Brian in OR.
Life of the Party
Maybe tie a bare hook on the swivel, that would be interesting... the swivel chironomid fly
Stillwater indicator watchers: What's your approach?
- Thread starter Matt B
- Start date
What books? I’ve read them, just about every one. Swivels are eaten, I know it everyone else knows it, why the drama? People still debate the right of women to vote as well.
Last edited:
He says that the indicator does what it is intended to do, it indicates when something changes the position of the fly. This video has nothing to do with the swivel issue. Have you used a swivel? I have and It has 100% been eaten.Yes and at the 48 second mark what does he say....
I had to prove it to myself. As kids, we would watch the trout take split shot in the creek, the solution became to crimp a split shot to a hook. We called it a rolly polly fly. Last spring I felt I was just missing too many, and had a feeling. Clipped off the fly, threw it out there, and the action started. Done it several different times, just to check. For me, I prefer not to fish a swivel. With about 1 in 15-20 fish being big, I just prefer not to miss the 1, 2 or 3 chances I may get an outing.
Brian in OR.
Life of the Party
I dont disagree that a fish will take a swivel. But i also believe that as the video shows, a trout can take the fly and split it out so fast that by the time you set the hook and miss the set, you think damn, he took the swivel....
“in your book,” “in my book,” his book her book, fuzzy fur book. Lotsa books, lotsa opinions.
^^Here’s another passive aggressive swivel comment.
Hahaha
Why is this such a thing? So weird to me. It’s funny because it turns out you can catch those same fish using step three, with no swivel!
This thread was originally mostly about, how do make sure your flies are at depth? Top answer: tungsten beads.
I agree this can happen, but if the flies have hooks, and in the video they don’t, I don’t think they would be able to eat and spit so much. Some of those would stick, if not most of them.
One of the best chironomid anglers I have ever seen (and fished with), a Merritt resident, uses swivels. He turned three of us onto them. I don’t use them anymore- my preference.
I don’t get my boxers in a bunch one way or the other.
Heiwa
Can’t wait for our May trip to Mile High
I understand the humorous intent; that’s why I laughed! And—That’s almost the thread subject title—very close! If you read beyond the title, and read my first post of the thread, you’ll read that I was inquiring about approaches to, and confidence in sinking flies to depth without a swivel, but it has sort of turned into a “swivel debate.” So it goes. I agree that this isn’t a right or wrong issue, but if the question is about stillwater indi fishing without a swivel, it is off topic to answer about how one uses a swivel to good effect, and even more so to go on, as some ITT have, and insist that swivels don’t negatively affect their fishing. Those answers are not answering the question that I asked, but that’s fine, too, I suppose—they cost me the same as the on-topic answers!
I was wondering just how to tell when the swivel is being taken? Oh the teeth marks on it.
Matt, I actually had experience with this yesterday. I don't have confidence a fly without being weighted somehow, or having a swivel for weight, is working at depth the way I want. The fish were not really hitting on the fall, so leeches with beads got more love as they got down quicker. Since I can't always fish downwind, as I'm on shore, I think the wind drifting indicator brought an un-weighted leech up out of the zone. I also tested with a chiro with bead, and without, with the same result (but not as good as the leeches in general). In calm periods I would retrieve more, and I think a steady or faster retrieve would bring the unweighted fly up. Sorry if I got off track.
Last edited:
Concerning tactics. I don't have a depth/fish finder so I just randomly pick a spot, but here's an observation from the last couple outings. On once arriving to a spot, if I was to get some action it would be on the first few casts. After that it would be a long fruitless slog. So I'd pull anchor and go maybe 100ft. and again initial action then none. I fish right near the bottom.
Is it worth it to stay in one spot and try adjusting the bobber elevation? Or changing flies? I'm really not sure what tactic to employ first when things slow down. What do you all do?
Is it worth it to stay in one spot and try adjusting the bobber elevation? Or changing flies? I'm really not sure what tactic to employ first when things slow down. What do you all do?
Sometimes it’s like that all day. Unless there’s a hatch or structure to keep ‘em in the neighborhood…. 10 minutes without signs of life and it’s time to move is my general rule.
If there are active fish within casting range but they aren’t eating what you’re offering, it’s worth sticking around to troubleshoot your presentation.
Sounds a bit familiar, and since I'm not that experienced I'll be curiously following. The way it usually works for me is the first couple spots I'll try different flies, and different depths. Sometimes holdovers are deep, 20', and planters shallower at 5'. Once I'm confident that any fish wanting to eat has seen what I got, I move. Once I get some feedback from the fish a pattern usually develops. Then I just move when the action stops, and keep using what works at the next spot. I figure any fish that would eat what I got has seem it and move on instead of repeatedly presenting the same stuff to the same fish.
One exception would be earlier in the year when the schools of plants are moving a lot, circling the lake, or part of it. I might stay in an area I know they tend to pass. Fish cruise looking for food and they may have swam away for a bit. I may move to a place they just left, and I'll come up empty. Sometimes it's a matter of waiting until you find each other.
Last edited:
I hate fishing barren water. I know it's barren because my Stryker 4 depth sounder tells me so.
It is a tool that has helped me be much more successful in stillwater.
I move around until I spot fish on my sounder. I then know the depth to fish and that I'm showing my gear to the fish.
It's easier to know if my fly is the right one if I know I'm putting it in front of fish.
Without the depthfinder I don't know if there are no fish where I'm fishing or fish are present and rejecting my offerings.
I fish with more confidence using a depthsounder.
This image shows a good sized trout at 12 or 13 feet and another at 22 feet that are under my pontoon boat with others within the cone of my transducer.
This one has glare on the screen but shows 3 decent trout that I just paddled over the the top of and others in the periphery of my cone angle.
For me I can't imagine fishing without it.
I can stumble into a few once in a while without one but am much more consistent with one and waste less time hoping to get lucky.
Bambooflyguy
Legend
Here’s what my bobber watching produced today....
