Fishing with one of my boys

[teejay]

My son Andy and I fished a couple waters near the eastern entrance of Yosemite Park this past weekend. This outing was sponsored by the SPFF club which we recently joined.
Andy had previously fished with a spinning rod and fly/ bubble or split shot rig before, but the experience of tossing a fly line on a whippy rod was brand new (my experience level is actually not much more). After a condensed but excellent casting lesson by Jim D of the club and a briefing on fishing the “meadow”, Andy was set loose to practice in one of the best classrooms in the world:
http://i948.photobucket.com/albums/ad322/teejaygrady/GSO%202012/IMG_2277.jpg

http://i948.photobucket.com/albums/ad322/teejaygrady/GSO%202012/IMG_2274.jpg

http://i948.photobucket.com/albums/ad322/teejaygrady/GSO%202012/IMG_2273.jpg

http://i948.photobucket.com/albums/ad322/teejaygrady/GSO%202012/IMG_2275.jpg

http://i948.photobucket.com/albums/ad322/teejaygrady/GSO%202012/IMG_2269.jpg

After some fine tuning of presentation and a change of fly (black ants were out in number), Andy began having success:
http://i948.photobucket.com/albums/ad322/teejaygrady/GSO%202012/IMG_2272.jpg

I also tried an ant pattern but with limited reward. The pattern that he was using was a style that I had never seen before. He believes that it came in a package of flies that he purchased at K-mart a few years ago (now dubbed the blue light special). I had the best luck on a parachute caddis pattern with rubber legs that I purchased at Bass Pro with a Father’s Day gift card.
The fish that we caught were small but scrappy fighters and consisted mostly of browns with an occasional bow and brookie.

The following day’s water was skinnier and the rocks were slipperier but the scenery was just as grand. The mix of fish was about the same with their size also increasing as we moved up the canyon:
http://i948.photobucket.com/albums/ad322/teejaygrady/GSO%202012/IMG_2288.jpg

http://i948.photobucket.com/albums/ad322/teejaygrady/GSO%202012/IMG_2285.jpg

http://i948.photobucket.com/albums/ad322/teejaygrady/GSO%202012/IMG_2286.jpg

http://i948.photobucket.com/albums/ad322/teejaygrady/GSO%202012/IMG_2280.jpg
Andy continued to use his blue light special ant with good reward while my initial efforts with my parachute caddis from the previous day were futile. Gene M. of the club had mentioned in our streamside orientation that a parachute Adam’s worked really well on this water. After switching my fly, I also started to do really well.
I was hoping to incorporate the pictures that Andy took into my report but he is currently busy with some projects so that plan has to wait until later.
It was a special couple of days together.

[FSHNLIC]

Congrats Teejay!!! thats some reeeel pretty scenery up there... Great job getting on some fish with the fly rod... thats definitely a new challenge!!! Tight Lines and Full Tails!!!

[pc2mac]

Beautiful pics! :-)

[Natural Lefty]

That is one of my favorite areas, Teejay. Good job on the flyfishing with Andy. I thought you would fish mostly the main river but most of the photos look like tributaries.

I just had high speed internet installed, by the way, so I am checking it out now.

[teejay]

Thanks for the encouragement F.L. and P.C.
Lefty, the water levels are extremely low in the Eastern Sierra this year. Hopefully we have a good winter. Hope your new internet service works well.

[fishinone]

That sounds like a great time with your son.

What a nice location.

[Natural Lefty]

Teejay, the new high speed connection helps in many ways such as downloading your photos from Yosemite, and it's a relief to have it after all these years of essentially being handicapped internet-wise. AT&T had a modem installed in my wife's room that broadcasts a broadband signal throughout the house, and it costs slightly less than my old dial-up service. Before, the high-speed stuff was way more expensive here, for some reason, when we checked.

I guess the "main river" looks more like a tributary creek this year. I was afraid that would be the case. Your description of the fishing matches pretty well with my experiences in that area, though, except that there are some slower water spots that have mostly Brookies.

[The Fishing Queen]

Looks like you two had a nice fishing trip with a lots of fun together. Good fishing report and beautiful pictures!