Swim a scud??

[Nymph-wristed]

Anyone else have success doing this or have tips for how to do it better?

Water was too stained for a dry or dry dropper Wednesday when I was fishing a tiny spring creek, and fish were concentrated in slow, boggy holes, so after getting a couple on a caddis pupae and then getting impatient with how slowly a nymph took to reach the back of the pools, I started swimming a scud with a midge dropper about an inch at a time, no indicator. Hits were violent at times, most on the scud but some on the midge. I have done other things that instinct instead of conventional wisdom says to do, like "snap jigging" midges in the winter (with indicator) to get their attention at the tailout of a deep pool. I know scuds swim pretty well, so perhaps this is not so unconventional. Any thoughts, ideas, other techniques for fishing scuds and similar creatures with some action?

Thanks!

 

[AFISHN]

No ideas,but I'm going to try your technique.Thanks

 

[LetortAngler]

Unlike Cress bugs, a scud that would get dislodged into the current is likely gonna elicit some type of movement in its effort to get back into the vegetation. They really are good swimmers, I've watched them in aquariums and messing around stream side. Sometimes, I fish tandem scuds and will give them some movement which seems to always fool a fish or two.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

Thanks for the feedback. Just curious, do you fish two in the same color when you fish them tandem or two different colors the way one would with tandem nymphs?

 

[LetortAngler]

Most of the time they are the same color (olive), sometimes one with a small sulfur orange hot-spot. I also use two different sizes, a 14 as point, and a #16-20as the dropper,. Of course this is just my personal preference, there are countless variations that also work.

 

[Dave_W]

Definitely swim your scuds.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

LetortAngler wrote:
Most of the time they are the same color (olive), sometimes one with a small sulfur orange hot-spot. I also use two different sizes, a 14 as point, and a #16-20as the dropper,. Of course this is just my personal preference, there are countless variations that also work.

Thanks, Letort! Great approach.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

Dave_W wrote:
Definitely swim your scuds.

I have a feeling you're talking about the scuds you "drop off at the pool" here.....

 

[3wt7X]

I always lift my scuds in the slow water near the tail outs of deeper runs in the limestoners. Normally it is good for a couple strikes. Also throwing a them in the backwash of an eddy and slowly pulling the back towards you is effective. Good observation and technique!!!

 

[Nymph-wristed]

3wt7X wrote:
I always lift my scuds in the slow water near the tail outs of deeper runs in the limestoners. Normally it is good for a couple strikes. Also throwing a them in the backwash of an eddy and slowly pulling the back towards you is effective. Good observation and technique!!!

Thanks for confirming my hunch!

 

[AFISHN]

I fished the South Holston a few months ago and had the most success swimming scuds...caught my 2 biggest fish this way.

Actually,put a touch of gink(sinking stuff) on a size 22 and gave it a slight vertical motion in the water and had such a violent strikes that that I instanly broke off 2 nice fish before I learned to tame my reaction set