March 3, 2024
Well, the long winter is beginning to wind down and finally, the snowpacks in Utah and Idaho have reached above normal depths thanks to a big February and recent storm in early March. Now we can look forward to a normal spring with excellent run-off in early summer. However, for some reason, since my return from fishing the British Virgin Islands (BVIs), I have not been motivated to get out there. It is tough going back to trout after hunting tarpon! Plus I landed my first tarpon after many years of trying and although I’m 100% content with the circumstances, I do feel a sense of accomplishment!
Recently, I had one of those Ahha moments! Thinking about spring and fly fishing for trout. The first thought in March is the nymph activity precedes the hatches, baetis/BWO in April and caddis in May, the famous mother’s day hatch which seems to be universal in the rocky mountain region. But, nymphing is really the focus in March/April unless you can time those BWO hatches. First in March, stoneflies tend to dominate, as the represent a big meal and they are getting active in advance of the May/June hatches of golden stones and even the smaller black stoneflies. Of course the giant salmon flies are June/July and Yellow Sallys are July. In April, BWO nymphs become active as well and caddis pupa begin to show in April into May.
The seasonal nature is one of the fun aspects of fly fishing in my opinion. Most os a trout’s diet is bugs and they tend to target specific bugs when they are plentiful. Streamer aficionados know well that their best opportunities for catching fish on streamers is fall and winter. It stands to reason actually because bug activity is at its lowest during fall and winter. In spring and summer, trout become hyper focused on insects. Why? because they are plentiful. First is sub-surface, followed by top water. When trout are hyper focused on a specific food type, they sometimes refuse others, not that streamers don’t work at all but they may be less effective.
So back to the Aha! moment. Looking forward to March/April I’m having thoughts about nymphing in my usual style which is a two fly indicator rig with a stonefly and a baetis nymph. For some reason this year, I have not been able to get excited. Then it occurred to me, whan if I went full-on Euro nymph(tight line nymphing, etc). First, some panic set in. I tried it a few years back with disastrous results. In that case, I half assed it. I used my standard 9’0 4wt Scott G2. Second, I’m not sure my rigging was correct and I really gave up after one really bad day.
This time, I decided to go in with my whole ass! Yes, I broke down and bought a Euro rod. It was not a planned purchase. It was an impulse buy. Orvis ran a sale on their Recon. The Recon occupies a space between their low end Stillwater and their high end Helios. I was reluctant to add to my quiver, but last year I sold my 6wt G2 when I decided my Scott Meridian 7wt would occupy the space for tandem streamers with sink tips. I had also thought about trout spey, but realistically, I feel like to my 4wt G2 swings soft hackles really well without needing to go wth a 2 handed spey cast. So I pulled the trigger on a 10′ 2wt, which was the only Recon rod listed on clearance. I had thought about an entry level Reddington, TFO or Echo, but me and entry level rods typically don’t mix and further, but I was not ready to commit to a high end rod either. The Recon at half off really seemed to fit the bill.
Orvis Recon – First Impressions
Those of you who have read other posts of mine, know I’m a Scott guy. Have been for 20 years and have upgraded along the way. I only deviated once about 7 years ago when we first got the Victor cabin. It was a G Loomis 10′ switch rod and I used a spool on my 6wt Galvan reel that I loaded with Skagit line and head. The Loomis was my first non-Scott rod since my original Cortland beginner rod. That rod was also paired with a Galvan reel and that combo saw many years of heavy use! However, I never got into the Loomis and spey casting for that matter. It was a 5wt and that was my first mistake. I also wanted to use it for steelhead and it was a compromise in either direction. Not a good fit for trout and too short and underpowered for steelhead. It was sold after sitting unused for a couple of seasons. One place it fished really well was Pyramid lake in Nevada. It was perfect for launching an indicator rig a long distance. It was also great when it came to landind 25″+ cutthroats. But I don’t keep a rod around for a once in a few years scenario.
So, the itch that needed scratching this time around was having a better, more rewarding tool for nymphing. Now, I’m 100% clear that nymphing from the drift boat will still focus on standard 9′ rods and indicators. However, when it came down to wading and nymphing, I need to try something new and was willing to dedicate a new tool to that cause. The trout spey did not rise to the top of the list this time.
So the Recon was delivered yesterday and so far I’m impressed. Yes, the mid range kit is less than stunning. A cordura tube instead of aluminum. The sock was really chincy. The really could have done better there. But, the rod impressed me and that is the important part. The rod is very thin and whippy, which is what you would expect. The green color is pleasing and not garish. The ferule fit is excellent and the guides are good quality. Had I paid the $600 list price, I might have been slightly underwhelmed. But it feels like an excellent bbargain at half of that. Again, I think the 2wt had people scared off which is why Orvis had extra inventory they needed to clear out. Funny, but 2wt is EXACTLY what I wanted. The point of havng a “tight line” is being able to “feel” and have direct contact with the business end of the tool, the fly. In my opinion, the secondary sense is the visual tracking of the sighter. I plan to rely primarily on the tactile sensation. A big pause or bump is casue for setting the hook. A big part of the learning curve is getting past all the false positives. This time around, I’m Ok with that. I have no issues setting, even when there is nothing there. A big part of the allure of tight line nymphing is detecting eats. It is common knowllege that the majority of indicator eats happen without the angler’s knowledge. First, you are not in direct contact and second with all the slack line, is evidence of the eat being transferred to the indicator in a visible way.
One other feature of the Recon I like is it has a fighting butt! Seems a little unnecessary on a 2wt, but hey, it looks cool! But part of the reason why is the reel seats back, not forward as on a conventional rod. This is to help balance a larger reel, but in my case, I’m using a smaller one, so it is a TBD as to how well that will work for me.
Completing the Rig
So, earlier I said I was going “all in” on the Euro rig, but actually, I just went “all in” on the rod. The reel I’m using is a “small arbor” Galvan. It is great reel and I just happened to have it laying around. If I get confirmation that Euro nymphing is something I can commit to long term, the reel will ultimately be replaced. I also did not buy dedicated Euro line. Heck many of the experts don’t rely on line at all, just a really long leader. But they also sell shorty lines because, line handling is important and let’s face it, leader does not feel the same in hand as line. The key is having a thin diameter line, in case it ever comes out of the guides in a cast. The thinner the diameter, the less sag, which is the whole point behind “Tight line Nymphing” anyway. If your line is sagging, it cannot be tight! So, I took an old 3wt floating line and cut off the 40′ of taper and kept the 40′ of running line, which was the smallest diameter section. I nail knotted it to the butt section of my leader and I’m really happy with the result. As before, I built my own leader using Maxima Chameleon in three weights. Lance Egan at Fly Fish food has a recipe for beginners that starts with 42″ of 20 lb, then 42″ of 15lb and finally 42″ of 12lb. I already had these on hand which is great! Next is 2-3′ of multicolored sighter. In a couple of places, you leave the “ears” or tags on after tying a blood knot. Then a tippet ring completes the leader. Below the tippet ring is 4-6′ of fluorocarbon tippet. The length varies on the water depth you will encounter. In any case, I plan to tweak this rig over time, but I feel like I’m starting in a really good place.
More to come…….
