Fishing in plus 90 degrees

My client and I fished the Kootenia Tuesday.  The forecast promised temperatures above 90 degrees and we were not disappointed. We launched at 8 AM and enjoyed a very pleasant morning fishing.  The client wanted to try out his Tenkara fly rod so we hunted for water that suited his purpose and he caught a nice rainbow, first fish on his Tenkara!  I enjoyed watching him land it with no reel.  

Then about lunch time we felt it -- sunbaking, moisture wicking, wish-I-had-a-popsicle -- heat.

Even though the temperature remained high, we kept moving, enjoying the light breeze .  We searched and saw fish activity, getting hits between sips of cool water from the icebox.  It was a pleasant day. At 4 PM we had the boat back on the trailer, a very nice 8 hours of fishing.

We were ready for the A/C.

Flies that worked best for us were bleached elk hair winged attractors. (We did see some small moths hatching, so that may have been the reason.) Also caught on parachute adams, pat’s rubberleg (Tenkara – not very traditional, but worked) and small mayfly patterns.

Tips on fishing the Kootenai in high temperatures:

·         Fish early or late in the day. (check the sunrise/sunset times)

·         Look for fish in currents and deep,  oxygenated water (below riffles)

·         Keep looking! Don’t think the fish won’t rise, fish were rising in the foam lines and a few along the deep banks under the railroad tracks most of the afternoon.

·         Fish structure – look for submerged logs or large rocks. Some of the best spots on the Kootenai are old cottonwood trees sunken into the river banks. Polarized sunglasses help you see these hidden gems.

·         Stay hydrated! Pack the normal amount of water, and then double it.  Use a cooling cloth, wear a wide brim hat. Apply sunscreen before you launch, then reapply during the day. All the important things our parents and grandparents told us growing up.

At the time of posting this entry the water temperature at Leona is above 64 degrees. In the evening it’s cooling down to only 62 degrees. The water flow is around 7,400 CFS at the state line.

 This weekend promises a weather change and hopefully next week will stay in the 70’s! Enjoy the river!