hello all. i did not want to hijack the insight thread started by Shaq so i simply started another. i suppose it would be accurate to view this post as a pet peve of mine and also a vent.
gillie, sorry to nitpick earlier but i think there is a tendancy here to lump any & all together whenever there is a mention of weight. i certainly agree with you that one on the swing provides an added thrill.
already just the word weight instead of shot is less offensive. is it better to use a sink putty type product or maybe a match stick twist on designed for fly tackle?
i think some of the differance of opinion here is in what method is employed. by popularity, swinging.... vs... all others.
there is an active parallel thread concerning dead drifting a fly. i suppose i could have squeezed in a reply there but i don't feel qualified with my fishing being confined to the three great lakes tribs of michigan, huron, and superior. there was a great one made there by moose [thank you] that i thought appropriate for my local. i'll try to place it below.
#4 Yesterday, 09:39 PM
Moose
5150 Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Baja Oregon
Posts: 235
Here's why!
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On the river I regularly fish, beadhead nymphs are dead drifted in the current for steelhead quite effectively. The idea is that these flies represent the nymphal life stage of aquatic insects that opportunistic trout find naturally drifting along on or near the bottom with the flow of the current, usually along seams. If any action other than the dead drift of these immitations were imparted, the trout would refuse it as unnatural. These insects will rise through the water column when hatching, but not against or across the current. Rather, they tumble along with the current. The flip side of this is that predatory trout will chase a swung fly as well, so rather than dead drifting under an indicator (bobber ) an angler can cast the fly upstream of a desired piece of water, letting it sink (mend big here) and dead drift it though a likely looking holding area where a fish may lie, and then when the dead drift has run it's optimum length, given the amount of line out, current speed, etc. and a dead drift can no longer be managed, the fly can be swung around under control (mend!) to the dangle. We use caddis pupa, flashback pheasant tails with a turn of partridge, birdsnests, etc.. It should be noted that this is in a river and at times (much of the year, actually) where the steelhead are not big, often referred to as half pounders, and behave much like regular old trout.
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the point of this new thread is mostly to point out differances in water[here anyway] isn't it true that the water dictates the method to a large degree?
i find myself crowding into back woods difficult to access areas on smaller tribs with a much lower fish count than many of the bigger popular and more desirable ones. almost all wild fish with an occasional stray. the attraction is in the solitude. a big part of what i crave and seek on most outings. its an improv game, playing in pocket water and wood infested slow pools. i often use the dead drift into a swing tactic described above so well. chances are that there might be a micro shot or two added in addition to the bead head. these fish don't come easy and you can't help but appreciate them. no chance of becoming jaded.
i have ran a couple of searches on the words weight & weighted among others. its surprising to see where they turn up...........
just having trouble with opinions that this is "not really fly fishing". maybe i'm part of a minority here, but doubt it. not on the great lakes board.
thanks for your time. SG
gillie, sorry to nitpick earlier but i think there is a tendancy here to lump any & all together whenever there is a mention of weight. i certainly agree with you that one on the swing provides an added thrill.
already just the word weight instead of shot is less offensive. is it better to use a sink putty type product or maybe a match stick twist on designed for fly tackle?
i think some of the differance of opinion here is in what method is employed. by popularity, swinging.... vs... all others.
there is an active parallel thread concerning dead drifting a fly. i suppose i could have squeezed in a reply there but i don't feel qualified with my fishing being confined to the three great lakes tribs of michigan, huron, and superior. there was a great one made there by moose [thank you] that i thought appropriate for my local. i'll try to place it below.
#4 Yesterday, 09:39 PM
Moose
5150 Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Baja Oregon
Posts: 235
Here's why!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On the river I regularly fish, beadhead nymphs are dead drifted in the current for steelhead quite effectively. The idea is that these flies represent the nymphal life stage of aquatic insects that opportunistic trout find naturally drifting along on or near the bottom with the flow of the current, usually along seams. If any action other than the dead drift of these immitations were imparted, the trout would refuse it as unnatural. These insects will rise through the water column when hatching, but not against or across the current. Rather, they tumble along with the current. The flip side of this is that predatory trout will chase a swung fly as well, so rather than dead drifting under an indicator (bobber ) an angler can cast the fly upstream of a desired piece of water, letting it sink (mend big here) and dead drift it though a likely looking holding area where a fish may lie, and then when the dead drift has run it's optimum length, given the amount of line out, current speed, etc. and a dead drift can no longer be managed, the fly can be swung around under control (mend!) to the dangle. We use caddis pupa, flashback pheasant tails with a turn of partridge, birdsnests, etc.. It should be noted that this is in a river and at times (much of the year, actually) where the steelhead are not big, often referred to as half pounders, and behave much like regular old trout.
__________________
the point of this new thread is mostly to point out differances in water[here anyway] isn't it true that the water dictates the method to a large degree?
i find myself crowding into back woods difficult to access areas on smaller tribs with a much lower fish count than many of the bigger popular and more desirable ones. almost all wild fish with an occasional stray. the attraction is in the solitude. a big part of what i crave and seek on most outings. its an improv game, playing in pocket water and wood infested slow pools. i often use the dead drift into a swing tactic described above so well. chances are that there might be a micro shot or two added in addition to the bead head. these fish don't come easy and you can't help but appreciate them. no chance of becoming jaded.
i have ran a couple of searches on the words weight & weighted among others. its surprising to see where they turn up...........
just having trouble with opinions that this is "not really fly fishing". maybe i'm part of a minority here, but doubt it. not on the great lakes board.
thanks for your time. SG