Sunday Classic / Fish Floating Nymphs for Selective Trout
TELL ME IF THIS SOUNDS FAMILIAR.
You’re kneeling at the edge of a slow glassy pool watching several big trout inspect what floats above them. You change flies, again, and make yet another perfect presentation, only to watch the fish move three feet out of the way as your fly passes by.
It’s a common scene on heavily pressured, catch-and-release trout streams. Big educated fish who have seen a lot of flies don’t come to hand easily. Kent and I were in exactly this scenario just the other day and were able to turn it around using a simple but often overlooked technique. A floating nymph.
Fish see dry flies in a very different way than we see them. Before the fish inspects your thread color or how many turns of hackle you’ve used it sees the impression of the fly on the water. These slight dimples in the surface film are incredibly powerful triggers for feeding fish. The curved surface of the water, which supports the fly, focuses the light creating a bright spot that get the fish’s attention like a flashing light. This is why fish commonly eat Thingamabobbers.
Fish who live under constant pressure from anglers become very savvy at reading these impressions on the surface film. They eat only those items that make subtle, life-like impressions. The kind of impressions made by emerging insects struggling in the film. Nothing I know of is a better imitation than a floating nymph.
Start with the right nymph. It must be unweighted. A nymph tied with
Read More »Saturday Shoutout / Olsen on Competition
Whether you are a fan of competitive fly fishing, or not, There is certainly plenty to learn from those who compete.
Our buddy and regular G&G contributor Devin Olsen made an appearance on “Ask Me About Fly Fishing” the other day. It was a great discussion about competitive fly fishing and some of the techniques and gear used. Devin is one of the most knowledgeable trout anglers I know and, even if you couldn’t tune in for the live Q&A, the recorded version is well worth your time.
Check out Devin’s site, Tactical Fly Fisher
HERE DEVIN’S LIVE Q&A AT ASK ME ABOUT FLY FISHING
Read More »Shrimp Part 1: Mysis Shrimp
By Herman deGala
Part one, in a three part series on shrimp patterns, takes a closer look at the Mysis Shrimp.
I have been tying and fishing this pattern for the last 10 years and have had a lot of success with it. Pat Dorsey says it is the deadliest mysis pattern. Several other guides and fly fishermen agree. I specifically designed this fly for the tailwaters below Dillon Reservoir.
During the winter they will release water from the dam and the mysis get so thick that it looks like ice on the rocks and in the weeds. When you pick up a fish that has been gorging on mysis it will literally crunch when you handle them. They regurgitate what ever they were eating and go back to feeding once you release them.
LEARN TO TIE DEGALA’S MYSIS SHRIMP
Read More »Let It Ride
By Daniel Galhardo
DON’T RECAST YOUR FLY UNTIL IT’S HAD A CHANCE.
It takes some time to learn how to read water well. But, at least when it comes to fishing mountain streams, the concept is easy to grasp: fish are looking for food and shelter, and don’t want to spend a lot of energy looking for food. Currents bring them food, slow water and breaks in the current gives them shelter. With that in mind we quickly learn that seams where current meets calm water may be the best places to target with our flies.
Once we learn this basic piece of information, we all want our fly to land with 100% accuracy where we suppose fish will be. But, hey, sometimes it won’t!
In recent days I have been taking a lot of people fishing. Most were new to fly-fishing and to tenkara. After giving them some basic instructions on how to open the rod, how to tie the line to the rod tip and tippet to the tenkara line and then tie the fly onto it, I would teach them how to cast.
It’s been said that anyone can learn how to cast with tenkara in a matter of minutes. I have found that on average it takes 7 or 8 casts to learn how to cast with tenkara fairly well, and I’m not exaggerating. But, like anything, it takes time to get the tiny fly to land exactly where they want. If I had to guess, I’d say that in the beginning about 70% of their casts will land in the vicinity of where they wanted. Perhaps 25% will land just off the target zone. And, of course, about 5% will land on the trees in front or behind them, but that’s a different article for a different day.
The 25% slightly off-target casts is what I’m interested in making a point about. Actually, it doesn’t matter if it’s 25%, 50%, or even if you’re
Read More »Dorado Dream Trip, Last Minute Cancelation
This could be your chance to experience a golden dorado fishery like no other.
From time to time I host trip that are so cool they are never advertised. That’s to say, they fill up immediately with anglers who are regulars. This trip in particular has so few spots I pretty much called a couple of buddies and said, “You’re going to Argentina.”
Well, life happens and we had two cancelations, so I have two spots for lucky anglers with flexible schedules.
This is a combo trip for golden dorado and other exotic species, and it’s pretty special. We are fishing 2 days on the Upper Parana River, home to monster dorado. Quite possibly the largest in the world. We are also spending 4 days fishing the Ibera Wetlands. That’s where things get interesting.
The Ibera Wetlands is the worlds second largest wetland, nearly 8000 square miles of freshwater wilderness. It is highly protected and until recently, has not been fished. This season is the first that anglers have been allowed to fish the northbound of the Ibera system, and only six anglers per day. The reports have been epic.
This is clear water fishing. Sight casting to dorado up to 20 pounds. Fish who have never seen a fly. I am beyond excited. Golden dorado are to most viscous sport fish I have ever caught. They have serious anger management issues and there is nothing like feeding one with a fly.
The itinerary for the trip is below. If you are interested, let me know ASAP. I hope you be be able to join us.
Read More »Sunday Classic / 9 Tips for Netting Big Fish on Your Own
ELATION, PANIC AND EPIPHANY. THAT’S THE USUAL ORDER OF EMOTIONS WHEN AN ANGLER LANDS THEIR FIRST BIG TROUT.
I had the pleasure of seeing a dear friend land his first trophy trout recently and I think that’s a pretty fair description. I think it’s pretty common for anglers landing their first plus-size fish to think, “Oh shit! What do I do now?” To the guy who is used to dangling a fish by the tippet, scooping an angry, hook-jawed behemoth with a trout net is daunting. Once you’ve done it a few times it becomes second nature but for those who are struggling (or yet to struggle) with it, here are a few tips.
Timing is everything
Netting a green fish, a fish who isn’t ready, is a losing proposition. On the other hand, playing a fish too long can kill them. Not to mention give them ample opportunity to unbutton. As long as a fish is holding himself upright in the water and keeping his head down, he is not ready for the net. Once he rolls on his side and comes to the surface, it’s time to net him. The first time this happens he may right himself again and make another run. The second time you should be ready to seal the deal.
Net the fish at the surface
As long as a fish has his head submerged he is in control. If you try to scoop a fish below the surface your odds are very poor. He can turn quickly to make his escape and there’s a good chance that you will catch the line with the net and break him off. Lift your rod tip high as you reach for the fish and keep his nose out of the water. As long as his nose is dry he can’t make a break for it.
Net the head
Don’t try to scoop a big fish from behind. You might
Saturday Shoutout / Magic and Heartbreak
There may not be two more perfect words in the English Language to sum up Steelhead than magic and heartbreak.
Every steelheader knows the time, effort and faith invested in hooking a fish. Every steelheader knows the feeling of loosing that fish. That’s the heartbreak, but the magic is just as powerful. There’s no feeling quite like holding a beautiful, wild steelhead in your hands. Nothing quite as rewarding as watching it slip from your hands and disappear into the depths. And few things as painful as knowing it almost happened.
Follow Ben Paull, of OPST, as he experiences the heartbreak again and again, then finally turns it around for a little magic.
THE MAGIC AND THE HEARTBREAK OF STEELHEADING
Read More »Make Beautiful Silk Wraps on Your Fly Rod Build
There’s nothing quite like a nicely done silk wrap.
If you want to take your DIY florid build to the next level, silk wraps are a good place to start. It’s not hard to make good silk wraps, but there are some tricks you need to know. It’s different from working with nylon for sure.
In this, the first of a 3 part video series, Matt Draft, of Proof Fly Fishing, will get you started with the basics of making clean wraps in silk and some tricks for working with silk on guides.
ROD BUILDING INTRODUCTION TO WORKING WITH SILK THREAD
Read More »Smith Optics Giveaway: Winner!
Someone is getting a new pair of fishing glasses from Smith Optics!
And that someone is Justin Garant.
I absolutely love Justin’s trippy reimagining of me and Grumpy Cat. I may actually hang this in my bathroom, its so awesome. We had some great submissions and, on the whole, you were all very generous with me. I guess that shows what a great crowd the G&G readership is. You make me proud.
On a personal note, the eyes are doing well. I’m two weeks past the second surgery now and feeling good. It’s still very early but it looks like I’m going to have pretty good vision. There will likely be some follow up work to do, but not for a while. I feel pretty confident that I can work over some bonefish with what I have, and I’ll be finding out in just over a week when I host a group at Abaco Lodge. Wish me luck.
I’d like to thank all of you who entered the competition as well as a big thank you to Smith Optics for sponsoring. I’d personally like to thank all of you who saw fit not to comment or email about my many typos during the last month. Seeing my screen has been a challenge, and may be for a while yet. Thanks for your patience.
Read More »Fishing the Fall, What You Should Know About Sinking Fly Lines
By Garner Reid
A GOOD PORTION OF MY FLY FISHING INVOLVES THROWING SOME SORT OF A SINKING FLY LINE.
Realistically, half of my time on the water involves streamers and sinking lines at least for some part of the day. If I am not out on the water guiding for streamer-eating fish like stripers, I’m in the fly shop talking about them.
I have come to the realization that there is some mystery for most anglers when it comes to choosing which sinking fly line will suit their needs. The selection of sinking lines on the market today is as vast as the waters where we chase our quarry. Today fly anglers can effectively target fish at any level in the water column, given the right combination of rod, fly line, and fly pattern.
When chasing large predatory fish like bass, stripers and big brown trout in moving water you have to get down deeper than floating lines allow. With all of the options and versatility, it is easy to get confused. I have put together some thoughts to help you choose the right line configuration to effectively get into fish.
Fly Weight vs Sink Rate of line
After several seasons experimenting with different types of sinking lines and various streamers, I have found a number of variables which I can control to have a productive day on the water. A big factor in my success has been dialing in the correct weight for the fly with the sink rate of the line.
For most fishing conditions, my primary concern is
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