Feb 2012 / ISE Expo

02/22/12

Hello heres the lates report on my return to the Ferry. After coming off the water for the last week fishing was good. The spawn beds are active and make for fun site fishing hook ups. One way to fish this is with a short single nymph rig with a egg pattern. Locate your bed and throw a good distance infront of the fish to allow your egg to get in the fish's face, and be ready to set. Also in low water becareful not to desturb emurged or shallow beds. Fish have also been regular to take San Juan worms, scuds, and midges are always a go to with spring soon to come. With the nice weather and finally a wadable flow. We have been able to wade any gravle bars. Were a standard nymph rig on the outer deeper faster water produces good fish. Coming in to the slower inside water of seams we run a midging rig, or early in the A.M.have been having luck with a dry dropper set up. Sunday was a great day on the bottom of the river were the water flow produced a slow rise all day. The fishing was a one stop shop. Running a egg as a bottom fly was also a good fly choice for that day. Looking forward to see if we can se more Sunday water flows like that in the future. We will keep you updated, also we will be in Glendale,AZ from the 23-26 at University Of Phoenix statium for the Internationl Sportsmen Expo. Come on down and check us you can find us at booth 430.

Tell next time keep them fish busy.

Kyle Klemme-MCO Guide

For More Details, Visit Home at http://www.LeesFerryFlyFishing.com

January 28, 2012

Hello all my fellow fishers,

The photos above are from a trip on 1/21/12, Bill Hayes holding a beautiful 17'' female rainbow, caught on a olive scud, on his first cast of the day.

The fishing at Lee's Ferry is good right now, due to the lack of moisture this winter the high flows have finally come down from 20,000cfs steady to a slow fluctuation from 9,500cfs to 16,000cfs. For us as fisherman this means, at 8:00am when we get to our fishing spot the level is about 10,000cfs, with a very slow rise, when we leave our spot at 4:00pm the water will be about 15,000cfs.

I have been using short nymphing rig, or even a dry dropper, and fishing the slower bottom portions of the main gravel bars with great success. The flies I use on the nymphing rig are; worm, scuds, and eggs (change colors often to find the most desired colors, and patterns, as the fish preference changes daily). For the dry dropper, I use a cicada, or stimulator for the dry, and a zebra midge for the dropper #16-#18, black, grey, or green.

For those of you who are thinking of taking advantage of our unusually great weather, and wanting to get in an early fishing trip this year, Lee's Ferry has to be your destination, great weather, wading is finally an option again, and the rainbows are happy and healthy. If we can be of service please let us know.

Until next time, "may your lines be tight, and always remember to keep that tip up".

Mick Lovett

For More Details, Visit Home at http://www.LeesFerryFlyFishing.com

Winter Flows & Begining of the Spawn

Winter time at Lee's Ferry means high flows(20,300 cfs) and of course December signifies the start of this years spawn. We are using a few different techniques out there, depending on where on the river you are fishing.

First rig is your standard nymphing rig; 9'-5X leader, 15'' of 5X tippet, first fly, 18-20'',second fly, I use a double indicator, and a split shot(size depends on location) above tippet knot(15'' above first fly). This rig is your drifting rig and can be used river wide, your favorite wading bars are a good place to start for drifting.

Second rig is a dry-dropper rig; 7.5'-3X leader, dry fly(size 10, stemmy, or cicada pattern), and 5X tippet from their(length depends on location), to a size 16, zebra midge. This rig is used in small seams and side water, located at your favorite wading bars, anchor your boat, or if you dare; wade fish.

Third rig is a modified nymphing rig; 9'-5X leader, tie on fly(size 16 egg patterns, size 14 scud patterns, size 14 San Juan worm pattern), 10-12'' above the fly goes your split shot(size depends on location), and a single indicator(the smaller the better) 4-5' from fly. This is the rig I use to sight fish for the spawners, either from an anchored boat or again if you dare; wading.

Last but not least; for those of you like me that enjoy streamer fishing; tie the ol' olive bugger on your sink tip line and either swing it thru your favorite riffle, or strip it thru your favorite seam or back eddie.

Winter time is beautiful at the Ferry, the lighting is extraordinary during the winter months. Come on down and fish with us, or boats are fully covered and we'll have the heater running for you. Fishing is good, weather is fair, and you will enjoy this time of year, so please let us know if we can be of service.

Remember "keep that rod tip up", and I wish you all tight lines blue skies!

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Mick Lovett

For More Details, Visit Home at http://www.LeesFerryFlyFishing.com

October 27

Hello fellow fishermen and women.
Fishing on the Ferry is still producing good fish and with good weather it is a great time to be in the canyon. I have had good success on gravel bars were the water drops off the edge of the run. I have been using a standard midgeing rig normally around 6' to my first fly but will very on locations. Fallowing about 16-18 inches to my dropper fly. Flys, top fly will consist of a #16 zebra midge, main colors I run are black, laser and a purple and silver. For the dropper we have found that the smaller the fly the more action produced. Fish seam to catch on to the gig quicker than usual so I am always changing out my bottom fly. Normally start with a 18-20 black midge. Once the fish seam to catch on I will change colors and even throw San Juan worms and scuds. My growing favorite way to catch fish is the streamer. Tie on a olive to brown woolly bugger with some hackle in it, throw out to were a seam and back eddie are present. Key is to always try to present it in different retrieves from long slow strips, to quick short jerks. Try to keep it low to the bottom some were in the 6-8'' from the bottom. I apologize for no photos but they will be on the next report. Size of the fish have been from the new fry hatching's to some really nice hogs, fish are always there and are waiting for you. Hope to catch you all out there, as always keep me in the loop and yours from crashing.
Thank you,
Kyle Klemme-MCO Guide
For More Details, Visit Home at http://www.LeesFerryFlyFishing.com

September 8

Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend. It was a good Labor day weekend alot of traffic,but the fishing stayed consisten. The fish are striking our midging riggs all day. The best set up I found was a #16 on top with a #18 black dropper. The top fly I will change with the time and hatches thru out the day. The #18 black I kept as my main fly. Another setup we thru was the streamer rigg. Olive/black, and olive with green hackle wooly buggers were working good. Fish were aggressive on big sand bars throwing your bugger into the current and let it swing down to a seam. Key to this is getting your bugger down close to the bottom,also try with a trailer fly about 16-18" back. Here are some Pics of my client Mike, speacail thanks to him and his wife it was a great day on the Ferry that I will never forget!

Thanks, Kyle Klemme-Guide

For More Details, Visit Home at http://www.LeesFerryFlyFishing.com

Hello everyone,
Hope your all having a great year. As you all know the season is turning and fall is just around the corner, for the Ferry this means lower water flows for September and October. A steady 15,500 cfs to be exact, and remember this is down from our summer flow of 24,500 cfs.
I was the only guide boat on the water today, and one of two total fishing boats out?
I was anticipating the wading and proceeded to a favorite wading bar for this water level, and as expected it was my midging rig that we were having our success. The rig is pretty simple;plsa indicator, 36'' of 5x tippet to a size 16 tung. bead zebra midge(you pick the color), then 20'' to next midge, size 16-18, on 6x, and steel or tungsten bead.
The numbers were good, lots of variation in size, plus for those of you who want to wade the ferry again before the winter; now is the time.I have availability all over September and October, so if Ican be of service please let me know.
So the picture to the right is the other guide now working for MCO, and the author of the previous few blog entries; his name is Kyle Klemme, just wanted to make a semi-formal introduction, he has been a great addition to MCO.

Til next time, tight lines, and always remember to keep that tip up!
Mick Lovett

For More Details, Visit Home at ttp://www.LeesFerryFlyFishing.com

Today on Lees Ferry fishing was good. All morning we had good numbers running a nymphing setup. Like the previous post we were running the same length and setup. I found the sand devil set up was working the best, black#16 zebra midge on top being followed by a #16-18 red midge. The fish were super active all morning, in the afternoon the output flow increased which required some minor adjustments. When you are fishing the Ferry pay close attention to the canyon walls were they meet the water. You will be able to watch the water fluctuate through they day. So always keep that in mind and adjust your rig accordingly. When the water increased I added another foot between my indicator and first fly, keeping the rest of the setup the same. We were also able to get some good site fishing in on big sand bars using a streamer setup. After siting your fish, use the current to let your line swing your fly in front of them and watch it happen. Good takes and always a great show. Until the next, keep me in the loop and yours from crashing.
Kyle Klemme-Guide
For More Details, Visit Home at http://www.LeesFerryFlyFishing.com