G2 Meets H2O
I was about to head over to Tom’s Run in the ANF Sunday morn. I fished a small brook stream out in central Pa. the last couple of days with a short 3 weight. I was wanting to fish bigger water but figured the bigger streams were still blown out from all the rain previously. I actually came home a day earlier than planned. For the heck of it I called Jim Sunday morn to see what he was up to. It wasn’t even 7:00am so I left a msge. on his cell phone to call me back if he gets it within the next 20 minutes because I’ll be leaving. Within 10 minutes he called back and asked what’s up. In our conversation he got some inside info that a good hatch of caddis showed up at Oil Creek at a certain location. A few risers were about Saturday night but with the water clearing, Sunday might be good for top water action. Say no more, I was to meet him along Oil Creek.
I got to his vehicle, in the parking area, and got my gear on. I suppose it was getting close to 8:00am by then. I made sure I wore my cleated wading boots and brought along a rain jacket just in case. I was so excited to get the Scott G2 9' 5wt rod out for some, hopefully, top water action I lit up an Arturo Curly Head Deluxe on my way down to the creek.
Jim was already nymph fishing in the somewhat opaque water. The wide section was wavy enough to hide any indication of leader or tippet attached to a dry fly imitation. I already noticed a few caddis about and was searching for a riser. While wading in, upstream from Jim, I saw the first rise across the mid section of wavy current. The far side looked shallower and I figured that’s where the trout would be feeding on dries to get out of the deeper cloudy water. After seeing that first rise I questioned Jim on what size he thought the caddis were, body color and wing shade. He gave me a pretty good description. I looked through my caddis box and tied on a #16 smoky wing, tan caddis. I added a piece of 6x tippet to my 5x knotted leader and was ready for some action. Puffing on the big stogie I waved the 9' Scott rod in the air and cast out blindly towards the middle of the creek to get my timing right. On my next back cast I saw a fish rise ¾’s of the way across stream so I figured on letting this cast drop in the mid section before false casting more line out. The caddis fell out in front of me and I let it drift before…..
A splash of a riser disturbed the water where my fly just was. I was still trying to carry on a conversation with Jim when the surprise happened. I sharply lifted the rod to set the hook and felt the resistance.. Momentarily. Jim turned with the splash and began to laugh and make comments about not being ready. Yep, the line went limp and the fish got away. I never expected to have a rise to my fly casting blindly on my second cast of the morn. I was more than ready next time.
The next trout gave up his location by rising within sight. He was a bit far but was in range of my ability. There was a slight breeze blowing upstream so I waded a bit upstream for a better angle at the riser. A few false casts in the air and I sent the caddis on his way above the mid section of current. The medium action rod carried the line, leader and fly in a graceful lengthy loop and I watched the breeze shift my fly upstream than where I intended. After no rise I corrected my cast with a little more power and a tighter loop angling my arm a bit, cutting into the wind, and to throw the fly line a little more upstream from my caddis. My fly dropped pretty close to where I intended but still wasn’t given any attention. I figured with the semi-fast current, and opaque water conditions, maybe the trout aren’t seeing the fly until its right on top of them and takes a little more time for them to pick it out, turn, follow and take it. My next cast was way upstream of the riser and I backed my rod tip up before the fall to put a little more slack in the line. I watched as my caddis fell to the water, drifted a bit, turned downstream and drifted more. Patiently I watched and knew when it was in the zone. The splash was visible and I lifted line off the water for the long hook set.
“Yeah!” I told Jim, as he was kidding me about the trout teasing me.
“Can’t tease Jerry for too long” I was making fun.
I gingerly fought the trout towards me on the 6x tippet in the strong current. Upon arrival, within the rod length, he twisted with a tug and the rainbow set himself free of the hook.
I continued to cast to specific trout that I had seen rise throughout the morning. I changed body color and wing shades as the morning continued on and was rewarded with hook ups on the dry. 
Jim talked to a few fly guys trying to get some inside reports but no one seemed to see more risers than what we had encountered in the morning. We ended up in the project area with a few other fishermen. During the evening caddis and sulphurs flew upstream in clouds above us with very few dipping into the water. We watched, as did other, waiting to see a rise. For hours not a fish rose. We fished below the surface till we determined that the trout weren’t going to rise before night fall and parted ways.
It wasn’t much of a hatch to fish for the few risers but it did feel good to cast dries with the G2 9' 5wt. rod in the big stream. Trying to figure out what the risers wanted and getting the good drift to make’m rise again!
Overall the Scott G2 is a very fluid medium action rod. When dry fly fishing, and I'm in the mood to relax with a slower casting stroke with power to cast long leaders, this is the rod I want in my hands. It takes more effort casting into the wind than a medium/fast action rod but than I have a Scott SAS rod for those occasions.
It might be a bit pricey but I feel it's worth the money for this fine American made rod. The Box Elder wood spacer is an eye catcher on this otherwise dark shaft rod.
_____________~doubletaper
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