“Fishmas” has come and gone, meaning the upper section river above Hangman’s bridge is now under general regulations where barbs, stocked fish, and bait will be prevalent. While this may be a turn off to some, the abundance of fish will still make for an excellent day on the river. For the guy throwing flies, the fish often quickly learn to refuse bait and will start to eat natural flies as that becomes their new food source. The lower section of river downstream from Hangman’s bridge remains the wild fish section where barbless artificial lures or flies are mandatory. Flies of choice are something large followed by something small. Try a medium to large hare’s ear, pat’s rubber leg, or other heavy euro fly followed by a small soft hackle, midge, or mayfly nymph. If those don’t produce, don’t be afraid to get dirty with some egg patterns or worm patterns.