I stopped off at Joe's shop a couple of weeks ago and he mentioned that new regs will again allow weighted flies after October 1 and I think through May - still unweighted from June through Sept. I believe this goes into effect next year. I for one think it makes sense - it opens up more runs on the river that are pretty tough to fish without getting down and certainly helps for the few who winter fish up there.
I agree that weighted flies for the winter makes sense. BUT BOBBERS ARE STILL ILLEGAL. Thank God. Frankly, the weighted flies ban has added to my enjoyment of the North Umpqua experience. I have fished many new runs because of the lead ban. The fishing is perhaps a bit tougher, but I have more personal satisfaction. And perhaps the illegal nymph fisherman still using 2 ounce stoneflies, will stay home until October of each year.
I have to say that I am glad I don't fish the NU!! It is guys like you the keep me away. I thought that things where mellowing out down there but I can see that some people are still raising a stink about weighted flys. I guess there are still folks that think there way is the only way.
Good evening,
Anyone who knows me, knows that the North Umpqua is one of my favorites! Bar none..... And I can honestly say, that I have NEVER been bothered by anyone using a weighted fly to catch whatever they are going for!
With that said, if a guy has to use a weighted fly to get a strike on that river :chuckle: well......I don't know, man.
Personaly, I like my fish to have to come to the surface, or go home skunked........... but that's just 'cause I'm a "Dry Guy" :wink:
No question we need a bobber ban across the entire fly fishing world. But then again I'm from the political party that believes in more Bans be it test bans or bobber bans. :lildevl:
I'm not quite sure why how someone else is fishing would detract from one's own enjoyment of fishing that river. I will admit when the indicator guys were up there in force they would camp on a run at times which was annoying and just bad fishing etiquette - but if they were fishing unweighted flies and still camping on a run it would be just as bad etiquette and I have seen that happen. But taking away weighted flies actually reduces runs that can be effectively fished on that river. Fishing unweighted flies under tough conditions up there is like beating a dead horse - the fish just are not going to move! When one spends $100 on gas it is nice to have options though that is one river I do not mind getting skunked on. If the weighted ban was lifted, I for one would use wighted flies on certain runs and under certain cirmumstances to improve my chances for a hookup.
It has nothing to to with how people fish. It has every thing to do with people fishing "my" run. Of course they will deny it, but most often they will camp out on a run just like the indicator fisherman. It dosen't matter how you choose to fish as long as you practice good edicate(sp). It seems that even the purist fly fishers among us have forgotten that.
Mike
I don't know why...I seem to be pre-programmed or something. But I can't fish right out in front of me, nor can I stay in the same spot. I even have trouble camping over a player. Throwing multiple casts at him, changing to a smaller fly, throwing at him two or three more times. I may rest the spot and come down through again, but I have to keep moving.
I never could drive 55 mph either.
For me, fly casting and fly fishing the North Umpqua is a religious experience. I have no real problem with weighted flies in certain runs, but when one adds a big assed bobber to the mix, the resulting cast is an ugly thing to behold. It is a shame that strike indicators, to help newbies and people with poor eyesight to see a grab or a short pause, have evolved into the bobbers we now have. Outside of the anadromus world, the use of floats have gotten way out of hand. It is sad the number of fishermen today who come into a shop, want to advance their knowledge from nymphing to dries or even soft hackles and ask where they should place the bobber!
I have a patent pending on a cheap float for those that can not afford the multitude of options found in your local fly shop.....an empty Mountain Dew bottle. The screw cap allows easy movement up and down the leader, and they can be spray painted various colors, including flou-chartreuse for after hours sighting.
Do you know if they make Mountain Dew bottles in the 16 oz variety for those really big flies or are we limited to only 12 oz sizes?
I am not a big fan of indicators and don't use them much but they have their place in certain circumstances more for depth control than for use as a strike indicator
For me, fly casting and fly fishing is a religious experience. When one adds a big assed bobber to the mix, the resulting cast is an ugly thing to behold.
Gee,,,,I thought that was what mending line was all about. You mean we don't have to learn to mend line to get down? All we have to do is add weight and a bobber? What will they think of next? Maybe a thin line and a casting reel? :lildevl:
Hey JD - when I talk about depth control it is to keep a fly at a particular depth in the water column - if you think that a good indicator guy doesn't have to know about total mending control you haven't mastered this "art" and probably don't want to. In lakes, I will often use a very small piece of cork and place this as close as 6 inches from my fly to keep the fly in the top few inches where it needs to be - greasing the leader may not accomplish this. If you are using a weighted fly but want to keep it in the upper 2 feet a "bobber" allows this - no other way to keep it from sinking below that zone.
Mending is much different than downstream swing mending requiring accurate stack mending all the way to the fly, if possible without disturbing the fly.
I was up at the Umpqua a few weeks ago as I mentioned - one tug in two days - now if I only could have used a 4 ounce ugly bug!!!!
One of these days I will bypass the NU and stop off and hassle Fred et al on the Rogue!! Was hoping we would have another spey clave get together like we did last year. Only this time I would hope not to rip off the lower part off my jet pump!!!
Hey JD - when I talk about depth control it is to keep a fly at a particular depth in the water column - if you think that a good indicator guy doesn't have to know about total mending control you haven't mastered this "art" and probably don't want to.
One of these days I will bypass the NU and stop off and hassle Fred et al on the Rogue!! Was hoping we would have another spey clave get together like we did last year. Only this time I would hope not to rip off the lower part off my jet pump!!!
Yeah, you're right. Not so much that I haven't mastered the art, I just don't care for that method when it comes to steelhead.
There is a get together Nov 20th up on the holy water. Come on up.
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