streamer, my new nymph.

[somersetian]

Nymphing used to be my bread a butter on a trout stream that wasn't showing an obvious hatch with rising fish. I'll be the first to tell you that my knowledge of bugs isn't that great but I was usually able to catch fish with a good old prince, hairs ear, pheasant tail, scud, the usual popular nymph choices. Recently I have found myself more or less bored with nymphing and started using streamers as my go to with some good success. I think theres just more ways to fish a streamer and it makes it more fun, plus having a fish chase and hammer a woolybugger is better than watching a bobber go under or seeing your line stop. Just my opinion and observation. I feel like every flyfisherman I see is lobbing a bobber 15 ft up stream and watching it float hoping for it to sink. Streamer fishing just feels more proactive to me.

 

[bigslackwater]

I like to mix it up. I'll fish streamers, dries, nymphs, wets, and cycle through the changes constantly. I go through a lot of tippet!!! Streamers tend to do well for me in the spring when the water is higher and especially with stocked rainbows.

 

[streamerguy]

Amen!! Whether you're just working a small bugger or tossing big stuff on a sink tip..........streamer fishing is more enjoyable for me. You tend to get the more active and aggressive fish. But nymphing has it's place, and many times that's what you have to do to put up larger numbers.

 

[somersetian]

I forgot to mention swinging wets. If I do nymph I always tie a wet off the nymph and let it swing after I highstick the nymph through a seam or in the run.

 

[Jessed]

I always nymph without a indacator. Never liked indacators... I've used them once or twice and needed up taking them off. Without a indacator there's many more ways to fish I'll fish nymphs and watch my line and then without having to take anything of tie on a streamer or a wet fly to swing. I even like to swing egg patterns

 

[dc410]

Thanks for remembering about swingin' wets. Absolutely deadly technique! I enjoy mixing it up myself as well. Nymphs, Wets, Streamers, Emergers, Midges, Terrestrials, Dries ...... they all have their time and place. I go through a lot of tippet also and by the end of the day my drying patch is usually jammed packed with all different types of flies. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with chuckin' some meat and it can certainly get you into some bigger and more aggressive fish on a more consistent basis.

 

[Jessed]

I enjoy fishing wet flies because it's such a original way to fly fish. In some cases a lost technique.

 

[Flatbrook]

Wet flies used under a hatch can be just as deadly as using drys. Maybe more effective since the fish usually hook themself at the end of the drift.

 

[Letort]

Refresh my memory on how to fish a wet? Cast across stream and then raise rod tip at end of drift, if I recall.

No weight on either the leader or fly, correct?

 

[Jessed]

^ different in different situations. I cast up and across and let it swing down. I use weight depending on current speed and depth

 

[The_Sasquatch]

Letort wrote:
Refresh my memory on how to fish a wet? Cast across stream and then raise rod tip at end of drift, if I recall.

No weight on either the leader or fly, correct?

You fish a wet fly however it catches fish. Seriously. I've used them as droppers, I've greased them up and used them in the film/even on the surface, I've swung them down and across, I've dead drifted, I've stripped them in, lots of different ways.

It's a very versatile way to fish, a way I wish I knew better. There are some guys on this forum who REALLY know how to fish traditional wet flies. Wetfly01, Shakey, etc. and if you ever get a chance to fish w/ someone who really knows how to use the flies, take advantage of that opportunity.

 

[shakey]

thanks for the mention reverend doctor pastor squatch.

for those that mentioned a combination of nymphing and wet fly fishing,there are some flies that work as both a nymph and wet,and some that even work as a streamer.

a prince nymph can be fished as a wet.

wet flies like wooly worms and pass lakes can be fished as nymphs or streamers.(or even dry)

i would contend a hornberg is a wet,dry and streamer.

almost any big wet fly can be fished as a streamer,and almost any small wet fly can be fished as a nymph.

many dry flies can be fished wet. a griffith's gnat and trudes are good examples.

 

[troutpoop]

I'm not thrilled to fish nymphs, but I know that is where the fish are feeding. The vast majority of my time is spent with dries or traditional wet flies. I'm OK with catching less fish on the top or in the film.

Having said that I don't want to alienate nymph fishermen. Most of my fishing buddies nymph fish and are really good at it.
Different strokes.....

 

[GenCon]

Jessed wrote:
I enjoy fishing wet flies because it's such a original way to fly fish. In some cases a lost technique.

^ditto, love to swing wets.

GenCon

 

[Wildbrowntrout]

My streamer set-up for high water has 10lb tippet off of 20lb maxima. I can pull it out of snags, make sure constant pressure is on the fish, and I don't worry about breaking it off. Never had any different luck than with lighter line with the stockers.

 

[shakey]

troutpoop wrote:
I'm not thrilled to fish nymphs, but I know that is where the fish are feeding. The vast majority of my time is spent with dries or traditional wet flies. I'm OK with catching less fish on the top or in the film.

Having said that I don't want to alienate nymph fishermen. Most of my fishing buddies nymph fish and are really good at it.
Different strokes.....

that's how i feel about dry flies. dry fly fishing is a great beginner technique,because it is two dimensional and you can see the take.

but,i think some people bring it up to a level that is almost as challenging as wet fly fishing.

different strokes for different folks. i prefer wets,but sometimes dry flies are the only way to catch fish.

 

[PennKev]

somersetian wrote:
I feel like every flyfisherman I see is lobbing a bobber 15 ft up stream and watching it float hoping for it to sink. Streamer fishing just feels more proactive to me.

Yeah because they don't bother to learn any other way to do it. That doesn't mean that's the only way.

The biggest thing that I notice amongst other fisherman is the unwillingness to change what they are doing. Granted fishing nymphs under a bobber often works well enough, there are times when other approaches work better. Sometimes that's fishing on a tight line, swinging soft hackles, dry flies, and sometimes it's streamers. All have their charm.

But if a technique isn't producing I don't care how aesthetically pleasing it is, I'm changing to something else that works. Figuring out what works is a huge part of the enjoyment for me. If I can get the fish to take a dry, or crush a streamer in the process, all the better...

... but I ain't throwing streamers just cause bobber fishing is yucky.

 

[somersetian]

PennKev. I'm not saying its yucky, I have used indicators plenty of times while fishing. I'm just saying every other fisherman I ever see(around here anyway)on the stream are all doing that lobbing cast and highsticking a nymph under an indicator. Every single one. I was at kettle creek 3 weeks ago and was joyed to watch people fishing different ways than I'm used to seeing.

 

[Jessed]

I don't like indacators. I mean hey if you use them that's good for you but I find I tangle more and feel less "free" with it on. Also simply do better with out them.

 

[midnightangler]

If you find the technique that's working on any given day, it's usually a good time.