Egg patterns

From: Ken Fortenberry

A hopper is constructed of fur and feathers and is fished like
a fly. An egg pattern, no matter how constructed, is fished
exactly the same way you would fish an actual egg plucked straight
out of the jar.

Not that using an egg pattern is "cheating" (where
legal), it's perfectly acceptable for those who want to fish
that way, but it is more like bait fishing than fly fishing and
some fly fishermen, me included, eschew it.

Below the surface, trout feed on a number of creatures...the larval and pupal
forms of aquatic insects, aquatic worms, small fish, and fish eggs. Most of the
above, when properly fished, are fished in the same manner as bait. Here in MA,
in late April, I'll often be fishing a Hendrickson nymph, dead drift, bouncing
off the bottom in anticipation of the impending hatch. A couple of weeks later,
I'll be fishing sucker egg imitations in the same place, and in the same
manner. No difference, IMO.

If the distinction is the construction of the "fly", my midge larva imitations
would likely be considered less of a fly than my egg imitations.

It's strictly a personal choice, not "cheating" at all (where legal).

Agreed, but I don't know of any water in the Northeast where a Glo-Bug or
similar imitation would be illegal. The "glue gun" or bead type eggs might be
considered a lure, but not a fly, under some definitions.



George Adams

"All good fishermen stay young until they die, for fishing is the only dream of
youth that doth not grow stale with age."
---- J.W Muller

"Ken Fortenberry" wrote in message
...

snip

some fly fishermen, me included, eschew it.

It's strictly a personal choice,



Some fly fishers are so stuck up that to them, only a dry fly is considered
fly fishing.

It's strictly a personal choice.

But since it has been proven that fish dine mostly on subsurface food items,
he who only fishes dries, misses a lot of fish!!



------------------------------------------------
"If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure."
- Dan Quayle

Good question, and a debate that has raged for years here in NZ.

I'll put Ken's comments aside because he's got his elitist blinkers on
again.

The Glo-Bug is an attractor fly in many instances and a roe imitation in
others. In most instances it is used on fish running the rivers from the
lakes on their spawning migration in New Zealand, and for that matter, the
rest of the world. So mainly it is a roe imitation.

The principle I have often used is to go right to heart of what fly-fishing
is generally about for many. Fooling a feeding trout with a constructed
imitation of the current food source. To be considered a "fly" by most
flytiers this would require the use of tying thread, natural or synthetic
furs and yarns and or hackle if appropriate. In the case of "Glo-Bugs" in NZ
it obviously fits the category.

Now a trout sitting in a spring creek sipping down emerging mayflies is
fished to by the fly fisherman with an imitation of that as best can be
created by the fly tiers art. A trout waiting in a Tongariro pool is picking
up drifting eggs for a number of reasons, least of all food, but for the
moment is probably ingesting very little else. The "Glo-Bug" is an imitation
of that. The parallels are obvious, the differences somewhat lost on me.
Some may perceive differences, I personally don't see any. The angler is
simply imitating what the trout is feeding on at that moment.

However, that is my thoughts in defense of the fly. The technique of the
heavy Bomb fly, dropper and Glo-bug attached to a heavy leader and fished
with a budgie sized indicator is, at best a *******ization of fly-fishing. I
practice that technique myself at times on the winter fishery, but try to
stay well aware that what I am doing is not really fly-fishing even though
many on the big river would believe it is in light of having experienced
very little else in terms of real" flyfishing.

So to sum up my thoughts, I think the "Glo-Bug" is very definitely a fly,
but the techniques often associated with it are not always fly-fishing.

Clark Reid
www.dryflynz.com


"Buxc" wrote in message
...
Is an egg pattern cheating? (Glo-bugs as we call them in N.Z)

Good question, and a debate that has raged for years here in NZ.

I'll put Ken's comments aside because he's got his elitist blinkers on
again.

The Glo-Bug is an attractor fly in many instances and a roe imitation in
others. In most instances it is used on fish running the rivers from the
lakes on their spawning migration in New Zealand, and for that matter, the
rest of the world. So mainly it is a roe imitation.

The principle I have often used is to go right to heart of what fly-fishing
is generally about for many. Fooling a feeding trout with a constructed
imitation of the current food source. To be considered a "fly" by most
flytiers this would require the use of tying thread, natural or synthetic
furs and yarns and or hackle if appropriate. In the case of "Glo-Bugs" in NZ
it obviously fits the category.

Now a trout sitting in a spring creek sipping down emerging mayflies is
fished to by the fly fisherman with an imitation of that as best can be
created by the fly tiers art. A trout waiting in a Tongariro pool is picking
up drifting eggs for a number of reasons, least of all food, but for the
moment is probably ingesting very little else. The "Glo-Bug" is an imitation
of that. The parallels are obvious, the differences somewhat lost on me.
Some may perceive differences, I personally don't see any. The angler is
simply imitating what the trout is feeding on at that moment.

However, that is my thoughts in defense of the fly. The technique of the
heavy Bomb fly, dropper and Glo-bug attached to a heavy leader and fished
with a budgie sized indicator is, at best a *******ization of fly-fishing. I
practice that technique myself at times on the winter fishery, but try to
stay well aware that what I am doing is not really fly-fishing even though
many on the big river would believe it is in light of having experienced
very little else in terms of real" flyfishing.

So to sum up my thoughts, I think the "Glo-Bug" is very definitely a fly,
but the techniques often associated with it are not always fly-fishing.

Clark Reid
www.dryflynz.com


"Buxc" wrote in message
...
Is an egg pattern cheating? (Glo-bugs as we call them in N.Z)

Buxc wrote in news:kqrMc.4290$N77.270565
@news.xtra.co.nz:

Is an egg pattern cheating? (Glo-bugs as we call them in N.Z)


Some consider it cheating but I reckon thats tripe. Some that scowl at
an egg fly are quite happy to get into the runners with a Robin or wet
Red Tag (as you probably know both have eggy butts) and that's ok!? A
more pertinent question is whether or not spawning run fish should be
targetted (by any means) in the first place. The answer to that will
vary greatly with species and location.

I remember when I first blundered into this place being taken aback at
persons fishing for salmon and steelhead on their run. When else can you
fish for them? Go to sea and net the buggers? Should you be able to fish
for them? Of course. There are species that feed on the roe and flesh of
dying salmon, should the flesh fly and egg fly be banned in prospecting
for those species? Is that cheating? In those far flung lands of course
not. Actually you see a lot of smaller fish hanging about just down
stream of redds here. Could an argument could be made for allowing them
to be fished for? Of course. Can the mojority of anglers be trusted to do
the right thing? Of course. It is the few that are the problem, and it
has ever been thus.

Personally, I think here in ANZ in 99% of cases running fish should be
left alone as the fish are accessible to anglers during the season.
There are exceptions of course. But!! We hear about you lot fishing
Muppets(?) (egg fly bombs) and small unweighted nymphs in tandem on the
Tongariro. Some fish are taken on the muppets but most on the small
nymph. Is it ethical to attract running fish heading to a spawning ground
with something like an egg? The Tongariro run is analagous to the sea-
running species of the Northern Hem. Unless you are prepared to join a
picket-fence these fish are generally only accessible during the run.
Even then, there is an upstream limit (i.e. spawning water starts) on
the T. beyond which it is illegal to fish and the fish are 'protected'.

It's not the flys, its the nut behind the but.

Steve

Buxc wrote in news:kqrMc.4290$N77.270565
@news.xtra.co.nz:

Is an egg pattern cheating? (Glo-bugs as we call them in N.Z)


Some consider it cheating but I reckon thats tripe. Some that scowl at
an egg fly are quite happy to get into the runners with a Robin or wet
Red Tag (as you probably know both have eggy butts) and that's ok!? A
more pertinent question is whether or not spawning run fish should be
targetted (by any means) in the first place. The answer to that will
vary greatly with species and location.

I remember when I first blundered into this place being taken aback at
persons fishing for salmon and steelhead on their run. When else can you
fish for them? Go to sea and net the buggers? Should you be able to fish
for them? Of course. There are species that feed on the roe and flesh of
dying salmon, should the flesh fly and egg fly be banned in prospecting
for those species? Is that cheating? In those far flung lands of course
not. Actually you see a lot of smaller fish hanging about just down
stream of redds here. Could an argument could be made for allowing them
to be fished for? Of course. Can the mojority of anglers be trusted to do
the right thing? Of course. It is the few that are the problem, and it
has ever been thus.

Personally, I think here in ANZ in 99% of cases running fish should be
left alone as the fish are accessible to anglers during the season.
There are exceptions of course. But!! We hear about you lot fishing
Muppets(?) (egg fly bombs) and small unweighted nymphs in tandem on the
Tongariro. Some fish are taken on the muppets but most on the small
nymph. Is it ethical to attract running fish heading to a spawning ground
with something like an egg? The Tongariro run is analagous to the sea-
running species of the Northern Hem. Unless you are prepared to join a
picket-fence these fish are generally only accessible during the run.
Even then, there is an upstream limit (i.e. spawning water starts) on
the T. beyond which it is illegal to fish and the fish are 'protected'.

It's not the flys, its the nut behind the but.

Steve

George Adams wrote:
From: Ken Fortenberry
A hopper is constructed of fur and feathers and is fished like
a fly. An egg pattern, no matter how constructed, is fished
exactly the same way you would fish an actual egg plucked straight
out of the jar.
Not that using an egg pattern is "cheating" (where
legal), it's perfectly acceptable for those who want to fish
that way, but it is more like bait fishing than fly fishing and
some fly fishermen, me included, eschew it.

Below the surface, trout feed on a number of creatures...the larval and pupal
forms of aquatic insects, aquatic worms, small fish, and fish eggs. Most of the
above, when properly fished, are fished in the same manner as bait.

I will readily concede that most subsurface "fly fishing" is more
closely related to bait fishing than fly fishing. Among the naturals
you mention, bugs, worms, fish and eggs, the only one I'm willing to
acknowledge as fly fishing, for me personally, is fish, aka streamers.

Nymphing is the art of catching fish when you should be doing something
else, like drinking beer, making love to your SO, playing catch with
your dog or taking a nap until the dries start coming off.

YMMV, and I'd bet one of Wolfie's shiny new nickels that it does. ;-)

--
Ken Fortenberry

yes

yes

"Ken Fortenberry" wrote in message
news

I will readily concede that most subsurface "fly fishing" is more
closely related to bait fishing than fly fishing. Among the naturals
you mention, bugs, worms, fish and eggs, the only one I'm willing to
acknowledge as fly fishing, for me personally, is fish, aka streamers.

Nymphing is the art of catching fish when you should be doing something
else, like drinking beer, making love to your SO, playing catch with
your dog or taking a nap until the dries start coming off.

YMMV, and I'd bet one of Wolfie's shiny new nickels that it does. ;-)

--
Ken Fortenberry


Streamers?!?!?! BAIT ! ! ! ! !

Nothing like soaking a minnow under a float, eh?

Or how about a dry fly? BAIT ! ! ! !

Nothing like floating a cricket on top, eh?



------------------------------------------------
"If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure."
- Dan Quayle