Whoa, you just blew right past 4.5x!?
I didn't specify the increments.
Whoa, you just blew right past 4.5x!?
6x? I just threw up in my mouth a little bit....
In all seriousness, that's actually a great approach. Just not one that I personally would start with. It really depends if one is trying to catch almost every fish in the pool (minus the largest) or get the largest one and call it good. I love reading about all sorts of solutions to a "problem" here. There's almost no wrong answer...but to your point, suspension nymphing in that type of water is a fools errand.
I have to ask a few question to you. Is this some of the water I sent you to or not. Plus are you on the wet side or the dry side. I kind of helped him with his learning curve on where to fish. I also think that water is a little high. There is still snow melt in the water. You need to give it about a week more.
Aleforme,
What a nice question, and lots of answers. After reading all the responses, I think you may just want to be prepared with a couple options when fishing it. There looks like some nice rock that fish could be hiding behind, but, I kind of think most of the big fish will be down deep.
Also a lot will depend on the if there is a good food source. You might want to start turning over rock above those pools and see what kind of insect nymphs there are in that river. If you have a hard time finding any, we'll, that might tell you how big the fish will get or not, and if there is much fish around.
Either way, those look like some nice pools to enjoy being by for a couple hours.
Sam
Thank you. It will definitely be a learning curve for sure. Luckily I'm going in armed with some great advise from everyone here. It's greatly appreciated.You probably noticed each responder provided advice from the comfort of their fishing style, including myself.
Fish what you are comfortable with. Since you are new to fly fishing probably easier said than done.
Approach the area and just watch for awhile. Hatches, flashes of fish eating, where you see fish should help with the technique to be used. You will learn along the way. Something we all do for sure.
90% of what fish eat is below the surface. But the exhilarating bite is on the surface. Detecting a bite below surface takes time and lots of experience.
Also recognize that the big fish, kings of the fishing zone, are at the prime zone for food. Catching smaller fish will indicate there are other zones for bigger fish. Maybe deeper or further upstream or ? - areas to work and figure ir out.
There are no perfect answers. Adjusting to what works is the answer. Enjoy your life long learning experience. Well worth it IMHO.
I have a "quick" question on Nymph set ups. I've got a decent handle on the various ways to fish them (single, doube, dry dropper, indicator, etc) but what is a good tippet size to use?
Right now I'm trying to keep it simple and have mainly been using Rio Power Flex Trout tapered 3x or 5x leaders. Would those work? Should I go longer or shorter?
I know you can have multiple leader set up for every style of fishing but just trying to keep it simple for now when possible.
What little I know about little blue lines is there are larger trout, but the smaller ones are more aggressive, esp. on a dry fly or spinner.Thanks. I don't think the water holds anything but some smaller trout but I've never really been able to land them set so there could be some larger ones holding there. Just used small spinners in the past. We shall see. While the water is very clear in some areas, some of the seams and other moving areas are hard to see into so who knows what might be holding down there?
I've always fished with a net and rarely if ever handle the fish with my hands.
OK, thank you. I've got some 5x tapered leaders and will give those a try.If I were to nymph conventionally, I would stick with a 9ft 5x leader. On water like this, you can get close to the fish (and usually have to). A 3x leader will not sink fast, it will be too stiff for most nymphs and it will be more impacted by the difference in speed, throughout the water column.
As @clarkman said, though, most conventional (suspension) techniques will be a fools errand on this water. Even with perfect tuck casts and mending, most of the variables are outside your control.
I like simple! It does seem like you can get a little carried away with tippets, flies, leaders, etc. KISS when possible n my opinion.If you go to You Tube and look up set up for fly fishing two flies. After you see what is used and how, you can deviate from that and use what works for you. My set up is not the correct way but it works for me. I have to use simple things because of my shakes. Even tying this up takes me a while. But I stick with it.
What little I know about little blue lines is there are larger trout, but the smaller ones are more aggressive, esp. on a dry fly or spinner.
I have fished a pocket or pool and caught four or five smaller trout and returned to the same pocket or pool and hr. or two later and caught a larger trout.
I have been fishing a small blue line not far from my home and had until this season only caught trout up to 12" of the coastal cutt kind.
This season I have caught two over 12". One 13"plus and one 14" plus, both beautiful fat coastal cutts.
Ya just have to keep after it and good things will come
Flourocarbon tippet sinks faster than mono. Are you tying tippet to the end of your tapered leader, or just "using up" leaders and replacing them after you have clipped them off several times?I like simple! It does seem like you can get a little carried away with tippets, flies, leaders, etc. KISS when possible n my opinion.
Typically and in my limited fly fishing so far, I've just tied on as the leader gets clipped off and down a bit.Flourocarbon tippet sinks faster than mono. Are you tying tippet to the end of your tapered leader, or just "using up" leaders and replacing them after you have clipped them off several times?
Tapered leaders are expensive. I use them until I have clipped enough off the end that they are noticably thicker at the tip then when they were new. Then I tie on 24" or so of tippet (mono or fluoro), using a triple surgeon's knot. You can totaly tie on fluoro tippet to a mono leader, just make sure the tippet is equal to or smaller diameter than the leader you are trying it to. Then you are just clipping off and replacing cheap tippet. I can make a tapered leader last months this way. Another option is to tie a "tippet ring" (very small metal ring) to the end of the tapered leader, then tie tippet to that.Typically and in my limited fly fishing so far, I've just tied on as the leader gets clipped off and down a bit.
The tapered leaders I am using right now (Rio) are nylon. Any reason I can't just tie on some 4lb or 6 lb Flouro Line to the end? I've got Flouro for miles! Would that be effective?
Or hell, just use a 9ft or so of Flouro instead of a tapered leader?
Typically and in my limited fly fishing so far, I've just tied on as the leader gets clipped off and down a bit.
The tapered leaders I am using right now (Rio) are nylon. Any reason I can't just tie on some 4lb or 6 lb Flouro Line to the end? I've got Flouro for miles! Would that be effective?
Or hell, just use a 9ft or so of Flouro instead of a tapered leader?