Fly Fishing Small Streams
Picture this; you've spent some time hiking into a small stream in the back country. It's early morning, mist is rising and the midges that have been swarming around you are breakfast for the small browns you have come to catch. You quietly walk up to the stream, watching the swirls of rising fish. You tie a nymph onto your leader and step into the water.
A trout skids away from under your feet, its flight sending out warning signals as bright as any neon light. The feeding fish flee in response and you are left with a section of river devoid of all but the midges. Welcome to fly fishing the small stream.
Stop and look before fly fishing the small stream
Before you get into the water stop and look at what is in front of you. This is especially true when approaching the small stream. Trout are well camouflaged, especially when you are looking down into the water. (A good pair of Polaroid glasses helps here.)
I like to make my first cast well back from the waters edge. If there is little cover then I tend to use a long leader and lay the line on the riverbank, allowing only the leader to enter the water, as close to the near bank as possible. That way, if there are any fish lying close under the bank, I will have given them first look at my fly.
Reading the water of the small stream
The waters of the small stream are like those of any river, just on a smaller scale. The fish will be in the same types of water that they would be in if you were fishing any trout stream. When you are fly fishing the small stream, look for those areas that provide the fish with their need for protection from predators, relief from fast flowing currents, and access to food.
Fishing the pocket water
I like to use dry flies when fly fishing pocket water in a small stream. The fish will usually be holding out of the main current but close enough to grab any food that comes floating by, and a drifting fly is often too tempting to resist.
Often it is not necessary to match the fly closely to whatever is hatching. Instead I like to fish a fly that is visible enough for me to see in fast moving water. Something like a light elk hair caddis works well. When the strike comes I can see it and I catch more fish this way than missing the strike by using a less visible, hatch matching fly.
Fly fishing the small stream usually requires a more sensitive approach and a finesse that is not necessary in larger rivers. Experience and practice are the great tellers here. Ability to read the water is more critical as the fish are often more easily spooked than their big water cousins. But when you make your way home at the end of a successful fishing day in the back country you know that the time spent learning to fly fish the small stream has been worthwhile.
About the Author
Dale East is a long time outdoorsman and fly fisher and publisher of Fly Fishing Wyoming
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Fly Fishing for Saltwater Salmon with Surface Flies
One of the greatest thrills in Pacific Northwest fly fishing is bringing large anadramous fish to a surface fly. While surface fishing in the saltwater is not as popular as subsurface fly fishing, feeding saltwater coho salmon will take a popper quite aggressively. Neah Bay is the best place to cast flies for coho salmon in Washington State, and I believe it’s also the best place to catch coho / silver salmon on a cast popper.
Of course, there’s a long tradition of trolling flies on the surface in the Pacific Northwest. But there’s a move away from trolling (which I do not believe is fly fishing) to casting and retrieving surface poppers in the Pacific Northwest.
First things first, fishing a popper for saltwater salmon is going to lower the number of fish you hook most of the time. If numbers of fish are your goal, I still recommend fishing a sinking line and a baitfish pattern, such as a clouser minnow. Surface fishing in the Pacific Ocean for feeding salmon is not about numbers of salmon hooked. You will have lots of follows, slashes, and boils at your fly. But out of all the interest, most of the salmon will not grab the fly. This is what makes this type of fishing so much fun. You watch the fish follow, and attempt to entice the salmon by slowing down or speeding up the retrieve (some days faster works, other days slower works). It is truly one of the greatest fishing thrills in the Pacific Northwest.
For this fishing, I prefer fishing 30’ shooting head fly lines. Fishing surface flies for saltwater salmon offshore of Neah Bay demands long casts. Basically, the more line you can throw, the more fish you will bring to the surface. I believe that shooting head fly lines give you the most distance with the least effort, especially considering a rolling deck and persistent winds. I like a .30 diameter floating running line. It gives you distance but without the tangling drawbacks of amnesia or other running lines. Remember, fly lines in a boat seem to seek out tangles. I use buckets with weighted bases to hold the fly line when casting and stripping the fly back along the surface.
An important part of popper fishing for salmon is the retrieve. I like a steady retrieve that makes the fly slowly wake along the surface, slowly covering productive fish holding water. The slow retrieve also gives following fish more time to make a decision to strike. It seems that fish will stop following once the fly gets within 10-20 feet of the boat (another reason to practice casting). To get this retrieve, I will tuck the fly rod under my arm and do a two-handed retrieve. This retrieve gives the angler more control and allows you to have that steady retrieve the coho salmon seem to love. Of course, like all fishing there are exceptions to every rule, so don't be afraid to pop the surface fly instead of the steady retrieve. It may be just the ticket when the salmon won't go for the typical retrieve. Coho fishing success is all about fishing hard and a willingness to experiment.
Like many forms of fishing that are less effective, popper fishing does require some dedication. Stick with it, even if you know for certain you are going to catch more fish by grabbing your other rod rigged with a sinking line and a baitfish pattern. You will rise coho salmon when you least expect it, and you will gain the most important thing when it comes to popper fishing for coho salmon…. Confidence! Confidence is the key to true success in fishing poppers in the saltwater.
I hope you learned a few things about popper fishing for coho salmon at Neah Bay. It is the most challenging way of hooking feeding salmon in the saltwater.
Chris Bellows, owner of Topwater Charters, Inc, which runs fly fishing charters off the Washington Coast. His websites offer more information about Olympic Peninsula Saltwater Fly Fishing and Neah Bay Halibut and Salmon Fishing
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Fly Fishing for Largemouth Bass
Like all bass fishing, bass fly fishing has exploded in popularity. The largemouth bass is considered by many the greatest of all gamefish. Once limited to just the Eastern United States, the largemouth bass has been introduced all over the continent. When most people think of bass fishing they think of, stiff fiberglass rods, heavy lines and large lures. But more and more fisherman are finding the advantage of fly fishing for this game fish.
Advantages of fly fishing:
Fly fishing allows the angler a wider variety of food imitations. While large lures only imitate a small number of food sources, flies can imitate virtually all the sources of bass food, including small organisms like nymphs and even dry flies. Fly fisherman can also cast out mice, frog, and a variety of other food sources for these opportunistic feeders. Many times bass are found in shallow water, hiding under or near logs or snags or in weeds. Fly casters have the advantage of more accurate placement, and being able to place their offering quietly without spooking skittish fish.
Bassy Water:
Largemouths usually emerge in early spring albeit a bit sluggish, but nevertheless with a speeding up metabolism, they are seeking food. Most largemouth’s will seek food in the shallows, being territorial the best hiding places will go to the biggest fish. Recognizing a good bass hiding spot is the first step in successful bass fishing. Fallen logs or weedy areas will provide cover for the wary lunker. Often times bass can be spotted by the careful observer, in clear water bass will appear green to pale olive across the back and white to pale yellow in the belly. In some areas a partner system will be beneficial with one angler standing above the water to provide a bird’s eye view. Float tubes can also be helpful allowing an angler to cover a lot of water in shorter amount of time, although you give up some of the advantages of sight angling.
When to Fish:
Largemouth Bass emerge in the early spring from deeper water. The exact timing depends on the region and the severity of the winter. But when ice begins to thaw and the water warms up, the largemouths metabolism begins to quicken albeit slowly at first. The strikes won’t be as hard, as the reticent fish, slurp in minnow patterns. Much like a trout slurps up an emerger pattern.
But once the water begins to warm to 60 degrees. The largemouth’s thoughts turn to spawning. In many areas this is around April. And the bass feed furiously, and seemingly without much thought to selection. It is during this time, that the bass fly fisher can found in their true natural environs. Bass cruising the shoreline in 1-3 feet of water, needing to bulk up for the upcoming spawn. It is then that the bass are the easiest to catch. Being fiercely territorial and in a feeding frenzy, they will attack anything in their path with a ferocity that makes this fish legendary.
After the spawn the bass seeks out deeper water, however, early morning and evening in particular can give one great action all summer long. And with the cooler waters of fall, bass return to activity that makes a trip to your favorite bass whole a worthy endeavor.
Techniques:
Early in the morning, I usually fish the banks with steamers. Casting out Woolly Buggers, Woolly Worms, Muddler Minnows, and even a leech pattern or two. One to three feet of water is where I concentrate, while the bass cruise actively looking for fish to eat.
In the spring time by afternoon I have switched to floating bass bugs. The very thing that makes bass fly fishing so fun. Casting one toward a nice looking bass hiding spot, I allow it to sit there for a few seconds. If you allowed the fly to ‘pop’ upon landing and have a nice bass picked out, often times this all that is needed for the bucketmouth to inhale your offering. Make sure your rod tip is at the proper angle to absorb the hit, or the game will be over before it begins.
If after a few seconds the ‘hit’ doesn’t occur, begin retrieving your fly at intermittent intervals like would occur in nature. This ‘popping’ action is what attracts the bass to your offering. Watch for the wake as the great hunter is not at all shy, and remember especially trout anglers, the bass’s mouth is huge and these animals were built for eating.
Flies:
Well, The Big Y Fly Co. is about selling flies, so you didn’t think we would forget that did you. If it is still unclear bass are opportunistic carnivores with huge mouths, that will eat anything. There are the usual bass bugs that float like the Frog, and the Mouse Rat. Then there are the divers, that float and then sink when you retrieve them, like the Dahlberg divers. And then there are the streamers, like the Woolly Buggers, Clouser minnows. Furthermore for those hot days or big reservoirs, there are sculpins and leeches, that like bass will seek deep water.
The great Largemouth Bass has soared in popularity like few other game fish. If you haven’t ever experienced fighting one of these, you are missing out on something special. Now introduced virtually everywhere throughout the continent on North America, there bound to be some great bass fishing not for from your door.
About The Author
Cameron Larsen is a retired commericial fly tier and fly fishing guide. He now operates The Big Y Fly Company. Http://www.bigyflyco.com. He can be reached at info@bigyflyco.com. The above article will appear in the Big Y Fly Fishing E-Zine at Http://www.bigyflyco.com/Bigyflyfishingezine.html.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
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Latest Fly Fishing Gear
The term “fly fishing gear” can be used to refer to a lot of parts of your fly fishing supplies. In this article, we’ll discuss various piece of fly fishing gear that are important to have on hand. You already know you need a rod and reel, but there’s so much more involved in your fly fishing gear.
Of course, you’ll need to have a variety of flies to use as bait for the fish. Flies are meant to mimic the look and movement of a fish’s natural food source. Some fish prefer different flies, and when you use what they are used to eating, your chances are better of landing a bite. Keep several different types of flies close at hand so you can choose the right fly for the specific fish you are angling for.
You will also need to have several different weights of lines so you can switch them out if you find yourself in waters with larger fish. Of course, your fly rod has a lot to do with what line to use, but if you have an 8 nwt rod and are finding some 10 pound fish, go ahead and switch to a 10 nwt line to increase your chances of winning a fight with that prize-winning trout.
Part of your fly fishing gear includes what you wear while fishing. You’ll need to have a good pair of waders so you can keep dry while going after your fish. Pick a pair of waders that will meet your fishing situation. Chest high waders are usually a good choice because they allow you to wade in all depths of water.
You will also need a fishing vest with lots of pockets that will hold your flies, line, and other pieces of gear. The pockets should fasten with Velcro so that you have easy access to what you need. You don’t want to be on the water and realize you need a different fly only to miss out on a passing school of fish because you were fumbling with your pockets.
A good pair of fishing pliers is almost a necessity. Many rivers and streams are exclusively catch and release water. That means that once you catch the fish, you need to let it go. This helps propagate the population and promote healthy fishing at all times. You will want an easy way to get the hook out of the fish’s mouth without causing harm to its body. Fishing pliers are designed to do just that.
Finally, your fly fishing gear should include a waterproof camera. If you are lucky enough to land a whopper, you’ll want to document it as part of your prize!
When you are amassing your fly fishing gear, things can eventually get out of hand. Many fly fishermen have an abundance of gear with the possibility that they might need something specific in a certain situation. That’s just fine, but the essentials that are listed above are a start!
About the author:
Steve has been fishing for many years. There is nothing he likes better than spending a few hours on the side of a river or lake trying to catch the ultimate fish. He has travelled extensively throughout the world and never lets an opportunity go by to try out the local fishing. He has written a book on the subject of Fly Fishing which can be purchased at http://fishing.articleland.co.uk . He can also be reached for further information at his website http://www.articleland.co.uk
Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com
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