Well its summmer again , even with the California coast being foggy and chilled we have 90 degree weather 30 minutes away. The hot weather means tempetures rise fast in in the streams, resivours and lakes. This is standard fare as the country warms up to anouther season.

When targeting fish during hot conditions here are a few pointers.

1~Stream,River,Creek tips- Oxygen~This key factor can turn you from zero to hero. I remember a trip to arizona, I only saw trout in the oxygen enriched riffles or behing boulders with oxygenated eddies. I logged this in for later trips into other hot areas like Arizona. Yet applied the oxygen theory everywhere I went and found this is a key factor that we must consider in chaseing our dreams. Morning and extended evening will have the fish up from the deep holes. Pulling fish from the deep holes can be tough. The small fish tend to take the fly before it hits the big guys. Yet remember the giant fish dine on the small trout. The small fish eat during the day usually because they have seen the trophy fish is full from the morning pair of 9 inch smolts he ate.  I have actually seen a giant brown partially buried in the gavel. He was getting a gravel massage ,sleeping or I think hiding in camo waiting for a rainbow to make a mistake. Funny thing was it was mid day and my theory is an has been early and late. This brown teaches us we never will know everything, but watching  can add great depth to our understanding of the trophy trout picture. Spend time watching, enjoy the weather yet plan a stratagy to work with it. Summer is also a great time to get kids going, so pass on what you love.

2~Resivour and lakes~As the water warms up the fish stage at depths that suits there needs. Moving away from shore finding cooler water. The bigger fish tend to run even deeper. This does not mean shoreline fishing is not a good choice yet stratagy is key. If you sit and watch you will see random trout finning and feeding close to shore. They come to the shoreline to feed and then retreat back to the liar of the cooler depth. A fish finder can teach you a lot about this. But find the shoreline with shade and trees, a great combo for epicurian bug fests. The trout will come here to find food at all times during the day. Site fishing drys for feeding fish can bring great rewards, also teach us the flies that get denied.

Now the big fish will have you frustrated and scratching your head. Your window for big landlocked fish is very small in the warmer months. I find that from dark to the end of grey light is your only morning chance. Once the sun hits the water they are gone memories of the evening brook trout feast in thre big brown trouts gut. I also feel you have a shot in the evening yet again it is at that last light when you usually are scrambling for the truck. Stay bring a head lamp to get out. Also it helps to have anouther rod rigged as rigging in the dark can be a real nightmare.

I do not have a fly that mimics the guts of a soy feed trout yet have found a spot called power bait alley. We have all seen it camping..and some do not look as far into the ecosystem as we us fly fisherman but we can still learn. Many places require the throat bait fisherman, I mean power baiters to dispose  trout entrals into the water. This keeps the bears down from following the sweet soy fed flesh back to the campers tent. I thought this horror was just a visual nightmare. Gut sacks covering the bottom of this pretty cove that mimiced a holding pen to the soy enrichred fin rotten trout contaminators.

I am an early riser and its good at spots like this, because in the morning the gut sacs are all gone. I for years thought the local cray fish did the states clean up for them until one morning I was changed fore ever. I learned there are no cray fish at that elevation so I was sure I knew who was bulking up on the protein burgers. I  was waiting to see just enough in the pre dawn light. My fly got snagged on my fleece and this was my morning fly. I ended up destroying it with coffee fingers lodging it deeper in my jacket. I  sat and tried to make anouther good choice but really could not see. I like casting at this time but if you turn the headlamp on you have spooked any good fish around. Anyway I saw a dark shape pass over a granite slab near me and followed the wake right into the shallows. From my vantage point I made out a fish the size of a weiner dog filling up on yes the guts of the soy feed. It did not surprize me I never hooked a fish like this here in 10 years. When I looked at then #14 stillwater bugger at the end of the line. Am I saying use hot dogs for bait, no. I felt my approach would not meet this fish, not in a fishing pressured area anyway. Think about that for a minute, and that does not mean night soak gut sacks. But look at the same water differant and a new opertunity will open up. You can entice these trophys but giving the answer ruins the journey. With that information walk slow buy polarized sun glasses and find a wife or husband who understands why you leave early and come home late. Never forget your camera the fish of a life time HAPPENS!  I will say that the chance for humans to be there at those two key times is very hard but your best or only shot a grumpy old long jawed fish living at 60 feet..good luck.

Summer will bring the bugs, the bugs will bring the trout. Find a place with trout and you have found a spot that will have fish at that time every year. Take the kids out, you will find as much pleasure in a lesson learned than a trophy released. With the trout feeding at the shoreline. kids can flip the length of a 8ft leader with 10 inches of fly line out easy. A simple flip of the fly can make a kid an expert in 1 day. The smiles that come from these short cast hook ups will be some of the best summer memories you will every have. So take a kid fishing or pass fly fishing on to an individual who may need an outlet or a positive attribute in life to focus on. Returning military should all ways be put under our wings remember thats why you are free to read this now. Each day is new and we can do great things as humans. We can clean up our own water un seen for no reason other than so the next guy says what a beautiful stream this is. We can release a steelhead or trout to continue the life cycle. As the owner of Irideus I hope to be here as a reminder of these things and have devoted my life to it. I hope anyone who reads this can pass on our great sport and make the world a better place by being all you can be. As humans we are powerful and can create amazing things as individuals and groups. We also can have great impacts, so lets work together to reduce impact, create joy,opertunity,integrety and respect for anything we can personally give attention to.

Let us nurture what we have today and use our individual creative ways to benifit the fish the eco-systems and people who enjoy them.

Good luck fishing and remember.....enjoy your journey!

IRIDEUS