Who fishes Scuds?
- Thread starter rudyc
- Start date
@rudyc .
Morning. I used to fish scuds all the time ( 30 plus yearas ago ), on a local tailwater, the " Not Straight" River. It used to be full of scuds, which led to nice fish sizes, for such a smaller stream Our favorite pattern was called the " Not Straight River Candybar" , in Orange. Unfortuantely, hard times have fallen upon this little Central Oregon Desert Fishery. Last Winter, there was almost zero flow due to drought and water demands. Almost all the weedbeds are gone, which is where the scuds loved to live. Maybe someday itll come back.
Also used to use them in some Yellowstone Area Lakes. Haven't done that in about 40 years.
Thanks for the memories.
Bob
Morning. I used to fish scuds all the time ( 30 plus yearas ago ), on a local tailwater, the " Not Straight" River. It used to be full of scuds, which led to nice fish sizes, for such a smaller stream Our favorite pattern was called the " Not Straight River Candybar" , in Orange. Unfortuantely, hard times have fallen upon this little Central Oregon Desert Fishery. Last Winter, there was almost zero flow due to drought and water demands. Almost all the weedbeds are gone, which is where the scuds loved to live. Maybe someday itll come back.
Also used to use them in some Yellowstone Area Lakes. Haven't done that in about 40 years.
Thanks for the memories.
Bob
Last edited:
Coach Potter
Life of the Party
Same!
I used scuds when fishing the Provo R. in Utah. It's the go to many times. I haven't ran into any , when I've stomach pumped, here in Puget Sound lakes..I hear told they may inhabit central WA. lakes..
Flymph
Steelhead
My normal 2-bug rig is a weighted scud tied with easter basket grass shell case and a chironomid on the point. Each year the scud gets less and less attention! For that matter, most of my bugs get less and less attention as the feed in our NCW lakes does not seem to be what it was 10 years ago.
There was a time I fished two scuds. A large, weighted scud in light gray with pearl shell case and a small olive scud on the point. Back in those days we never gave chironomids that much credit because the scuds were all that you needed for plenty of action.
There was a time I fished two scuds. A large, weighted scud in light gray with pearl shell case and a small olive scud on the point. Back in those days we never gave chironomids that much credit because the scuds were all that you needed for plenty of action.
I remember the first time I fished some lakes around Kamloops.
After the first day of fishing I stepped out of the boat into the water. Once on shore, I noticed my boots were covered with scuds. That was pretty eye opening for a novice fly angler like myself back then.
SF
After the first day of fishing I stepped out of the boat into the water. Once on shore, I noticed my boots were covered with scuds. That was pretty eye opening for a novice fly angler like myself back then.
SF
troutpocket
Stillwater strategist
They show up in throat samples. I rarely fish realistic scud patterns though.
troutpocket
Stillwater strategist
I used to do a lot of shore based fishing and shallow wading in Wyoming lakes because it wasn’t safe to fish out of a tube in steady 30+ winds. I would have to scrape the scuds off my waders and boots every time.
That’s actually a place I did well with scud patterns.
One of the few flies that I have hooked a carp on. I've done really well in Central Washington using them for smallies.
FW&P have determined that scuds comprise 80% of the diet at a local lake. You better believe we fish scuds there. They do like leeches for desert.
Scuds occupy a couple rows of my lake box. I've had some productive days fishing scuds since reading about them in Steve Raymond's books. He says that scuds work year round but are more important as a lake food source in late summer and fall when the chironomids peter out. I fish scuds with a slow hand twist retrieve and an intermediate or slow sinking line over the shoals. Hang on to your rod...
Haig-Brown fished a scud pattern called a gammarus which looks like an olive invicta. It was my top fly on a trip to Meadow lakes lodge a couple years ago.
Last edited:
Flymph
Steelhead
Wet fly or combination wet fly-nymph fishing is a lost art. About 20 years ago some of our lakes were still cool enough to fish throughout the summer. Traveling caddis would arrive sometime in late July to early August. An EHC trailed by a hare's ear spider would elicit a lot of strikes. Must have been a very special time for Haig-Brown to fish cooler, healthier, environments with waaaaaay less competition.
