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Improvements

Trout Guy

Trout Guy

Brookie's or Bust!
With springtime closing in on us in a few weeks, I've begun to start tying flies and jerking off to fly fishing videos almost every evening in anticipation.

This year, I plan on improving a few techniques and stratigies to help crush some feesh.

My streamer fishing is sub-par and is my primary goal to accomplish proper techniques and presentations. After getting a few 2/0 sized streamers lodged in my flesh, I could really use some help in this department.. Lol

Secondly, I would like to figure out how to troll for trout with a fly. Mostly to fish the St.Regis canoe area while camping there this summer. I had luck trolling and catching some real nice smallmouth last year and would like to hit some trout next time.

But most importantly, I am seeking to improve my time on the water by actually making more time to fish. Practice makes perfect, but being able to practice is key.

So what are your goals for improvement during the 2015 fly fishing season??
 
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On the days I can't get to trout water or don't have the time I'm gonna jump in the local fishless stink hole River and work on casting.
 
I'm trying to step up my fly tying game this year. Its not something I enjoy but i think having unique patterns and a well stocked box of flies can be the difference between an ok day and a great day when the fishing is tough/fish are selective on the surface. There are times when its not all about presentation and u know the problem is you don't have the right shit in your box.Bought a lot of materials at the fly fishing show so that has made tying a little more enjoyable.

Fishing wise- I am going to commit to night fishing again this year. I used to do it a lot when I was younger but I've gotten a bit lazy past few years. I used to skitter large bomber style dries on the surface and took some nice fish, but nothing huge. This year I am going to get into the night time streamer thing and try to land a serious brute.
 
After giving up on them for 35 years I am going to try winged wet flies again. I have had great success with soft hackle wets and prior to that I rarely caught a trout on the winged wet. I am tying a few recommended patterns and will have to force myself to use them instead of trying them only after everything else in my boxes have failed. The last couple of years I have put streamers back into play and have had reasonable success. However my fly boxes will still be dominated by nymphs, dries, and soft hackle wets.
 
Working on an unsinkable (or less sinkable than what I have) spinner pattern so that I have one less factor to be concerned with when I'm casting in the dark.
 
Trout Nazi said:
Working on an unsinkable (or less sinkable than what I have) spinner pattern so that I have one less factor to be concerned with when I'm casting in the dark.
Click to expand...

I hear you on that. There are different spinners for different jobs. Sometimes u need the hackle wing realistic patterns when they are being super tough and then you pray they get dumb and take your polly wing high floater when the light fades. Last year the nights were cold for much of the season and spinner falls were hit and miss- but on the nights they did fall I had trouble getting the fish to eat the thicker poly wing /higher floating spinners. What I started doing was fishing a Big light cahil and a realistic sparser spinner 12-14'' behind it but at night it can be a pain in the ass to float two flies drag free when u can't see your drift well.
 
flyI4 said:
I hear you on that. There are different spinners for different jobs. Sometimes u need the hackle wing realistic patterns when they are being super tough and then you pray they get dumb and take your polly wing high floater when the light fades. Last year the nights were cold for much of the season and spinner falls were hit and miss- but on the nights they did fall I had trouble getting the fish to eat the thicker poly wing /higher floating spinners. What I started doing was fishing a Big light cahil and a realistic sparser spinner 12-14'' behind it but at night it can be a pain in the ass to float two flies drag free when u can't see your drift well.
Click to expand...


All my spinners eventually start sinking, especially the poly and hackle ones. I agree last year was a little weird in that the spinners weren't as consistent as usual. However my experience was when they were on them, I was able to go up a size or 2 when the light was fading and still get them. A couple times I was even able to use a stupid-big parachute. When its full dark though, I can't tell if my spinner is floating or not, I'm just listening for the sound and lifting. I'd like to have a spinner on that I know is still floating.
 
I've been playing around with the Ronnie Kitterage of tying materials, foam. Reactions vary depending on where you fall on the purist spectrum. Foam and shorter hooks with big gaps to decrease metal content and weight. Now I'm searching of a good wing material that doesn't absorb too much water, floats well, and doesnt spin like a helicopter trashing your tippet.
 
Trout Nazi said:
I've been playing around with the Ronnie Kitterage of tying materials, foam. Reactions vary depending on where you fall on the purist spectrum. Foam and shorter hooks with big gaps to decrease metal content and weight. Now I'm searching of a good wing material that doesn't absorb too much water, floats well, and doesnt spin like a helicopter trashing your tippet.
Click to expand...

TN- Would snowshoe rabbit work any better for the wing?
 
FIN-ITE 34 said:
TN- Would snowshoe rabbit work any better for the wing?
Click to expand...

Snowshoe works well on smaller spinners, but with larger ones it gets waterlogged like poly. Poly you can pre-treat with floatant and keep reapplying as you fish, but it does eventually get saturated. Some poly is also better than others. My default spinners right now are either biot or dub bodied with poly or hackle wings. Wondering if there is any synthetic material out there fine enough to be a wing, but with awesome floatation? Pair it up with an extended foam body (which is very easy to make btw).
 
My biggest goal is to spend more time on the water. I've arranged to work four 10-hour days at work which will give me an extra day of fishing every week between memorial day and labor day. If all goes according to plan, my tipi will LEGALLY sit about 200 yards from the Neversink in the center of the fucking gorge..the lack of electricity should force me to tie a shit ton of flies, as well as keep a detailed log of my season...two other goals i have...
 
Sun - Tues, jus show up -- but you have to hike in...

Once the landowners know/trust me a little more, it might be cool for me to let someone crash there when I'm not around -- we'll see...
 
moosekid said:
My biggest goal is to spend more time on the water. I've arranged to work four 10-hour days at work which will give me an extra day of fishing every week between memorial day and labor day. If all goes according to plan, my tipi will LEGALLY sit about 200 yards from the Neversink in the center of the fucking gorge..the lack of electricity should force me to tie a shit ton of flies, as well as keep a detailed log of my season...two other goals i have...
Click to expand...

Damn.. I think I'm a little jealous. They sure do make hipsters different out in MN:)
 
I plan on fishing soft-hackles much more this season. I've used them successfully in the past, but usually as the 5th or 6th choice when other flies weren't working. I want to have them on my tippet more often as a 1st choice after seeing an excellent presentation from John Shaner at the Somerset show. Picked up a lot of hen hackle from Charlie Collins, and I've been tying a bunch.
 
Barleywine said:
I plan on fishing soft-hackles much more this season. I've used them successfully in the past, but usually as the 5th or 6th choice when other flies weren't working. I want to have them on my tippet more often as a 1st choice after seeing an excellent presentation from John Shaner at the Somerset show. Picked up a lot of hen hackle from Charlie Collins, and I've been tying a bunch.
Click to expand...


Soft hackles are a very deadly and under used fly. I think it is the fact that most anglers don't fish them often enough to gain confidence in the flies.
Here are a few real simple and effective soft hackles.










Brk Trt
 
Soft-hackles have been a great fly for me for almost 40 years. In fact I had given up tying any winged wet flies but I am tying a few patterns and plan to try them again this year.
 
A pheasant tail soft hackle in the film will imitate pretty much any mayfly emergence in this area well...my go to when may flies are about.....start swinging it, then after the emergence is in full swing, dry it off and put it in the film......
 
LU- where is that photo taken of in your avatar? Slough creek? Looks nice.
 
flyI4 said:
LU- where is that photo taken of in your avatar? Slough creek? Looks nice.
Click to expand...

That is the Madison a little downstream from where the firehole meets it.......

it was a windy day with very small baetis hatching....tough fishing to say the least, but the scenery made up for the frustration in a big way!!!!!
 
flyI4 said:
I'm trying to step up my fly tying game this year. Its not something I enjoy but i think having unique patterns and a well stocked box of flies can be the difference between an ok day and a great day when the fishing is tough/fish are selective on the surface. There are times when its not all about presentation and u know the problem is you don't have the right shit in your box.Bought a lot of materials at the fly fishing show so that has made tying a little more enjoyable.

Fishing wise- I am going to commit to night fishing again this year. I used to do it a lot when I was younger but I've gotten a bit lazy past few years. I used to skitter large bomber style dries on the surface and took some nice fish, but nothing huge. This year I am going to get into the night time streamer thing and try to land a serious brute.
Click to expand...

I agree, night fishing can be insane, it's cool how you have to use your other senses to detect a rise/take. There's a spot I go to on the Neversink that I fish at night all the time in the spring and I always get a ton of fish.

Man, I tell you what, I can't wait to be on a river at 9:00pm and the last few seconds of daylight are still dwindling while casting to rising fish... Nothing beats that.

moosekid said:
My biggest goal is to spend more time on the water. I've arranged to work four 10-hour days at work which will give me an extra day of fishing every week between memorial day and labor day. If all goes according to plan, my tipi will LEGALLY sit about 200 yards from the Neversink in the center of the fucking gorge..the lack of electricity should force me to tie a shit ton of flies, as well as keep a detailed log of my season...two other goals i have...
Click to expand...

That's pretty sick, especially the tipi part, I've always thought about camping in the gorge but never commited to it. By the way, where does one purchase a tipi these days? Seems like a very niche market.



Barleywine said:
I plan on fishing soft-hackles much more this season. I've used them successfully in the past, but usually as the 5th or 6th choice when other flies weren't working. I want to have them on my tippet more often as a 1st choice after seeing an excellent presentation from John Shaner at the Somerset show. Picked up a lot of hen hackle from Charlie Collins, and I've been tying a bunch.
Click to expand...

Soft hackles are always a staple in my fly box. I feel that having atleast one soft hackle on a nymphing dropper setup is critical. I always swing at the end off drift when nymphing and will usually pickup a fish or two on the swing at the end of the drift.

This past year I spent some very enjoyable time fishing the upper Boquet for Brookies and swung soft hackles all day. Basiclaly hooked up in every text book lie. Boy I cany waiy to get back out!
 
Trout Guy said:
By the way, where does one purchase a tipi these days? Seems like a very niche market.
Click to expand...

There are websites that sell them at varying levels of quality. Mine is made from 15 Oz flame retardant duck canvas (pretty much the highest grade on the market). Instead of paying 800$ for the canvas I just typed "tipi" into craigslist once a week for about 5 months until I finally saw one for sale. It was worth it, though -- because I got it for the LOW.

Either this weekend or next weekend I'll be chopping down cedar poles and stripping the bark off 'em, and then I'll be in business.

I got the green light from the landowners today. I've met some really nice folks through that tax map tip and I have CTobias to thank for that.
 
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