Yosemite Fly Fishing Blog | Yosemite Fly FIshing Information

Looking back over 2017 and preparing for an informative blog life in 2018!

1/3/2018

Here at Yosemite Fly Fishing Guide we want to send out a heartfelt "Thank You" to every angler that joined us on the water in Yosemite during our 2017 fly fishing season! Thanks for helping to make 2017 an exciting, rewarding and record breaking year for us here at YFFG!

When I look back over 2017 it seems like just yesterday that I was able to help Chris, an experienced angler, hook into a large wild Brown trout on a blown out spring creek or when we were able to teach the Henderson family of 7 to fly fish for the first time and have everyone of them land their first wild trout in Yosemite. There is also the good, the bad and the ugly from the year; from broken down SUV's to breaking eight different fly rods on the river; to being the first responder to a near fatal car crash and spending two hours stabilizing the driver and taking vitals until emergency services arrived, to landing two trout at once on a first time anglers fly rig, this year will certainly be one to remember.

At YFFG we know that catching trout is only part of the fly fishing journey, getting out into the wild of Yosemite and the Yosemite region and joining the adventure of being a fly fishing angler is what keeps us coming back year after year!

Keep an eye out for our 2018 blog posts as we have big things planned for adding tons of fly fishing value to the Yosemite region!

Here's to a wonderful 2018!

Tight Lines!

David Furry
and the YFFG angling family

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The Bridalveil Falls Section of the Mighty Merced River

11/14/2017

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This weeks post will break down a section of the mighty Merced River in Yosemite. The Section we will be highlighting is referred to as the "Bridalveil Falls Section".

Highlights: This section has the highest concentration of riffles and runs on the Merced, with water levels varying from 2 feet to 15-20 feet in depth and its open to fishing from the last Saturday in April to the 15th of November.

Time: The best time to fish the Bridalveil Falls section is during the month of June and October/November, sometimes in late April early May if we get a late snow melt. It's tricky because June can be to early still if their is high snow back in the high country and we get a late or prolonged run off and October/November can be to late if we don't get enough snow. We like to use the area in the attached photo to dictate how this section is going to be fishing, if the water level at this location, just past the main Bridalveil Falls lookout on the South side drive, is around 2-3 feet, the fly fishing should be great.

Location: The Bridalveil Falls Section of the Merced starts at the Bridalveil Falls pull out on the North Side road as you exit Yosemite, and heads East before stopping at the beginning of El Capitan Meadow.

Tips/Hints: Expect to see a lot of cars and people on the sides of the river, as this is not a secluded section of water, but the great thing is the water is usually never crowded with anglers. Unless you see trout rising to a hatch, we'd recommend bouncing nymphs off the bottom. Look for large boulders in the river and fish the side seams and when you get to any of the deep sections(15-20 feet), start chasing the lunkers by chucking streamers and wooly buggers.

YFFG Flies of Choice: (Drys) Yellow Stimulators sizes 10 to 14, BWO sizes 16 to 20 and Tan Caddis size 14 to 18. (Nymphs) Black and green Turds sizes 10 to 14, Flash back Hares Ears sizes 14 to 18 and Copper Johns size 16.

This is a great section to fly fish in the valley and it will certainly put you on some aggressive Native Rainbows and wild Browns. Message us with any questions or if you need any other help with fly fishing in Yosemite.

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Double Meadows Section of the main Tuolumne River in Yosemite's High country.

10/18/2017

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Highlights: This section is great for fly fishing anglers that like to cast small dry flies to rising trout and for any angler that wants to chase larger trout tucked under the side banks. Trout size averages 7 to 14 inches in this location. It is open to fishing from the last Saturday in April to the 15th of November, but access to this area all depends on when they open up the Tioga Road to allow access to the high country. Opening dates very from April to the end of June depending on snowpack.

Time: The best time to fish the Double Meadows Section of the Tuolumne is July to November 15th. Due to its elevation, the water temperature will stay colder in this section all summer and the fishing can be productive for any angler with a stealthy approach and a quality cast.

Location: The Double Meadows Section starts where the PCT crosses the Tuolumne River(west of the junction of the Tuolumne River and Conness Creek)and ends where Highway 120(Tioga Road) crosses the Tuolumne River, east of Tuolumne Meadows. It encompasses the main Tuolumne Meadows area, hundreds of yards of cascades that produces small waterfalls and large holding pools and a few miles of flat meadow sections that ranges from very shallow to 2-5 feet in depth.

Tips/Hints: In the Tuolumne Meadows section, expect to see more people than on other sections of this location. With easy access from the main road, visitors enjoy walking along the river banks and enjoying the lovely scenery or in fly fishing terms, spooking trout. It would be best for any angler that wants to fish the main meadow section to arriver around sunrise to beat the crowds or to wait until dusk and fish the meadow section right before sunset. Heading west from Tuolumne Meadows, anglers will encounter the cascading section, this is a great spot for throwing nymphs and streamers/wooly buggers. After the cascading section and before the canyon section, anglers will find another meadow section that very few anglers fish. This area is great for small dry flies and bank fly fishing. It's also good for trying to land a 12 to 14 inch brown that is holding under the far bank. Again, stealth is everything in this areas!

YFFG Flies of Choice: (Drys) Yellow Sallies sizes 14 to 18, BWO sizes 16 to 20, Black Ants size 14 to 18 and Black Caddis size 14 to 18. (Nymphs) Prince Nymphs sizes 14 to 20, Flash back Hares Ears sizes 16 to 20 and Rainbow Warriors size 16 to 20.

This is a wonderful section of water to fish while the rest of Yosemite is packed with summer visitors. Your distance from the main road will usually determine the quality of your fly fishing experience...less is not more in this equation. :)

YFFG will break down the canyon section west of the Double Meadows Section in a future post, so stay tuned to learn more about Yosemite's Fly Fishing Waters!

Message us with any questions or if you need any other help with fly fishing in Yosemite.

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Tungsten Beads are worth their weight in GOLD!

6/8/2017

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Since the beginning of fly fishing, anglers have been trying to figure out ways to maximize their ability to present a quality, stealthily fly to an awaiting trout. From the perfect dry fly cast to the best way to drift a streamer, quality presentation is everything! So why should nymphing be any different? And that's where the Tungsten Bead comes in!

The Tungsten Bead allows for a nymph to sink down to the desired water column three times faster than most conventional Beads. So when an angler is able to present a size 18, tungsten bead headed Pheasant Tail nymph to an awaiting trout that is holding four feet down in fast water and they can make it look as if it's drifting naturally, the hook up ratio will increase exponentially. Due to the fact that the Tungsten Bead is heavier than other beads, anglers can use less weight(split shots, sicking leaders, oversized flies, etc) and still get the fly to sick at an exceptional rate. Most anglers know that skimming a dry fly across the top of the water surface and having it look "unnatural" will drastically lower their catch percentage, yet they don't tend to think that "pulling" or "dragging" a nymph under the surface will have the same outcome.

The general consensus on the web is that Tungsten Beads cost so much more than traditional beads, but let's do the "catch rate" math and see what the outcome would be.(one missed trout = one bead) (Hypothetically :) )

A pack of 20 Tungsten Beads, size 3/32 costs: $9.95 or $.50 cents each
A pack of 20 Regular Beads, size 3/32 costs: $3.50 or $.18 cents each

Just for fun, lets say that a quality presented fly would increase your catch rate by 50% per Bead, per missed trout. So if you potentially missed 20 trout because of a poorly presented nymph and by just adding a Tungsten Bead, you would only miss 10. That mean your paying $3.60 to miss 20 trout and $5.00 to catch 10 trout. When you look at it with this perspective, the price doesn't seem to come into play at all.

Anglers will pay more for dry flies that float better because they are a higher quality tied fly, they will pay more for streamers that are larger, with more flash and more hooks, so why not pay more for Tungsten Beads? All three of these lead anglers to the same outcome, a better presented, high quality looking fly that allows for more tight line battles!

Tungsten Beads may be more expensive, but to Yosemite Fly Fishing Guide, the time spent catching more trout makes them worth their weight in GOLD!

Catch the beauty, enjoy the journey!
Yosemite Fly Fishing Guide

Follow @FlyFishin_Guide

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Don't let your lab coat, safety goggles and beaker get in the way of catching trout on a fly rod!

3/1/2017

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Photo from Brian Price Photography

Catching trout is more than an art, it is downright science, Bill Nye style! We find in Yosemite and anywhere else in the world, that the fly you use the most will always change depending on the seasonal hatch, the location of the area you are fishing and the temperature of the water.

If you went fly fishing for Golden Trout in Yosemite on the first weekend of October and there was a recent October Caddis hatch on the small creek you are fishing, that would more than likely be your go to fly for that trip and that entire weekend. Now if you went back to that same creek in May to catch a few more Goldens, you would find that they might be only eating Green Drakes or Stoneflies. This is where many new anglers get overwhelmed in fly shops and as they try to match the hatch on the water. There is no need to take off your lab coat and go back to "Chuck and Reel" fishing, just try and simplify your selection and fine tune your cast.

You will catch more trout over the course of your life with the wrong fly, that is the wrong size and color, but presented with a high quality cast; then you will with the right fly, that is the right size and color, but you had a poor cast. When you're just starting, focus more on your cast and how your presenting your fly to an awaiting trout and not as much on what tiny details of your fly are going to make a difference.

If your getting frustrated with fly selection, it might be time to simplify your fly box and give our list a shot. Pick two different colors and 2 different sizes, but only 4 main dry fly patterns(Stimulator, Royal Wulff, Caddis, and Adams), 4 beaded nymph patterns(Hairs Ear, Stonefly, Pheasant Tail and San Juan Worm), 1 soft hackle(Partridge Hackle), 2 wooly buggers(Black and Olive) and 2 terrestrials(Grasshopper and Black Ant).

Keep your lab coat on but leave your beakers at home when you head to the fly shop next time and try the above list and see what kind of results you have. Remember, cast the wrong fly but with great presentation and forget about the "perfect fly" that you keep casting with poor presentation and let us know about the outcome.

As always, catch the beauty of today!
Yosemite Fly Fishing Guide

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Front Line Lessons from the Fly Fishing Battlefield

10/12/2016

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What's the point of gaining a valuable life lesson if it doesn't leave a hand print across the back of your skull? One of the best fly fishing lessons I've ever learned from an "Old Timer", deals with the proper way to be prepared your attack plans and strategies. As a youngster, I always made sure to have my rod set up and ready to go well before I ever placed my boot on the path to the river. I would usually keep the same fly tied on from the previous day or past week of fishing.

One day, I raced past this well seasoned angler while heading out to go fly fishing on the Tuolumne River in Yosemite. After I had been casting for about 30 mins or so, I saw him approach and then sit down by the water for at least 15 mins before ever tying on a fly. This was so taboo for me at the time that I had to know way; so like the smart ass kid I was, I asked him about his early morning siesta, and he replied, "I'm just checking out the battlefield young-an, so I can prepare the proper plan of attack."

What... battlefield, plan of attack? These were all new concepts to me so I engaged him even more with the thirst for an explanation and he preceded to give me one of my greatest lesson on fly fishing. He explained that he liked to come to the river with nothing ready but his blank canvas, he would then sit and enjoy the beauty while watching the action on the water, in the air and all the struggling flies trapped in webs during the previous night. He then explained to me that by not checking my battlefield, I didn't notice the two hard freezes we had and because of them, all the hoppers were done for the year; not good for the hopper I had tied on. I also missed the signs of a Yellow Sally hatch up river and if I would of paid more attention to the battlefield, I would of seen them trapped in the spider webs along the bank of the river. SMACK, my brian did a 180 and the lesson was etched on my skull, but it was only after many years went by that I actually put it to proper use.

The best anglers, always know what's going on around them. They draw up their attack plans from what they see in the present moment and as a result; they land more trout. Slow down your approach, capture the beauty and use the knowledge that each day provides.

No angler ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and they are not the same angler. - A modified quote from Heraclitus

Follow @FlyFishin_Guide

Yosemite Fly Fishing Guide

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Solitude vs. Pandemonium - Opening day of fly fishing season

4/25/2016

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Fly fishing the Merced River in Yosemite National Park

I'd rather catch two trout on the road less traveled than a basket full of trout on a river full of anglers. For me, fly fishing is the best way to clear my mind and feed my soul. When it comes to opening day for fishing season, there are two places that come to mind, the Fire Hole River in Yellowstone National Park and the Merced River in Yosemite National Park. Both rivers have their good and not so good qualities, just like in life, it's about choosing the option that provides the best balance. There's the choice between one vs. many, the need to post a monster catch and connecting with our true purpose for fly fishing. All of these carry their own weight and in the end, it comes down to what we believe is best for our selfs and the type of angler we want to become.

Six years ago, I was on the Fire Hole River for opening day in Yellowstone National Park. My buddy and I got to the river an hour before the early morning rays of the sun. We had been scouting our spot for a few weeks and determined that this one particular section would produce the most rewarding catch. As we pulled up to the river on opening day, we seen three other trucks parked at our destination. This was disturbing because we lived in the park; we were locals and we figured we would have home stream advantage, it turns out that we were sadly mistaken. Anglers were already putting on their waders and tying on flies. We found the same result when we drove to our second location. We ended up parking in a pullout that only had two cars and hiking up river to a not so favorable spot. Even when a blizzard tried to reclaim the river, there was an angler every 100 or so yards, for 15 miles. I caught 5 decent Rainbows and my buddy caught 8, all in all, it was a good day.

Swim forward to this year on the Merced River in Yosemite National Park. I pulled up to my chosen spot two hours after the sun was on the water. I had gotten a late start this year because of a heavy over night storm that knocked out our alarm clock. I figured, I would again be scrounging for a spot to get my line wet and was pleased to find that no other anglers had decided to fish at my location. When I got to the water, I was greeted by a slight downpour. I know trout still enjoy eating when it's raining so I tied out a size 10, yellow stimulator and proceeded to stalk my pray. The morning session was tough fishing, three thrown flies and one missed rise, but their wasn't one other angler on the river to share my misgivings with, a quality all of its own. My end of the day tally was, 5 thrown flies, 3 missed rises and one 13 inch native Rainbow. Upon returning home, my wife asked me how my day was and I replied, "Amazing." I told her that I fished over 10 miles of river that day and didn't see one single angler on the water, it was as if I had reserved the whole Merced River to myself for opening day.

Two opening days, two very different results. On the Fire Hole River, I did catch more trout, but today my memory creel is full of the 300 other anglers I had to compete with in order to acquire a decent fishing location and catch a fair amount of trout. Compared to this years opening day on the Merced River in Yosemite, I caught only one wild trout but I will forever remember my quite private lunch by the river, the memory imprints of seeing nothing but beautiful scenery and the feeling of complete solitude. In our day and age, we are continually bombarded with egotistical wants and needs. There's something to be said about removing the need to post a monster trout on your social media page for all your angling buddies to comment on and fly fishing to fly fish, not "fly catch".

Next time you tell someone that your were out fly fishing, pay attention to the first question they ask you. I'm almost certain that it will be, "How many fish did you catch," or "did you catch anything?" Regardless of my daily catch, I always like to quote Henry David Thoreau and tell them, "Many people will fish their whole life without ever realizing that it's not the fish they are after." We are fly fishers, not fly catchers. We should stop focusing on how many fish we're catching and start focusing on catching quality experiences. Fly fishing has provided me with a life time of memories, and they're not memories of fish. They're memories of beautiful scenic locations, high quality time with friends and family and a strong connection with Mother Earth.

Participating in opening day for football or baseball season can feel like you're a caddis fly stuck in the clutches of a wild, chaotic eddie. The same can go for fly fishing on some of the most popular rivers for opening day of fishing season. When next years count down starts for opening season, try to remember that there are hundreds of rivers that are less traveled, that hold splendid fly fishing memories. Escape from the crowds and get lost in a place that feeds your imagination. Don't focus on the picture you're going to post when you hook into a large, monstrous trout and try to remember your reasons for engaging in the art of fly fishing. Why try and stand out in a crowd when you can stand alone in a wild, scenic river?

Written by
Yosemite Fly Fishing Guide
http://flyfishyosemite.com

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Looking back over 2017 and preparing for an informative blog life in 2018!

The Bridalveil Falls Section of the Mighty Merced River

Double Meadows Section of the main Tuolumne River in Yosemite's High country.

Tungsten Beads are worth their weight in GOLD!

Don't let your lab coat, safety goggles and beaker get in the way of catching trout on a fly rod!

Front Line Lessons from the Fly Fishing Battlefield

Solitude vs. Pandemonium - Opening day of fly fishing season

Yosemite Fly Fishing Guide

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