Frustrated by persistent rains and raging rivers, I’ve turned my attention to the upstream portion of smaller tributaries. My hope was that the smallmouth population sought more placid pools there. I spent midafternoon drifting North Fork Nymphs along the seams below riffles. Two 9- to 11-inch bronzebacks fell for the tactic before I moved downstream to a swift run of pocket water that I fished with Craw Bully. Again, 5 bass, 1 of 13 inches, were netted and released. The day’s final hours were spent casting our Jointed Hellgrammite into the swift water of the pool’s tailout. Four more leaping bass sent me home with a smile.
The Fishing’s Good Upstream
