for your time!
Sincerely,
The Tackle Shop Team
Tom Finkbiner - Propriator, etc.
Jed Grove - Sales Manager,etc.
Dave Wonderlich - Website, Newsletter, etc.
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| Try Presenting Downstream for Wary Trout in Clear Water |  | |
There are many approaches to presenting a dry fly to trout - in low, clear water in a long sleepy pool, many of them simply don't work.
Smaller trout in lesser feeding positions at the bottom of the pool usually "spook" at the approach or start darting around and give the warning signal when the fly line hits the water.
An alternate approach is to fish downstream and make the cast from above the riffle or run of water emptying into the pool. Trout are use to food entering the pool at the head and since the surface is broken (however slightly) from the current at the top of the pool, the area provides better cover for the angler and terminal tackle as well as a ready-made conduit to the waiting trout.
To pull this off, it is still important to have stealth since trout position themselves in an upstream position - they will all be facing your approach! But, if you stay well above their window of vision, they won't be alerted - no line or leader will be cast over them to reach their position. To heighten your chances for success, simply cast your fly into the lower end of the current toward the top of the pool and, to not create drag continue to play some line into the current as the fly floats downstream. An easy way to add line is to strip a two-foot length from the spool, lift the rod tip quickly to get the line through the guides, then lower the tip to add the line to the current. As you practice this approach the action becomes much easier and smoother.
Be ready when the fly makes its float out onto the smooth surface. A typical problem when making the set is to strike early because you can see the approaching trout - let the fish take, then enjoy. You'll find yourself using this method on big water as well!
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