dog days of summer fast approaching

[corlay]

Hello All!

Great forum.
Just a newbie here, making his first post.

I'm an intermediate, old-skool trained fly fisherman;
mentored by my father - an (almost) exclusive wet-fly fisherman.

I have excellent sucess early in the season (April 01-June 01) "swinging wets"; but as warmer, and lower (and slower) water conditions start to prevail; I often get "skunked" and start to loose loose interest. Also, I typically can only fish in the mid-afternoons, admittedly not the ideal time to encounter feeding trout. But like I said, the formula works well for me, at least early in the season...

Anyway, my (2) questions:

1. Was wondering if trying to fish drys might improve my chances in the warmer conditions of mid-summer? I have concerns about fishing drys being more "finicky"; with trying to match hatch species/size/etc. And also being an intermediate caster, I have (mild) concerns that presentation becomes more important with drys, no?

2. also, as the temp creeps up, I always find myself researching chest-packs as an alternative to a vest. I kindof like the William Joseph "Mini Pack II" or "Access". They seem like they'd be *much* cooler. Anyone have one, or similar? Like them for NYS stream fishing? To keep cool, especially when the water is down, I'll forgo my chest waders; and just wear my felt-bottomed boots with a cordorura pant. A chest-pack seems like the next logical "lightening of the load".

Any advice would be appreciated...

[The_Sib]

Matching the hatch is a good rule of thumb....
Summertime, if no hatch is in progress, try ants/beetles/crickets/hoppers.
Low & clear water conditions tend to foster skittishness in the fish.

Wm Joseph Mini-II
Great for hot weather, holds enough stuff, light weight.
( and we probably all bring too much stuff along anyway )
The built-in tippet dispenser is top-notch.
I'd buy it again.

[JeffK]

I wouldn't worry about being too crazy about matching the hatch at first - start with a few hatches and techniques and add more over time. You don't need to know all the hatches to get started and many guys get overwhelmed at first. The fish at the East and West Branch tailwaters are tough, and the limestoner fish get real wary after the first week the tricos fall, but a few techniques can get you going. Also, most Northeastern streams aren't that big, so you can focus on accuracy and can ease off on distance. Once again, the big Delaware tailwaters are going to require much better casting skills than most places for distance, accuracy, and presentation.

In the afternoon in the summer terrestrials and some small tan caddis can get you started. For summer mornings tricos can be the ticket. Midges seem to hatch all the time too. For the tailwaters in the summer a few small sulphurs are required in the afternoon, but in almost everywhere else they are active in the evening or at night this time of year. As an oversimplified view, aquatic bugs in the summer are mostly light colored. Finally, a rusty spinner and one or two generic flies like a Usual or an Adams never hurt.

Wets will do fine in the summer too. Two wets I love in the summer are a 12 black thread ant (look at all the carpenter ants on trees in the summer) and an 18 - 20 William's Favorite. Partridge and orange and other small, tan caddis patterns have their day too.

Finally, you need plenty of flies over the year, but not necessarily for one fishing trip. In the summer I wet wade and pop one small fly box in my shirt pocket with nippers, floatant, and a spool of 6X tippet. I like the SA ones that are waterproof since it is easy to dip the box in the water, but usually use a small tin to keep it small and simple.

Keep it simple at first and then build skills. You don't have to do it all at once.

[Fly Ty R]

Use beetle and grasshopper patterns, especially if the stream has any tall grass immediately upstream. You won't be disappointed...

[Andy B]

Wet fly's work all year round. For the summer time you should be thinking of the following wet fly patterns:

1) Hare Ear
2) Dark Hendrickson
3) Katydid
4) Scarlet Ibis
5) McGinty
6) The Captain
7) Fontinalis Fin
8) Blue Bottle
9) Blue Blow
10) Very old Catskill pattern the Black Turkey
11) Very old Catskill pattern the Green Wisp.
12) Black Gnat
13) Grizzly King
14) Yellow and Blue Professor

I think I provided you more than enough patterns that works for me for this time of year until fall.

Andy B
A Genuine Wet Fly Tyer

[corlay]

and many guys get overwhelmed at first.

yeah, that's what I'm afraid of.
My (casual) observations of dry fly fishing is that it is quite finicky. Changing flies, tippet, etc. often. Not many 2nd chances... etc.

Also, most Northeastern streams aren't that big, so you can focus on accuracy and can ease off on distance.

yes. true that. Although I live reasonably closeby, I never get down to the Big Water of the Delaware very often. I mostly roam the smaller streams between Binghamton & Syracuse. I learned to cast across my body and/or roll cast quite early on, or risk losing my cache of flies...

In the afternoon in the summer terrestrials and some small tan caddis can get you started. For summer mornings tricos can be the ticket. Midges seem to hatch all the time too. For the tailwaters in the summer a few small sulphurs are required in the afternoon, but in almost everywhere else they are active in the evening or at night this time of year. As an oversimplified view, aquatic bugs in the summer are mostly light colored. Finally, a rusty spinner and one or two generic flies like a Usual or an Adams never hurt.

Thanks. (Saving this info for later...)

Keep it simple at first and then build skills. You don't have to do it all at once.

thanks for the advice!

[corlay]

Wet fly's work all year round. For the summer time you should be thinking of the following wet fly patterns:

hey, thanks...

Some (most, actually...) of what you've listed, I am not familiar with, so I looked up some pictorial examples on the 'net. Others, I am familiar with, but don't fish them (like the Grizzly, Montreal, etc.)

What stuck me about your list, was how *flashy* these flies are. Most of my box is of the (customized variants of...) Picket Pin, Hare's Ear, Quill Gordon, March Brown, Cahill(s), Hendrickson(s), etc. variety. Very drab in comparison.

I *think* that i've heard/read that Rainbows prefer these flashier patterns? Is that true? The waters I frequent don't hold Rainbows, unfortunately.

[Andy B]

The wet flies I presented to you just don't catch Bows. I have caught numerous Browns and Brooks on these patterns in the Catskills and New Jersey waters. Do a little more reading on these flies. You can find them in Ray Bergmans Book Trout. Wet flies in size 6 and 8 are all I tye and fish with. When I want a change of pace then it's classic streamers. These flashier flies had their hay days a long time ago. These patterns still catch fish and are simply classics that I love so. If your up in Roscoe Saturday June 8 2007, look me up. I will be tying in the clear water Junction fly tying event at the Rockland House from 09:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Other wise drop me a line and I would be more than happy to talk to you about wet flies far as tying and fishing them. Alway's glad to hear from fellow wet fly fishermen.

Andy B

[rckrego]

I've been fishign underweighted nymphs a lot, and having some success, but mostly up strea or up and across. Any pointers on wet fly technique this time of year? Do foam ants work as wets? I always thought the McGinty was a panfish fly, should I use that more? Anybody fish the Ken Lockwood Gorge with wets with any regularity?