Nobody told him

I saw something today that left me dumbfounded.

I was watching a spin fisherman from my window and initially pooh-poohed
him, having watched many unseccesful spin fishermen at that point on the
river I view from my front window. He'd been there for a couple hrs and I
decided to get my binoculars to see if I could see any fish in the water on
a stringer. Before I could retrieve my binocs, I noticed him put something
dark and long in his old style canvas fishing bag and prepare to leave. I
decided to meet him when he crossed the bridge to see how he did.

To my astonishment, as we closed near his truck, I noticed what I thought
had been a rather large spoon spinning lure ...and the basis of my
skepticism as to his certain non-success... was actually a clear oblong
bobber. What the...? We greeted and I asked how he did. He didn't say
anything at first, seemingly waiting to make truck-fall. When he put his
pole and bag down, I asked if he caught anything and he gave me a glance
that obviously meant, "jes wait and I'll show you".

He opened his well-worn bag and pulled out a steel-brass stringer that
looked like it could hold 10lb salmon or bonito and flopped two nice browns
on his open tail-gate, one about 12", the other about 14". "Nice", I said.

But, I was more intrigued by his tackle. He seemed to think it nothing and
casually revealed his rig. It was a clear bobber on the spin line and from
the bobber, a like-sized 4' tippet going to a single fly. ???? I asked what
it was and he told me it was a double renegade fly, about 10-12. Not a
weighted rooster-tail with hackles, just a plain ol fly with the bobber
providing needed weight and flotation. Whoa!

This flew in the face of everything I'd worked so hard to learn about fly
fishing and presentation and.... Well, let's just say I was stunned. I'd
watched his technique from my window. It was pure spin fishing. Cast to
the far side of the river (about 25-30yds) and retrieve accross the current
at a moderate spin lure pace. That means the fly was being dragged across
the water like a freakin motorboat, wake and all. No natural floating
presentation with required mends and twictches and such. Just drag that
sucker across the water, by god! What trout in its right mind would go for
that?

He went on to relate how he'd always used this technique and had actually
caught about 6 fish total, that day, keeping only the two larger. What
could I say? "You can't do it that way!"? I came home and tossed my Cabela
FF catalog in the trash. :\

nb

notbob wrote:
I saw something today that left me dumbfounded. ...

Casting bubbles are standard equipment for spin fisherman
who want to fish flies.

Most of us don't use fly rods because it's the best and
easiest way to catch a trout because, truth be told, in
most cases it's usually not. The spin guys and bait guys
will almost always take more fish, but then taking the most
fish isn't really the point of fly fishing for a lot of
fly fishermen.

--
Ken Fortenberry

On Sat, 18 Oct 2008 02:05:02 GMT, notbob wrote:

I saw something today that left me dumbfounded.

I was watching a spin fisherman from my window and initially pooh-poohed
him, having watched many unseccesful spin fishermen at that point on the
river I view from my front window. He'd been there for a couple hrs and I
decided to get my binoculars to see if I could see any fish in the water on
a stringer. Before I could retrieve my binocs, I noticed him put something
dark and long in his old style canvas fishing bag and prepare to leave. I
decided to meet him when he crossed the bridge to see how he did.

To my astonishment, as we closed near his truck, I noticed what I thought
had been a rather large spoon spinning lure ...and the basis of my
skepticism as to his certain non-success... was actually a clear oblong
bobber. What the...? We greeted and I asked how he did. He didn't say
anything at first, seemingly waiting to make truck-fall. When he put his
pole and bag down, I asked if he caught anything and he gave me a glance
that obviously meant, "jes wait and I'll show you".

He opened his well-worn bag and pulled out a steel-brass stringer that
looked like it could hold 10lb salmon or bonito and flopped two nice browns
on his open tail-gate, one about 12", the other about 14". "Nice", I said.

But, I was more intrigued by his tackle. He seemed to think it nothing and
casually revealed his rig. It was a clear bobber on the spin line and from
the bobber, a like-sized 4' tippet going to a single fly. ???? I asked what
it was and he told me it was a double renegade fly, about 10-12. Not a
weighted rooster-tail with hackles, just a plain ol fly with the bobber
providing needed weight and flotation. Whoa!

This flew in the face of everything I'd worked so hard to learn about fly
fishing and presentation and.... Well, let's just say I was stunned. I'd
watched his technique from my window. It was pure spin fishing. Cast to
the far side of the river (about 25-30yds) and retrieve accross the current
at a moderate spin lure pace. That means the fly was being dragged across
the water like a freakin motorboat, wake and all. No natural floating
presentation with required mends and twictches and such. Just drag that
sucker across the water, by god! What trout in its right mind would go for
that?

He went on to relate how he'd always used this technique and had actually
caught about 6 fish total, that day, keeping only the two larger. What
could I say? "You can't do it that way!"? I came home and tossed my Cabela
FF catalog in the trash. :\

nb

Well, it's obvious...the trout in question didn't even get the Cabela's
FF catalog to throw away...

What's so surprising? Trout have instincts, sometimes to their
downfall. If a nekkid supermodel with BIG ol' titties and a Brazilian
job walked up to you and said, "let's ****, you, me, right here, right
now!," and your wife, girlfriend, or your own personal two-bit hooker
said, "aw, sweetie, she's hotter than a two-dollar pistol, you go for
it!," would you worry about the way it's "supposed to happen?" And if
she said, "aw, you don't need to bag it, I'm clean and on the pill,"
what would you do...? Yep...get a shot and thank Jesus for Norlevo and
Rowe v. Wade...

HTH,
R

On Sat, 18 Oct 2008 02:05:02 GMT, notbob wrote:
I saw something today that left me dumbfounded.
[...]

Seems like the title shouldda been "Nobody Told Me" ;-)

Aside from the use of bubble floats with casting gear to enable the use of
flies, there's even a specific class of fly tied for the purpose of dragging
on the surface, called a "wake fly", most often touted for fishing for
steelhead...

/daytripper

On 2008-10-18, Ken Fortenberry wrote:

fish isn't really the point of fly fishing for a lot of
fly fishermen.

Well, I'm not going to give up in midstream, so to speak. I'm flyfishing
and I'll continue doing so. It was just an eye opener. Besides, I'll get a
new catalog next season.

nb

On 2008-10-18, wrote:

downfall. If a nekkid supermodel with BIG ol' titties and a Brazilian
job walked up to you and said, "let's ****, you, me, right here, right
now!,".......

I keep looking for her, but no luck.

nb

On 2008-10-18, daytripper wrote:

on the surface, called a "wake fly", most often touted for fishing for
steelhead...

I looked up dbl renegade and it was called an attractor fly. I'll hafta get
me one.

nb

On Sat, 18 Oct 2008 17:15:19 GMT, notbob wrote:

On 2008-10-18, daytripper wrote:

on the surface, called a "wake fly", most often touted for fishing for
steelhead...

I looked up dbl renegade and it was called an attractor fly. I'll hafta get
me one.

nb

Any dry fly will attract fish if it is swung across the current at the
end of a drift creating a wake. Harry Mason's Killer Caddis works
extremely well with this approach as does a Goddard Caddis or a
Stimulator. Brook trout, landlocked salmon, dolly varden, et al love
a dry fly swung across the current. While retrieving, dipping the fly
below the surface and letting it pop to the surface will also attract
hits.

Dave

On 2008-10-18, Dave LaCourse wrote:

Any dry fly will attract fish if it is swung across the current at the
end of a drift creating a wake. Harry Mason's Killer Caddis works
extremely well with this approach as does a Goddard Caddis or a
Stimulator. Brook trout, landlocked salmon, dolly varden, et al love
a dry fly swung across the current. While retrieving, dipping the fly
below the surface and letting it pop to the surface will also attract
hits.

Thanks for the info, Dave. I'll put those on my list.

I was out of the FF loop for most of this summer for various reasons, but am
back on the bank. No waders, yet, but can still reach a lot of aquastate.
Having spotty luck. Caught one, but flipped out of hand. One rose to fly,
but didn't hook. Maybe better luck today. My casting is getting better, no
wind knots yesterday.

I'm beginning to actually enjoy FF, though I still suck at it. My recent
acquisition of clip-on magnifiers has improved all aspects exponentially.


nb

On Oct 17, 8:24*pm, daytripper wrote:
On Sat, 18 Oct 2008 02:05:02 GMT, notbob wrote:
I saw something today that left me dumbfounded. *

[...]

Seems like the title shouldda been "Nobody Told Me" ;-)

Aside from the use of bubble floats with casting gear to enable the use of
flies, there's even a specific class of fly tied for the purpose of dragging
on the surface, called a "wake fly", most often touted for fishing for
steelhead...

/daytripper

Im assuming that most folks know to fish ovipositing caddis across the
current, waking, bouncing etc. Right? And even splashes for big
October caddis?

Dave