Yesterday afternoon was spent scouting the Saint George River here in Union. I have a learn to fly fish trip on Monday and the ladies are very interested in wading the river. I usually recommend against it because wading and moving water add additional elements to fly fishing that are a lot for a beginner to grasp all at once. I also find it easier to coach when we are all standing in the boat. But the river is very low since it has been so dry and I though I might check out the possibilities.
I waded a couple of miles of the river and the water is as low as I have ever seen it. The fishing though was very slow I caught one fish all afternoon. In fact I saw many more fish than I caught and at one point I had a bass I could see refuse several flies drifted right in front of him. Most notable were the millions of young herring in the river trapped I assume by the low water and waiting to get out to sea. That abundant food supply has to be part of the reason for the slow fishing.
While the fishing was slow I found several new beaver dams, I think that the dry weather has forced them out of the smaller streams and down to the river where they are trying to keep what little water there is over the entrance to their lodges. In one of the ponds I fished while a flock of full plumage wood ducks dabbled at the other end. They sure are pretty and with the brightly colored leaves in the background made for quite a scene. I also surprised a mink hunting along the riverbank he did not see me for a while but when he did took off like a rocket along the bank.
There were thunderstorms in the distance and it was very warm again keeping this unusual early fall weather pattern alive. A cold front is coming through tonight that hopefully will get things back to normal.
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