Efficient Fly Fishing(Tailwaters)

[highpockets]

I second the streamers.

Situation: You fished the micro-midge, Copper John, Prince, EHC until your arms are falling off. You've caught some fish but nothing that knocked your hat in the creek.

Tie on a Bright Wooly, or Olive with some flash, or one of my favorites a Grey Ghost. Cast to the areas (as mentioned before) that are ignored for the most part. Strip the fly aggressively with occasional long pauses. I have seen browns travel great distances (that make your heart skip a beat) to come get one of these offerings!

Hint: I always use a fairly heavy streamer. Seems I get strikes when the streamer is settling toward the bottom on the pauses.

[Wilson10]

I've had quite a few days where my wolly buggers have saved the day, but need to learn to use them better.

Add - Become more effective with streamers to my '09 to do list

[waterwolf]

Originally Posted by Wilson10

1. Become a better dry fly fisherman

Thanks,

Just my .02, but scrap that if you want to be more efficient fishing tailwaters. I guess it depends on what you deem efficient. If it is putting fish to hand in numbers, quickly, then dries on our tailwaters are not really the way to go.

If you want to become lethal learn how to effectively present midges and other small nymphs. Learn the section you fish like the back of your hand and know every deep pocket, crease, slot, chute, whatever. Maximize your time on the river by putting the right fly, at the right depth, in the right places. And by all means keep it simple on the flies, when you wake up and know you only need 2 different nymphs to go to the river and be successful, a tuft of yarn, and a spool of tippet. Then you are there IMO.

[Wilson10]

Originally Posted by waterwolf

Just my .02, but scrap that if you want to be more efficient fishing tailwaters. I guess it depends on what you deem efficient. If it is putting fish to hand in numbers, quickly, then dries on our tailwaters are not really the way to go.

If you want to become lethal learn how to effectively present midges and other small nymphs. Learn the section you fish like the back of your hand and know every deep pocket, crease, slot, chute, whatever. Maximize your time on the river by putting the right fly, at the right depth, in the right places. And by all means keep it simple on the flies, when you wake up and know you only need 2 different nymphs to go to the river and be successful, a tuft of yarn, and a spool of tippet. Then you are there IMO.

Great advice! and I totally agree. I would like to become Lethal with midges and small nymphs. Thanks!

[monktrout]

Is it just me or are we fishing midges deeper than we were ten years ago? I used to fish midges about 12-18" below the yarn. Seems like more and more anglers are routinely putting midge patterns on the bottom. Possibly the popular zebra patterns are more larva and less pupa. Are fish, rising to midges on top, sulking back down three feet? Any ideas?

[Worrgamesguy]

I couldn't tell you. I used to think that when a trout completely cleared the water a bigger fish was chasing it. So when I'd see a nice 16-18" brown or rainbow shoot 3 feet in the air I would think "Holy, that must be a BIG fish chasing that!" Now I know better. All I know is physics applied to fishing. They're gonna sit on the bottom and relax and let the food come to them.

[ChemEAngler]

Originally Posted by monktrout

Is it just me or are we fishing midges deeper than we were ten years ago? I used to fish midges about 12-18" below the yarn. Seems like more and more anglers are routinely putting midge patterns on the bottom. Possibly the popular zebra patterns are more larva and less pupa. Are fish, rising to midges on top, sulking back down three feet? Any ideas?

Monk,
I don't really know what they are doing. However, I have had some really good luck, especially on the SoHo, fishing a midge about 12" deep and casting to rising fish. I haven't had this be as successful on the Clinch though. Most of the time though I keep my midge larva on bottom.

[waterwolf]

Originally Posted by monktrout

Is it just me or are we fishing midges deeper than we were ten years ago? I used to fish midges about 12-18" below the yarn. Seems like more and more anglers are routinely putting midge patterns on the bottom. Possibly the popular zebra patterns are more larva and less pupa. Are fish, rising to midges on top, sulking back down three feet? Any ideas?

I know I do, I fish an vg of 3-4 feet deep with midges. Tungsten beads made it super easy, and it was always easy in a river like the clinch which is super slow. I don't worry too much about pupa versus larvae, they eat them all on the same day. I also usually don't adjust my indicator once I tie it on, now that may be from haunting the clinch for 20 years or more and knowing exactly where my fly needs to be and how deep is deep enough to not have to constantly adjust.

No question the most inefficient way to fish the clinch is chasing the fish eating midges in the film or just under the surface. Usually dinks, and usually frustrating or slower then going deep in my experience.

[monktrout]

Thanks guys for your ideas. Monk

[3wt]

This is a good system but the larva should be deeper than the pupae. The pupae is rising to the surface but the larva is still living on the bottom. Sorry didn't realize how long ago that question was