I'm newer to fly fishing (about a year and loving it) and I've usually avoided overcast days (for no good reason other than it's cloudy). But recently I have seen and heard about people having success on overcast/rainy days. I'm hoping to get out this weekend on the Mid or Lower Provo and I'm curious what tips you have for cloudy days. Does fly selection differ from a sunny day? Are there better colors to use on dark days? Do fish behave differently on dark days? Anything helps! Thanks!
Cloudy Days
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Most of it, in my experience, has to do with the hatches of insects. I always seem to find better hatches of BWO on cloudy, or even stormy days. If the insects are hatching, the fish will more than likely be keying in on them. The best dry fly fishing I have had this year was on the lower Provo in blowing snow. Good luck this weekend.
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I will second what Kwalk3 said. If I'm fishing a cloudy day I'll typically start with no flash and darker bodies on my flies (dries, nymphs and streamers) then adjust from there if they dont produce. My experience has been though, on overcast days the duller looking flies will produce just fine. You'll see more BWO's on cloudy days too so plan accordingly! Cloudy days are good for streamers too. Black or brown buggers can work really well on overcast days>>O>>O>>O
good luck to ya
good luck to ya
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I have always figured that no weather is too lousy to fish in...afterall, these days I have to take every advantage of a fishing opportunity I get. With that being said, I will typically use the same go to patterns on a cloudy, windy, rainy, or snowy day that I would use on a sunny day. I adjust as I begin to fish and figure out what is working best and where fish are holding.
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I have found that my luck increases by at least 30-40% when I fish in cloudy or rainy weather, over the weekend the only time we caught kokanee was when the weather turned to crap and the water got choppy.
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I have found that the best two times to go fishing is when it's raining and when it's not. (I think it was Patrick McManus who said that.)
I think it was John Gierach who said something similar to this: I got mine on nymphs and he got his on dries because that's how we wanted to get them.
Too many people over-thinking things. Voo-doo and whoo-doo. Too much, I tried this color and caught more fish. I tied a fly this way and caught more fish.
My biggest trout have come in the heat of the afternoon in July. The sun high over head, sweat running down my back, a dehydration headache working my brain. I've spotted the huge browns sitting out in the sunlit water. They even rose to a dry. Why: nobody else was around. Other anglers were waiting for the cool evening when everyone knows that the big browns come out to play. Besides, it's too hot to be fishing. Well, when everyone else shows up for the evening fish, they spook the big browns and send them into the deeper pools, up under the plunge pools and undercuts.
I think there are a lot of experts out there (I'm one) and they all have their flies, their techniques, their theories, and their experiences and their opinions whether you want them or not. Listen carefully, try a few things out, find what you like, and then do it.
Okay, lets make it even more simple: wet flies on rainy days and dry flies on clear days.
I think it was John Gierach who said something similar to this: I got mine on nymphs and he got his on dries because that's how we wanted to get them.
Too many people over-thinking things. Voo-doo and whoo-doo. Too much, I tried this color and caught more fish. I tied a fly this way and caught more fish.
My biggest trout have come in the heat of the afternoon in July. The sun high over head, sweat running down my back, a dehydration headache working my brain. I've spotted the huge browns sitting out in the sunlit water. They even rose to a dry. Why: nobody else was around. Other anglers were waiting for the cool evening when everyone knows that the big browns come out to play. Besides, it's too hot to be fishing. Well, when everyone else shows up for the evening fish, they spook the big browns and send them into the deeper pools, up under the plunge pools and undercuts.
I think there are a lot of experts out there (I'm one) and they all have their flies, their techniques, their theories, and their experiences and their opinions whether you want them or not. Listen carefully, try a few things out, find what you like, and then do it.
Okay, lets make it even more simple: wet flies on rainy days and dry flies on clear days.
I don't have the skillz to authoritatively answer you question about which is better, but since you mentioned the Lopro and the middle, I can tell you one thing with some certainty. The angler hatch is markedly reduced during inclement weather. (also during the winter months) That often is a stimulus for me to head up and give it a go.
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You have to be on the water to catch fish period- best thing about rainy days is that you may have the place to yourself- yesterday would have been better if it would have been a sunny day- because the fish were in that transition that sight fishing would have been much more productive if that was possible.
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On a bit of the scientific side of things, rising barometric pressure will trigger a hatch, or so I've read. A cloudy day usually comes with higher pressure, so a good hatch usually goes with it. Highanddry and Catherder speak great wisdom though. Fish whenever you can and you'll catch more fish than if you don't. I've caught fish in all kinds of weather, from hot, dry, not a cloud in the sky days, to pouring rain or snow. The only weather that will push me off a river is lightening. But in a world when fishing is dictated by so many other variables, fish when you can, weather be darned.
Baetis aka blue wing olive's (BWO) rarely hatch when the sun is out. Often even a short 2 minute cloud cover can spark a hatch and a few minutes of wild action.
Fishing is always better when the weather is miserable. Mostly because no one is around and you will only have a few of your 5000 closest friends snibbing your holes
Cheers,
Pete
Fishing is always better when the weather is miserable. Mostly because no one is around and you will only have a few of your 5000 closest friends snibbing your holes
Cheers,
Pete
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Storms are low pressure systems. So aren't overcast days lower pressure? It would seem just after a storm would be a good time for a hatch.
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