Getting it to the bottom ....
- Thread starter Stagger_Lee
- Start date
sarce
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- Feb 16, 2013
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BTRobertson,
I'd highly recommend starting out on smaller water and working your way up to something the size of the Yough as your skills progress. On a large creek or river, not only do you have to worry about what fly to use and how to present it, you also have to worry about finding fish. You could do everything right and the fish are just somewhere else. On a small stream you can pretty much guarantee there are fish in each decent pool. This means you're getting "instant feedback" on what's working and not working. It is just far fewer variables to deal with on small water.
With that said, don't be afraid to challenge yourself on larger water every now and then. As others have said, you won't learn as much if you fish the same place every time.
I'd highly recommend starting out on smaller water and working your way up to something the size of the Yough as your skills progress. On a large creek or river, not only do you have to worry about what fly to use and how to present it, you also have to worry about finding fish. You could do everything right and the fish are just somewhere else. On a small stream you can pretty much guarantee there are fish in each decent pool. This means you're getting "instant feedback" on what's working and not working. It is just far fewer variables to deal with on small water.
With that said, don't be afraid to challenge yourself on larger water every now and then. As others have said, you won't learn as much if you fish the same place every time.
Stagger_Lee
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Lotz of win in this thread …. wanted to thank again and bump it for newbies. So much info but I used some bits and pieces for my best day on VC in my 2 years of fishing
Since I posted this I've done nothing but small stream fishing so it's been dry's with success. This AM I hit VC ...
Think I'm getting the hang cause I had my best day ever @ VC. I started with dry's but went to zebra midge with success. More importantly I was @ the bottom by adjusting weight, noticed the ‘ticking’, concentrated on my indicator speed, etc, etc … that said more work to be done cause all my action was in decent moving water … in the still/quiet deep pools none.
Thought this was a worthwhile thread to bump for the other newbies to read and possibly bookmark.
Since I posted this I've done nothing but small stream fishing so it's been dry's with success. This AM I hit VC ...
Think I'm getting the hang cause I had my best day ever @ VC. I started with dry's but went to zebra midge with success. More importantly I was @ the bottom by adjusting weight, noticed the ‘ticking’, concentrated on my indicator speed, etc, etc … that said more work to be done cause all my action was in decent moving water … in the still/quiet deep pools none.
Thought this was a worthwhile thread to bump for the other newbies to read and possibly bookmark.
Just think how many feesh you wooda caught with a strap and shoestrings and a fancy green fishin' shirt, Stag. 🙂
Nice!
Stagger_Lee
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Yea ... some guy helped me out. Nice guy but doesn't seem to know much abt fly fishin :lol:
DyberryBrookies
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Couple things I might add...
1. Smaller line diameters allow the weighted fly, or fly with split shot to sink faster. So it is not uncommon for me to have 2 ft or more of straight 5x tippet at the business end of a nymphing rig to reduce drag and help sink rate. A standard 9ft 5x leader with an additional 2ft of 5x works well.
2. If dead drifting a fly, I usually fish at a pretty sharp angle up stream. This allows me to track the flies as they come down the stream and then pick the rig up slightly after it passes me. In other words, casting perpendicular to the bank or downstream is not good practice.
3. Also, i like to include a brightly colored indicator within my leader, (I tie my own) like a piece of amnesia which is bright red, this is easier to see and will jump or race upstream on a strike (or a snag).
4. Dead-drift fishing is based on the split shot bouncing along the bottom with the fly slightly raised off the bottom at the very end of the tippet. So I wouldnt combine a heavy anchor fly for tight-line euro nymphing with split shot. Its redundant.
5. European nymphing is an excellent way to become familiar with what bottom bouncing feels like. This relies on flies tied with heavy tungsten beads and several wraps of lead wire, and a streamlined body. Tying your own flies is almost a must because it is hard to find Anchor flies for sale.
6. I would suggest starting with a San Juan worm if you are going to dead-drift. It is an extremely light fly and so you will get good at adding or subtracting split-shot in finding the bottom. It is also highly productive and will get you a lot of hits.
7. I would suggest looking into European nymphing but definetly get the feel for dead drifting first....
8. And lastly, which I believe was already mentioned, focus on mending your line....this is important when you have varying currents as a floating line will move at different speeds and put bellies in the line. This will lift the rig and carry it downstream faster than normal and make it difficult to feel bottom and detect strikes.
1. Smaller line diameters allow the weighted fly, or fly with split shot to sink faster. So it is not uncommon for me to have 2 ft or more of straight 5x tippet at the business end of a nymphing rig to reduce drag and help sink rate. A standard 9ft 5x leader with an additional 2ft of 5x works well.
2. If dead drifting a fly, I usually fish at a pretty sharp angle up stream. This allows me to track the flies as they come down the stream and then pick the rig up slightly after it passes me. In other words, casting perpendicular to the bank or downstream is not good practice.
3. Also, i like to include a brightly colored indicator within my leader, (I tie my own) like a piece of amnesia which is bright red, this is easier to see and will jump or race upstream on a strike (or a snag).
4. Dead-drift fishing is based on the split shot bouncing along the bottom with the fly slightly raised off the bottom at the very end of the tippet. So I wouldnt combine a heavy anchor fly for tight-line euro nymphing with split shot. Its redundant.
5. European nymphing is an excellent way to become familiar with what bottom bouncing feels like. This relies on flies tied with heavy tungsten beads and several wraps of lead wire, and a streamlined body. Tying your own flies is almost a must because it is hard to find Anchor flies for sale.
6. I would suggest starting with a San Juan worm if you are going to dead-drift. It is an extremely light fly and so you will get good at adding or subtracting split-shot in finding the bottom. It is also highly productive and will get you a lot of hits.
7. I would suggest looking into European nymphing but definetly get the feel for dead drifting first....
8. And lastly, which I believe was already mentioned, focus on mending your line....this is important when you have varying currents as a floating line will move at different speeds and put bellies in the line. This will lift the rig and carry it downstream faster than normal and make it difficult to feel bottom and detect strikes.
