Fishing with Black Stuff

Yesterday at Roaring River (Mo.) I caught fish on Griffith's Gnats,
Elk-Hair Caddis, and Black Ants. The Black Ants were impossible to
see, so I dabbed a little indicator putty a few feet up the tippet to
give me a better visual.

I recollect that I had the same problem with tricos last year. At the
end of 9 feet of leader and 4 feet of tippet, they get awfully for me
to hard to find in the current. (Particularly since I don't always
cast as well as I should.)

I've seen ants with indicators on them, but would like to know if
anyone has a better system for fishing small black stuff in a moving
river. Where and how I fish, it seems to just disappear without a
little "helper putty" smeared on the tippet and I have virtually no
clue about where to watch for a take.

Thanks in advance,
Chuck

Charles Crolley wrote:

I've seen ants with indicators on them, but would like to know if
anyone has a better system for fishing small black stuff in a moving
river. Where and how I fish, it seems to just disappear without a
little "helper putty" smeared on the tippet and I have virtually no
clue about where to watch for a take.

You could tie on a highly visible, large fly, like a stimulator, about
four feet above the small black fly. You might even get a take on it.

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.

On Mon, 03 Apr 2006 12:00:42 -0500, Charles Crolley
wrote:

Where and how I fish, it seems to just disappear without a
little "helper putty" smeared on the tippet and I have virtually no
clue about where to watch for a take.

I use a similar method, yellow wrap-around sticky strike indicators.
They are small and do not seem to add drag, or at least not very much.
I usually use them when I am fishing small emergers in moving water
and place them about two feet above the fly. I've had strikes on
them.

Dave

On Mon, 03 Apr 2006 17:33:56 GMT, rw
wrote:

Charles Crolley wrote:

I've seen ants with indicators on them, but would like to know if
anyone has a better system for fishing small black stuff in a moving
river. Where and how I fish, it seems to just disappear without a
little "helper putty" smeared on the tippet and I have virtually no
clue about where to watch for a take.

You could tie on a highly visible, large fly, like a stimulator, about
four feet above the small black fly. You might even get a take on it.


Interesting idea. I've seen people fishing these two-fly rigs,
usually with a nymph or San Juan worm under. What type of knot is
used to secure the first fly to the tippet?

On Mon, 03 Apr 2006 13:36:44 -0400, Dave LaCourse
wrote:

On Mon, 03 Apr 2006 12:00:42 -0500, Charles Crolley
wrote:

Where and how I fish, it seems to just disappear without a
little "helper putty" smeared on the tippet and I have virtually no
clue about where to watch for a take.

I use a similar method, yellow wrap-around sticky strike indicators.
They are small and do not seem to add drag, or at least not very much.
I usually use them when I am fishing small emergers in moving water
and place them about two feet above the fly. I've had strikes on
them.

Dave




Thanks, Dave.

I was a little concerned about wary trout being scared off by the
extra color above, but from your post (and some of my own experience)
that doesn't seem to be a problem. I haven't used the stick-on
indicators, but that would seem to be a better solution. That putty
method I've been using is still pretty hard to see in certain types of
light.

Charles Crolley wrote:
On Mon, 03 Apr 2006 17:33:56 GMT, rw
wrote:


You could tie on a highly visible, large fly, like a stimulator, about
four feet above the small black fly. You might even get a take on it.



Interesting idea. I've seen people fishing these two-fly rigs,
usually with a nymph or San Juan worm under. What type of knot is
used to secure the first fly to the tippet?

Tie the stimulator (or whatever you use) on with whatever knot you
normally use. Tie on an extra section of tippet with an improved clinch
knot at the hook bend. It's easiest to tie the improved clinch knot
loosely by itself (i.e., not on the hook bend), and then slip it over
the bend and tighten.

It's important to use a long piece of extra tippet (like four feet or
so) to get a good drag-free drift.

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.

On Mon, 03 Apr 2006 13:55:18 -0500, Charles Crolley
wrote:

On Mon, 03 Apr 2006 13:36:44 -0400, Dave LaCourse
wrote:

On Mon, 03 Apr 2006 12:00:42 -0500, Charles Crolley
wrote:

Where and how I fish, it seems to just disappear without a
little "helper putty" smeared on the tippet and I have virtually no
clue about where to watch for a take.

I use a similar method, yellow wrap-around sticky strike indicators.
They are small and do not seem to add drag, or at least not very much.
I usually use them when I am fishing small emergers in moving water
and place them about two feet above the fly. I've had strikes on
them.

Dave




Thanks, Dave.

I was a little concerned about wary trout being scared off by the
extra color above, but from your post (and some of my own experience)
that doesn't seem to be a problem. I haven't used the stick-on
indicators, but that would seem to be a better solution. That putty
method I've been using is still pretty hard to see in certain types of
light.

Stick-ons, slip-ons, roll-ons - they're all good except those days when the
fish insist on hitting the indicators. I'd go with the big bushy fly
instead...

daytripper wrote:

Stick-ons, slip-ons, roll-ons - they're all good except those days when the
fish insist on hitting the indicators. I'd go with the big bushy fly
instead...

If you just HAVE to use an indicator, at least wrap it around a hook. :-)

Last year in Alaska Willi caught a char on an earplug.

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.

rw wrote:
daytripper wrote:

Stick-ons, slip-ons, roll-ons - they're all good except those days when the
fish insist on hitting the indicators. I'd go with the big bushy fly
instead...

When I tie on the tippet, I leave about 6-8 in. of tippet above the
knot to tie on the "floater" fly.

If you just HAVE to use an indicator, at least wrap it around a hook. :-)

Last year in Alaska Willi caught a char on an earplug.

....and, just to show it could be done, a fishing buddy of mine back in
the 60's would catch them on cigarette filters -- they floated nicely.

cheers

oz

On 3 Apr 2006 18:00:04 -0700, "MajorOz" wrote:


rw wrote:
daytripper wrote:

Stick-ons, slip-ons, roll-ons - they're all good except those days when the
fish insist on hitting the indicators. I'd go with the big bushy fly
instead...

When I tie on the tippet, I leave about 6-8 in. of tippet above the
knot to tie on the "floater" fly.

If you just HAVE to use an indicator, at least wrap it around a hook. :-)

Last year in Alaska Willi caught a char on an earplug.

...and, just to show it could be done, a fishing buddy of mine back in
the 60's would catch them on cigarette filters -- they floated nicely.

antiethical

;-)