I played hooky today

[tomfly]

I had a good day on the KLG today. I had a lot of action. The water was cold. I caught 2 small browns in the morning Nymphing. After lunch the river came alive. I did not think the gorge had that many fish in it.( Impressive) There were fish rising every were. I saw nothing coming off. I threw caddis I threw olives. I threw Adams. I threw emerges. They wanted nothing to do with any of them. It was two hours of frustration. The last thing I tried worked and worked well it did. I scaled my leader down to 8X and tied on a size 28 black midge. For the next hour I tied into 20 fish and landed zero. I have yet to land a fish on a size 28 either the tippet brakes or the hook straightens out. But already knew that when I tied the fly on. Not much lip with a tiny fly and a fragile tippet. It can be challenging. I also dropped my phone in the river astonishingly it still works. I had a chance to try out my new Patagonia wading shoes for the first time. I must say I am impressed. I may never use felt again. I almost fell twice when I first entered the stream. It was not due to slipping. It was because they stick so well to the rocks. I found out quick not to slide my foot over the rocks like I could with felt. I had to physically lift my foot up and not slid it so it would not catch the grove in the rocks. I haven’t been out since June it was nice to be on the water.

 

[Catskill Mountain Man]

:kewlpics:






:finger:

 

[golden beetle]

I had a good day on the KLG today. I had a lot of action. The water was cold. I caught 2 small browns in the morning Nymphing. After lunch the river came alive. I did not think the gorge had that many fish in it.( Impressive) There were fish rising every were. I saw nothing coming off. I threw caddis I threw olives. I threw Adams. I threw emerges. They wanted nothing to do with any of them. It was two hours of frustration. The last thing I tried worked and worked well it did. I scaled my leader down to 8X and tied on a size 28 black midge. For the next hour I tied into 20 fish and landed zero. I have yet to land a fish on a size 28 either the tippet brakes or the hook straightens out. But already knew that when I tied the fly on. Not much lip with a tiny fly and a fragile tippet. It can be challenging. I also dropped my phone in the river astonishingly it still works. I had a chance to try out my new Patagonia wading shoes for the first time. I must say I am impressed. I may never use felt again. I almost fell twice when I first entered the stream. It was not due to slipping. It was because they stick so well to the rocks. I found out quick not to slide my foot over the rocks like I could with felt. I had to physically lift my foot up and not slid it so it would not catch the grove in the rocks. I haven’t been out since June it was nice to be on the water.

This post is a great introduction to Tomfly, if you don't already know him.

Hooked 20 fish, landed none...

His idea of luck is that his phone still works after he dropped it in the river.

 

[lightenup]

I am too lazy to tye knots, and too lazy to fish a size 28........"sarcasm button":380:
Glad you had some "luck" , whatever the definition.....:thumb:

 

[tomfly]

I am too lazy to tye knots, and too lazy to fish a size 28........"sarcasm button":380:
Glad you had some "luck" , whatever the definition.....:thumb:

Use a a surgeons knot. it is easy to tie and strong

 

[Rusty Spinner]

6X on a wide gapped size 22 midge would have had you landing all those fish.

I don't own a single spool of 7X, let alone 8X. But then again, I don't fish size 28 flies. You can jam 6X through the eye of a slightly larger hook and the fish won't penalize you for that decision. Leave the spider webs (8X) at home next time :crap:

But you figured out the hatch and that's the biggest battle. We really don't have much coming off for the rest of this year except midges until LBS and the odd BWOs much later in winter.

 

[Oliver10]

I use 7x when I am fishing for wild trout in very clear water. I have had no problems yet, but the fish I am catching top out at 10 inches. Where do you get you wide gapped hooks?

6X on a wide gapped size 22 midge would have had you landing all those fish.

I don't own a single spool of 7X, let alone 8X. But then again, I don't fish size 28 flies. You can jam 6X through the eye of a slightly larger hook and the fish won't penalize you for that decision. Leave the spider webs (8X) at home next time :crap:

But you figured out the hatch and that's the biggest battle. We really don't have much coming off for the rest of this year except midges until LBS and the odd BWOs much later in winter.

 

[Rusty Spinner]

I use 7x when I am fishing for wild trout in very clear water. I have had no problems yet, but the fish I am catching top out at 10 inches. Where do you get you wide gapped hooks?

I tie a lot of tiny patterns on hooks like Diaichi 1130 in sizes 22 and 24. I don't have very dainty fingers, so tying on such small sizes as regular 28 or down to 32 is out of the question. The trout never seem to mind a midge as large as I tie on those style hooks. I know most anglers are comfortable using 7X, and I have definitely used it in the past with success. But I found no difference for me in hook up rates between 7X and 6X, but 6X gave me much better hook up to landing ratios so I tossed my 7X. I never owned 8X. That's the stuff they make you think you need on rivers in CT like the Farmington or Housy when you stop in the Orvis Cowboy types of fly shops...

 

[tomfly]

6X on a wide gapped size 22 midge would have had you landing all those fish.

I don't own a single spool of 7X, let alone 8X. But then again, I don't fish size 28 flies. You can jam 6X through the eye of a slightly larger hook and the fish won't penalize you for that decision. Leave the spider webs (8X) at home next time :crap:

But you figured out the hatch and that's the biggest battle. We really don't have much coming off for the rest of this year except midges until LBS and the odd BWOs much later in winter.

They did not want anything bigger then a 28. I tried 22s 26s with no takes after I exhausted the half a dozen 28s I had. The water was gin clear and low, I do believe tippet size did matter. When it is tough like it was yesterday, I get more enjoyment out of figuring out what is going on and putting the pieces of the puzzle together. When I put the fly on I knew it would be a futile endeavor, and I little chance of actually landing a fish. That was not the goal I had. For me Landing the fish is the destination, For I get more enjoyment out of the journey.

 

[JeffK]

I'm with Rusty here. I don't go below 6x these days, and only have a spool of 7x of uncertain parentage I found while fishing. I generally don't go below 22, but have recently got some 24 hooks for very tough conditions. One can tie a smaller, sparser fly than normal to help hookup with a size 22 hook.

BTW, I stopped at the Pequest a couple of weeks ago and to my regret left my vest, with the tippet spools, at home. All I had was the spool of 7x so I went fishing. Took me longer to land fish than I should have and a left a couple of flies in fish. I normally fish 5X at the Pequest since there are larger fish. One trick the Truckee fishermen taught me to use 5x with midges is to tie the fly on with a loop knot which allows it move more freely. One last comment, the late George Harvey who invented modern trico fishing recommended using 5x with tricos as more sporting. Had to be spot on with presentation with the heavier tippet and could get larger fish in with less stress to the fish. I doubt anyone knew more about fishing tiny tricos and midges than George Harvey.

 

[Johnny Utah]

Sounds like you had a ball when you unlocked the hatch Tom. That really is a great feeling. And after a 3 month hiatus, im sure it made it even better.
The hooks Rusty suggested along with a couple other Daiichis have a wide eye. The gap is a tad wider but the eye is what really comes in handy. The r-50 from mustad boasts a wider gap then most, a big change from the old mustad models.
I tie and fish a lot small flies and never do i go below 7x. But 7x i will only ever use if I know the trout arent large! I go through 6x like toilet paper. I prefer the rapala knot or the uni knot for loops.

 

[Oliver10]

Sounds like you had a ball when you unlocked the hatch Tom. That really is a great feeling. And after a 3 month hiatus, im sure it made it even better.
The hooks Rusty suggested along with a couple other Daiichis have a wide eye. The gap is a tad wider but the eye is what really comes in handy. The r-50 from mustad boasts a wider gap then most, a big change from the old mustad models.
I tie and fish a lot small flies and never do i go below 7x. But 7x i will only ever use if I know the trout arent large! I go through 6x like toilet paper. I prefer the rapala knot or the uni knot for loops.

like so? Seems difficult to tie.

 

[Johnny Utah]

Lol I've never seen an illustration of any knot that didnt make the not seem complicated. But like all knots, the more you tie the easier they are to tie. I think the uni knot illustrations are even more confusing lol

 

[Rusty Spinner]

View attachment 9872 like so? Seems difficult to tie.

I always called that the non-slip mono loop knot. It is almost the only knot I use on streamers in the salt and on streamers in the fresh water. Makes 'em swim real good!

 

[sunsignarcher]

Tom, when you tie a surgeons loop to a fly how do you size the loop to keep it small enough to stay open and allow the fly to swivel rather than collapse onto itself which larger loops do?

I use surgeons loops for almost everything. After I form the loop and pass the fly through 2x I stick a small tube into the loop and close the knot around it. While pulling the tag and main line together I can then draw the fly right up against the tube, hold the fly, slip the tube out and pull the tag and main together cinching the knot and leaving me w/a tiny 1/8 dia loop in front of my fly. Works great for forming an appropriate sized loop on smaller flies.

 

[tomfly]

Tom, when you tie a surgeons loop to a fly how do you size the loop to keep it small enough to stay open and allow the fly to swivel rather than collapse onto itself which larger loops do?

I use surgeons loops for almost everything. After I form the loop and pass the fly through 2x I stick a small tube into the loop and close the knot around it. While pulling the tag and main line together I can then draw the fly right up against the tube, hold the fly, slip the tube out and pull the tag and main together cinching the knot and leaving me w/a tiny 1/8 dia loop in front of my fly. Works great for forming an appropriate sized loop on smaller flies.

You miss understood I use a Surgeons knot for the tippet. I do not like to use not tools to tie knots it its too cumbersome besides I have enough stuff in my vest already.

 

[lightenup]

I always called that the non-slip mono loop knot. It is almost the only knot I use on streamers in the salt and on streamers in the fresh water. Makes 'em swim real good!

That's an improved clinch knot with a loop before it......kind of..