I saw on the local news Brook Snavely was up on Crane and Wickiup interviewing anglers on Opening Day last Thursday, and what other anglers were saying echoed what Brad, Eric and I found on Crane too. It was slow.
We caught some fish, but not many. They were mostly taken on Balanced Leeches (Black and a Brownish-Olive). Ran in to Phil, who was anchored up in a secluded cove mostly out of the wind and watched him get 4 or 5 on tiny olive chironomids under an indicator.
I tried hover, intermediate and type 3 sinking lines and stripped a myriad of leeches, blobs and nymphs at different rates and never had a bump on a stripped fly. All the takes we had were static, under the indicator.
It was very very windy. It is certainly possible that #1) the barometer was whacked and the bite went to hell with the increasingly stormy weather. #2) There were 100’s of boats on the water. Could the sudden sound of all the outboards running through the area have put the fish off after so many days of silence for them?
It was single handedly the most crowded I have ever seen Crane.
I am sure it will improve a lot in the coming days and weeks and I look forward to being back soon. I was going to go today but the weather looks pretty cold and windy, and I’ll pass on that misery.
Our new guide Tonn caught a giant cranebow thursday morning at dawn on his 1st cast of the day. The early bird gets the worm I hear. Dang.
I still have not had a report from Wickiup other than from the News which said it was slow. A lot of times in the early season the Sheeps Bridge area is really good. I’d like to go see for myself soon.