Matching the Fly

[PeteCz]

Originally Posted by tennswede

No need to make this more complicated than it is. Of course entomology is fun in itself so it won't hurt to know the hatches.

This is great advice from Hans and a few other folks. Take a look at this site (points 3 & 4 in particular) http://www.flyline.com/tips_trivia/myths_legends_lies/

I think sometimes we get so caught up in matching the hatch we forget the other things (which may be more important)...presentation...not spooking the fish...type of feeding

Its great to know all the entomology stuff, and there are places where it may be vitally important to catching fish, but in the Smokies, I think its greatly overrated...

I'll get off the soapbox and prepare to catch some arrows (and daggers!)...

[Waterborn]

No daggers here, I agree with ya Pete Cz...I subscribe to the K.I.S.S. method myself...I think a person needs to know the basic difference between the type of bug in whether its a mayfly or caddis, stonefly etc... but the genus,species,and so on....well fish don't speak latin and neither do I...
the real question is- can you put what they are eating in the right place?

Personally, I carry a small stomach pump and every now and again I see what's goin' on in a fish and compare to some rocks that I've turned over...

Its funny how many times fish will be on something other than what hatching at the moment - or a different stage of what you thought they were onto...hence presentation of that bug..

And true... in the park, much can be boiled down something thunderhead early in the season in various sizes and something yellow as into the late spring and summer...

[rainshaker]

That's a great article Pete, thanks for posting...

it reminded me of the saying:

"...we [as Anglers] don't necessarily re-create, we imitate..." Otherwise, a fish wouldn't eat a mayfly with steel shank protruding from its backside... :-)

Thanks again!

[Jack M.]

You guys are going to take all the fun out of flyfishing if you keep posting facts like that!