Things to do during the 'Off' season

[ags]

Size of Grayling

Back in 1966, was in Melrose Montana having dinner. A guide heard me talking about fishing the Big Hole that evening and planning to fish it the next day. He came over to our table (wife, daughter, and me) to inform me that fishing on the Big Hole was terrible. Responded by telling him that seemed to be true as I just caught one 7 inch brown while fishing it that evening. Informed him that I thought I was just a lousy fisherman. His take was that under the current conditions, one's skill level was academic! The guide wanted to know the location of my home waters. Informed him that I was from Pa. and tried to fish the Letort and Falling Springs - two limestoners - as often as possible. Showed him the flies used on those streams - jassids, trico's, Letort beetles and hoppers, etc. Don't know if that impressed him, but he offered to take me fishing for Grayling at a Lake the next morning - free of charge, not less! Needless to say I took him up on this deal.

Bottom line - had a great morning catching 10 inch to 14 inch Graying. He caught far more - and larger ones - than I did. I used dries. About 45 minutes before we were to leave, he came over to give me one of his patterns. Tied it on and had far greater success - size and number - with his pattern than I had with the patterns I had been using.

On the return walk back to his truck, we ran into a grizzly. Thank heavens, the grizzly ran in an opposite directions!

Grayling as an indicator - it is my understanding that Grayling require high quality water. Thus streams that hold Grayling must be consider high quality streams. As we all know, the range of the Grayling - as well as that of other fish species requiring high water quality - here in the US has decreased significantly over the years.

Please note - my take - that both the Letort and Falling Springs are mere shadows of what they were back in the 1945 - 1970 era.

[greendrake]

I can't speak to Falling Springs decline even though I have fished it for many years. But the Letort has had 2 bad fish kills that I'm aware of and I don't think the fish or the aquatic insects have recovered from the last one even though it's been awhile since it happened.Of course that's just my take on it.
Will