9' on the Oswegatchie

P.A. Fishermen in the Adirondaks (part 6)

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9 Foot on the Oswegatchie (page 6)

June 14th
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Early Sunday morning, Heading towards Lake Placid from Wilmington, the Ausable flowed with good color and the water level dropped considerable over night. The sun was rising behind the mountains and brightened the light blue sky as cotton candy clouds filled the sky above the ski slopes. A few vehicles were already parked along the roadside as anglers prepared to try their luck. I tried talking Jeff into staying one more day but….
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Outside of Lake Placid we turned on rte. 3 back the way we came on Thursday. Each lake we passed had boaters on the waters. We finally reached Cranberry Lake and found the dam in which we would fish below. To our surprise the water that spouted out of the dam was the beginning of the Oswegatchie River. The same river we crossed over about three times on our journey to the Ausable.
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I stood on the bridge, below the dam, and looked over the water. Clear crisp water exited the dam area and rolled over the stony and rocky bottom towards the bridge in which I was standing on. A small grassy island laid to my left, nearest the bridge, that separated the water. A nice stream of water ran against the roadside bank but because of the incline and trees it would be tough for anyone to fish it.
On my right, looking towards the dam, big boulders were placed, lining the river, in an attempt to keep the more level land behind from eroding. Water ran between these boulders and created a very large pool of water that extended to the far bank. The pool looked to be a foot or so deep for the most part. Though shallow, what this large pool did offer was shade from trees along the bank from the rising sun. Already I noticed an occasional dimple in the pool from sipping trout.
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The undaunted waters that flowed below the dam funneled beneath the bridge and took on a different outlook downriver of the bridge. From under the bridge water flowed in half-hazard, white water tipped waves, over boulders and strewn out rocks. As the riverbed widened water rushed over near surface submerged boulders causing waves to collide creating rough water. There were no consistent calm pool areas, between these swells, that would not soon be overrun with more breaking waves causing more uncontrollable rough water. The main part of the river seamed to funnel towards the left bank leaving more controlled water to flow around and dip between exposed boulders and rocks to the middle right of the center of the river. An island laid to the right of the exposed boulders which separated the water flowing from under the bridge. This left a stream, about 20 feet wide, between the island and mass of round rocks that were stacked up the right inclined bank up to the road. This small section of water was hazardous to any submerged bait caster or spin fishermen because of the submerged drift wood and downed branches below the surface. But a dry fly drifted upon the water surface should take on a less hazardous path and maybe causing a hungry trout to expose itself into taking a top water morsel.
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Before walking back to the vehicle I looked upriver once more and picked out where I’d make my first stand. Back at the Escape, Jeff already had the hatch open and was gearing up for the morning cast. Being that I wanted to relax, from the onslaught of water we had dealt with the day before, I let the 8’6” med-fast Scott rod lay on the floor and reached for the aluminum rod tube. The 9 foot Damon Ausable rod would be my weapon of choice for the day. The medium action will let me slow down and relax my casting stroke. Knowing I’ll not need much finesse in the wide open river, the rod will give me smooth long casts with more delicate presentation. I took my streamer and nymph fly box out of my vest and laid them upon the floor. The morning will be a dry fly only day!
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Poised on a secured exposed boulder, aside the fast moving water of the bottom release dam, I tie on a March Brown Haystack. I notice the morning sun is not completely over the tree tops behind me. Their branches reach skyward as the leaves waver in the slight morning breeze laying their shadows upon the slow large pool. Before me water runs quickly down the center of the river and stretching out to the far unreachable bank. I pull out fly line and my fly gradually pulls with downstream force, below to my left, giving me line tension and extension for my lifting back-cast. Stating my back-cast the fly lifts off the water and I watch as the medium action rod flexes. Behind me I feel the rod load and wait for the right extension before beginning my forward cast. I watch as the loop unfolds in mid-air. Just before touching down I flip my wrist up and to my right throwing a mend upriver before the fly hits the water. The fly lands on the water and drifts quickly upon its surface before my fly line. After my third drift through I see a rise, in the crease, on my side of the fast run. I take line in and loop cast my fly down river from where I stand. I let line out with my line hand to keep a smooth drift of the dry. The glare on the water surface makes it tough to see my fly but the quick splash is more visible. I pull back on the rod and first fish on! I easily coax the trout out of the fast current and step off the boulder. A smile comes to my face as I unhook the 7” brown from the fly hook.
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Up on the boulder again I drift the haystack and again hook into another small brown. To get a better visual of my fly I tie on a March Brown parachute with a distinct brown rib. On the second cast and drift an eager trout raises, splashes, and takes my fly under. Somewhere in the middle of all this my reactions pull back and set the hook. The trout heads deep into the faster current. Being quite higher than the trout I angle my rod to my left to put pressure on the fish from the side. My rod flexes into the middle and gradually straightens as the trout is forced out of the deep undercurrent following the rod pressure. After a couple of quick jolts by the fish, that again flexes the rod, the trout becomes easier to bring to hand. I release a nice 12” brown.
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I notice some rises beneath the shade of the trees upon the slow pool of water. I knot on a piece of 6x tippet. To this I tie a #16 silver ribbed Blue Quill. The first cast produces a rise and hook up. For the next hour I play 'spot casting' with the Blue Quill and a #16 Dark Cahill. I’m patient and only cast to rising trout around the large pool and those rising along the crease of the faster run. It’s relaxing and rewarding with many more hook ups than misses. As time passes the sun makes its way over the previous shaded area and makes it tougher to get the trout to rise to my dries. I decide to move down below the bridge.
___________To be continued…………
_________________________~doubletaper