Darren rigged Wendy and I up with tandem rigs. The front/lead fly was a scud that was heavier than the back/trailer fly. The scud helped get the flies down in the water column and the second fly would get a little closer to the bottom. The back/trailer fly was a size 24 emerger. That's right, a size 24! The fly was so small that it felt like an impossibility that it could land a fish. I knew that trout would eat a fly that small, but I had doubts that a fish would stay hooked long enough to actually end up in the net. It seemed to me that one violent head shake or one solid run would simply rip the fly right out of the flesh in a fish's mouth.
It is also important to note that we didn't get started fishing until a little after 10 AM that morning. Wendy and I had opted to sleep late because we don't get that opportunity very often, and since we were on a little vacation, we took advantage of the chance to recharge our batteries a little. We knew that this would probably result in some slower fishing activity. We also knew that the low water and blue skies weren't going to do us any favors either. On the other hand, we had Darren who knows how to fish any conditions that Lake Taneycomo can throw at him!
We started getting hits right off the bat. We fished some slower, deeper water and the takes were subtle. The fish had plenty of time to look our flies over and hooksets had to be lightning quick. I'm not great at being lightning quick and neither is Wendy so we missed quite a few bites. I ended up hooking and landing one fish before we went to some faster water in the tailout of the pool. The fishing improved dramatically when we started fishing the end of the run. The takes were more aggressive and more fish were landed as a result.
Every fish that I landed was a marvel to me! Most of the fish were caught on the size #24 emerger and every single fish that made it to the net seemed like a miracle. Not only had I hooked the fish with such a small hook but I played it and landed it without it coming loose. The biggest takeaway for me on this outing was the small hooks really can put trout in the net which caused me to slightly change the way I look at fly fishing.
I never want to stop learning. The day I stop learning will be the day that my heart stops beating. There are so many things in this world that fascinate me because I don't understand them. While I will never be able to tell you how black holes work or the meaning of life, I can tell you that I will always try to learn more about fly fishing. There is beauty to be found in knowing that you will never master a craft but can pursue it your entire life without the fear of running out of things to learn. Thank you Darren for being an outstanding teacher and for having patience with my learning curve. If you too would like to acquire some fly fishing skills, please click on the link below and consider booking a trip with Captain Darren Sadler of Mozark Fishscapes. Aside from being a great teacher, his upbeat attitude and positive outlook on life will make for a memorable experience on the water that you just might cherish for a lifetime.
Sure was a pleasure teaching you all about the tiny midge game. Big success comes in small packages too.
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