. . . or a "nymph and strike indicator," if that's more acceptable terminology.
I've fished a couple smaller rivers that don't have much wet fly swing water to them. The winter run steelhead hold in slots and pockets. Last year I began comparing the jig & bobber spin fishing style with nymphing with a strike indicator. I haven't done a lot of conventional trout fishing in rivers, so I don't have much nymph fishing experience, and the few times I've tried it, I used a sink tip because I was comfortable with the technique. I talked with one fellow who also fished a river where the wet fly swing wasn't producing anything. He also noticed that spin fishers using jigs and bobbers were catching fish, so he began using weighted flies and large strike indicators and began catching fish on that river.
That's my introduction. So this winter I've tied these marabou flies weighted with the small nickel plated lead dumbell eyes. They are less than 1/16 oz., maybe about 1/20 or 1/24 oz. I never liked casting weighted flies with a single handed rod, but so far haven't found the practice as objectionable with a two handed rod. I'm just using 8 to 10 feet of 8# test leader, and so far am really impressed how deep these flies get. I'm not hanging up a lot, but enough to let me know that the fly is swimming where it needs to be. The lead eyes swim the fly with the hook point riding up, so I haven't lost many, either.
So far, only one small steelhead and a couple DV/bull trout to show for it.
I was wondering if others of you have used the same or similar method to fish water that wasn't suited to swinging flies. What gear, technique, and results?
Sincerely,
Salmo g.
I've fished a couple smaller rivers that don't have much wet fly swing water to them. The winter run steelhead hold in slots and pockets. Last year I began comparing the jig & bobber spin fishing style with nymphing with a strike indicator. I haven't done a lot of conventional trout fishing in rivers, so I don't have much nymph fishing experience, and the few times I've tried it, I used a sink tip because I was comfortable with the technique. I talked with one fellow who also fished a river where the wet fly swing wasn't producing anything. He also noticed that spin fishers using jigs and bobbers were catching fish, so he began using weighted flies and large strike indicators and began catching fish on that river.
That's my introduction. So this winter I've tied these marabou flies weighted with the small nickel plated lead dumbell eyes. They are less than 1/16 oz., maybe about 1/20 or 1/24 oz. I never liked casting weighted flies with a single handed rod, but so far haven't found the practice as objectionable with a two handed rod. I'm just using 8 to 10 feet of 8# test leader, and so far am really impressed how deep these flies get. I'm not hanging up a lot, but enough to let me know that the fly is swimming where it needs to be. The lead eyes swim the fly with the hook point riding up, so I haven't lost many, either.
So far, only one small steelhead and a couple DV/bull trout to show for it.
I was wondering if others of you have used the same or similar method to fish water that wasn't suited to swinging flies. What gear, technique, and results?
Sincerely,
Salmo g.