Yough Tailrace float

Spence, Cooper and I hit an afternoon float on the upper tailrace section of the Yough.  We had been hit by some heavy rains and I knew even if the CFS was good, the middle would be chocolate milk.  I was excited to see the dam release at 1200 CFS when I checked in the morning, but they abruptly turned it down to 600 CFS and every wade fisherman in the tri-county area was there.  Needless to say we avoided the main runs and hit some new ones.  The fishing was pretty slow, but we managed to boat some cookie cutter  12" bows.  No middle Yough fatties, but a good option to fish when everything else wasn't fishing.

Cooper staying cool with some water retrieves

Clear Yough water meets the muddy Cassleman below Confluence while a train rolls on

Browns on the Yough

Spencer's sister, Meg, was in town and we decided to do a Yough River float while Grandma watched the twins for the day.  Meg had fished with us before in Montana,...but was she ready for the Madison of the East ...the famed Yough??

Meg on a foggy Yough morning

We put in at the dam and the release was at 600 CFS and 750 CFS at Confluence which = low and skinny and going to be a bumpy ride.  We didn't spend too much time up top and made our way into the long middle Yough float on this 85 degree day in June.   Most of the day was spent just cruising and enjoying the sun.  Somehow these girls possess the innate ability to sit back, relax and not be casting and fishing the entire length of the float.  I cant comprehend it, but I can appreciate it. 

I have yet to see a prettier river

Picking a line

With summer flows, the fishing seemed to be better early in the day and later in the evenings.  There weren't many bugs out today and nymphing was the ticket.  This time last year, the dry fly fishing was just nuts on this river and this year, its been rather slow comparatively.  Of course you'll see the killer whales rising to no-see-ums in a Henry's Fork style flat pool, but those fish are TOUGH!  I want the trout that explodes for an Elk Hair Caddis or sucks down a big Slate Drake just for the hell of it.  Where are those dumb Yough trout??

Watch that spikey dorsal fin!

I will say, these southern gals can fish!  Everyone caught fish on this trip ... everyone, but me.  haha.  Granted, I did the rowing, but I did fish a few runs when we anchored up and I still threw a goose egg.  But I was so super stoked that both Meg and Spence caught fish, that I didn't even care.  Meg even caught Mr. Bronzeback which left her with a puncture in her hand from his spikey top fin.  Hey, at least it wasn't a hook in her head this time (still sorry bout that one.)

We finished out the day with a couple cold beers after the trip (and out of the park.)   We could have used a bit more turkey on the lunch sandwiches, but we survived.  It was a great day and super fun float.

Yough Baptism for the Twins

Cooper thinking we're completely crazy

Spencer and I took the twins out for their first fly fishing adventure / baptism on the Yough.  Now, I know what you might be thinking,...that I've lost my mind taking a couple 8 month olds and my dog out on the river fly fishing, but all I can say is my wife thought it was a good idea at the time too (and one of the many reasons why I love her!)

Clara quickly grabbed an oar....future river rat!

  I cant claim it went exactly as I envisioned it, but I'm glad we gave it a whirl.  The trout were rising as they always do and Spencer was doing her best to occupy both babies.  But there is just something not very relaxing about casting to rising trout when twin babies are having mini meltdowns in the middle of a river. 

Clara famously waving in all of her pics! 

I think we could have handled just one meltdown, but not two.  I did get enough casts off to realize that the fish were not taking the big obvious yellow sz 14 cahills, but I didn't stick around too much longer.  There were a couple guys fishing below us and I felt terrible about the screaming babies.  Its one thing to have to accept screaming babies on an airplane, ....but on a river, you should NOT have to listen to other people's screaming babies. 

So we paddled upstream as we sang, "Row, Row, Row your boat"  and I just put the rod down and floated merrily, merrily back down the river. 

Dad with the best catch of the evening....a 22" wild Clara!

The nice thing was the twins aren't moving yet, so when that day comes (which will be soon,) we wont be able to take them out in the boat until they're a little older.  So I am so glad we got this float in now.

But it wont be long until ol Jack is rowing his old man down the river and I cant wait for the day!

Jack told me the fish were midging, but I didn't listen to him and kept casting that cahill dry fly.