587 | Fly Fishing the Ausable River with Dry Flies - The Hungry Trout with Evan Bottcher
Wet Fly Swing Fly Fishing Podcast
Dave Stewart
4.7 • 531 Ratings
🗓️ 1 April 2024
⏱️ 76 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/587
Presented By: Northern Rockies Adventures, FishHound Expeditions, Stonefly Nets, Jackson Hole Fly Company
Have you ever experienced the frustration of a dry fly being swirled up by a fish but not taken? Or struggled to keep your dry fly afloat on the water?
Today is your lucky day because we have Evan Bottcher, owner of the Hungry Trout, to guide us in fly fishing the Ausable with Dry Flies.
Get ready to dive into the beauty of the Ausable River in the Adirondacks as Evan shares three crucial tips to help you land more fish while fishing with dry flies this year, especially in pocket water.
In this episode, Evan will guide us through selecting the right fly size, determining the ideal distance from the bank for fishing, and mastering skittering a fly to entice both the fly and the fish.
Show Notes with Evan Bottcher on Fly Fishing the Ausable.
02:00 - Evan Bottcher shares his childhood memories growing up on the property along the Ausable River. His family purchased the Hungry Trout in 1981, initially a motel with a small restaurant, and transformed it into a renowned fly fishing destination.
8:15 - Evan learned from the seasoned anglers at Hungry Trout, including guides like Rachel Finn and Jeff Kirschman.
11:00 - Evan delves into the origins of Hungry Trout, a blend of the iconic Sable River's allure and his father's visionary approach.
Through strategic additions like RF McDougall's Pub and a dedicated fly shop, Hungry Trout evolved into a comprehensive hub for anglers seeking the unique charm of the Adirondacks.
The Unique Charms of the Ausable River
14:50 - Evan paints a vivid picture of the Ausable River's unique character, contrasting it with other rivers in the region.
The Ausable River stands out with its steep topography, dramatic waterfalls, and pocket water, offering a thrilling experience for anglers.
21:00 - Evan discusses the importance of stoneflies in the Ausable River, especially during the active months from May through June. He also touches on the dynamic hatch schedule throughout the year.
31:00 - Evan reflects on Rachel's exceptional personality and her ability to see life beyond conventional destinations.
The movie "After You've Gone" by Fly Lords portrays Rachel's journey of coping with personal challenges like cancer and her husband's passing.
The Hungry Trout Lodge
Evan discusses the transformation of their family's lodge and restaurant, which they sold in 2022 while maintaining the operation of the fly shop and fishing business.
The lodge offers a 21-unit motel, a restaurant called the Hungry Trout Restaurant, and RF McDougall's Pub, creating a bundled experience with lodging, guiding, and river access.
Tips for Fishing the Sable River
51:50 - Evan emphasizes the importance of sizing up flies when fishing the Ausable River in May and June. A size 16 fly at home might equate to a size 14 or 12 on their river.
He recommends using dry droppers and fishing closer to the riverbank, starting with a short cast of about 10 feet of fly line, which can cover a significant portion of the river's width.
54:00 - Evan suggests using flies like the Ausable Wulff or Ausable Bomber.
Euro Nymphing on the Ausable River
1:04:00 - Evan discusses the rise of Euro nymphing in their area, thanks to clinics by Loren Williams.
While dry fly fishing remains a classic choice, Euro nymphing has become more widespread among anglers.
Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/587
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Have you ever seen a dry fly swore up for your fly but not take it? |
| 0:06.7 | Have you had issues trying to keep your dry fly from sinking while on the water? |
| 0:11.7 | And do you know what skittering is all about and how to do it? |
| 0:15.0 | Today we have the owner of one of the great fly shops in the Northeast, the hungry trout, |
| 0:19.9 | and today you're going to |
| 0:21.2 | find out how to fish the Asable River with dry flies. This is the wetfly swing podcast where we |
| 0:27.7 | show you the best places to travel to for fly fishing, how to find the best resources and tools |
| 0:32.4 | to prepare for that trip, and what you can do to give back to the fish species we love. |
| 0:37.7 | How's it going? I'm Dave, host of the Wet Fly Swing podcast. I've been fly fishing since I was a |
| 0:42.9 | kid. I grew up around a fly shop and have created one of the largest fly fishing podcasts in |
| 0:48.1 | this country. I've also interviewed more of the greatest fly anglers than just about anyone |
| 0:53.2 | in the world. Today, Evan |
| 0:55.2 | Botcher is on the show to take us into the Oscebel River and the amazing beauty of the Adirondacks. |
| 1:01.1 | You are going to discover the three big tips you need to land more fish while fishing dry flies this |
| 1:07.0 | year. This is especially true if you are fishing pocket water. You're going to find out how |
| 1:11.8 | to choose the right fly size, how far off the bank you should be fishing, and the exact technique |
| 1:17.7 | you need to skittere fly to entice the fly and the fish to take. Plus, we find out why a high |
| 1:26.3 | rod tip can be the game changer on the Assebel. |
| 1:30.8 | Here it is, Evan Botcher from Hungrytrout.com. |
| 1:36.5 | How you doing, Evan? I'm doing a well today. Thank you. Yeah, I appreciate you spending some |
| 1:41.5 | time to come on this podcast. You know, I think the Hungry Trout, the Sable are big names. We've actually done a podcast in the past with Rachel Finn, which was a really amazing podcast way back in the day when we first got going. We could talk a little about that. But also, we've had a bunch of listeners recommend you just, you know, through the podcast. And I think I can't remember |
| 2:01.5 | the last person that noted you, but we're kind of given, finally put this together. I know you're busy. So thanks for taking time to do this. No, that's my pleasure. So good. Well, I want to start out with, like we said, you know, I want to get into the hungry trout. I want to talk about how people can catch more fish maybe plan a trip heading up there but before we get there let's bring it |
... |
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