Outside the Box
Posted: Wed May 14, 2008 9:39 pm
Gents,
On a couple of occasions, I've read fly fishing articles by experts who stated you should sometimes think outside of the box. Articles talked about using a pattern you wouldn't normally use in a given situation, or fishing a pattern in a manner which would normally be considered unthinkable by most.
My partners and I have discovered a few things in the last year or two that are way outside the box. I'd like for folks in the fly fishing forum to share some unique tactics, techniques and procedures that work, things that kind of defy standard fly fishing habits. We could all learn some new tips, especially those new to fly fishing. I'll start.....
Using a full sink line to fish chironomids in deep water. I've mentioned this before, so, if you've heard or tried it, please bear with me. Get anchored (you'll need a lot of rope), get stable, and get your line vertical...that is, absolutely, positively straight down. Use a SLOW retrieve, an inch or so at a time, and give it an occasional pop and twitch. Work the entire water column. If the fish are feeding you will know, in short order, approximately how deep they are. It takes patience, I know, and an occasional pattern change, but when it's working (as it often does), patience is not required...the fish will see to that. Now, here's where things got interesting last year...
After an hour or two of working over fish at Amber, the hatch and bite completely stopped. For nearly an hour, my partners and I tried all our usually productive patterns, to no avail. Nothing, not even a bump. Then I recalled an article which stated you should try something you wouldn't normally do. Heck, I figured I'm already doing something most folks wouldn't do, and tied on a stillwater nymph (while my partners snickered!). I dropped that joker vertical to within a foot of the bottom, and within just a few seconds of that glacial retrieve, got a strike and had a fish on. I was convinced it was a fluke until it produced again, and again, and again. My partners, no longer snickering, rifled through their boxes for their stillwater nymphs! It's nuts, it's different, and most folks can't believe we even do it...but it's highly effective between chironomid hatches and it keeps us on fish. The results speak for themselves. I'm getting lazy, and often times prefer to stay anchored up if I can. Now, here's where things get more interesting....
We've also discovered that nymphs (especially the stillwater) or micro leeches fished under an indicator can, and will, outfish chironomids at times. Works bests with windy conditions and waves that impart action, of course. If you're dunking chironomids in shallow water and the bite suddenly (or slowly) peters out, try immediately tying on a stillwater nymph, skip nymph or whatever you've got. If the fish are still feeding, you'll get takes. If I've caught 70 trout at Amber this year, 50 came by way of a skip nymph in the south end shallows when nothing else would work. At Medical and West Medical (especially W. Medical), I've been hammering rainbows with the stillwater in between chironomid hatches. No movement necessary, let the wind do the work, and fish it exactly as you would a chironomid. I fished W. Medical today for 8 solid hours and at least 30 of 50 fish landed came by way of a stillwater fished under an indicator, including the fish of the day, a 24" brownie. If bait fishermen on the banks had a gun, I'd have been shot! Now, to go a step further, when they quit hitting the nymph, immediately switch back to chironomids. This has worked for me on several occasions (twice today). I'm convinced that when the next hatch starts, they completely lose interest in the nymph and get dialed back onto the chironomids. In all eastern Washington waters, one should be prepared to change, and change often.
Gents, I've only been doing this fly fishing thing for six years. I still consider myself a novice despite the fact I fish hard and often. These are only my observations and those of my partners (more seasoned fly fishermen than me). We don't make up stories....we catch a lot of fish and giggle like little kids while doing it! Give these techniques a try sometime...they really work!
OK, who's next. Any more "thinking outside the box" ideas to pass along to the rest of us? I sure would like to learn and try some new things.
On a couple of occasions, I've read fly fishing articles by experts who stated you should sometimes think outside of the box. Articles talked about using a pattern you wouldn't normally use in a given situation, or fishing a pattern in a manner which would normally be considered unthinkable by most.
My partners and I have discovered a few things in the last year or two that are way outside the box. I'd like for folks in the fly fishing forum to share some unique tactics, techniques and procedures that work, things that kind of defy standard fly fishing habits. We could all learn some new tips, especially those new to fly fishing. I'll start.....
Using a full sink line to fish chironomids in deep water. I've mentioned this before, so, if you've heard or tried it, please bear with me. Get anchored (you'll need a lot of rope), get stable, and get your line vertical...that is, absolutely, positively straight down. Use a SLOW retrieve, an inch or so at a time, and give it an occasional pop and twitch. Work the entire water column. If the fish are feeding you will know, in short order, approximately how deep they are. It takes patience, I know, and an occasional pattern change, but when it's working (as it often does), patience is not required...the fish will see to that. Now, here's where things got interesting last year...
After an hour or two of working over fish at Amber, the hatch and bite completely stopped. For nearly an hour, my partners and I tried all our usually productive patterns, to no avail. Nothing, not even a bump. Then I recalled an article which stated you should try something you wouldn't normally do. Heck, I figured I'm already doing something most folks wouldn't do, and tied on a stillwater nymph (while my partners snickered!). I dropped that joker vertical to within a foot of the bottom, and within just a few seconds of that glacial retrieve, got a strike and had a fish on. I was convinced it was a fluke until it produced again, and again, and again. My partners, no longer snickering, rifled through their boxes for their stillwater nymphs! It's nuts, it's different, and most folks can't believe we even do it...but it's highly effective between chironomid hatches and it keeps us on fish. The results speak for themselves. I'm getting lazy, and often times prefer to stay anchored up if I can. Now, here's where things get more interesting....
We've also discovered that nymphs (especially the stillwater) or micro leeches fished under an indicator can, and will, outfish chironomids at times. Works bests with windy conditions and waves that impart action, of course. If you're dunking chironomids in shallow water and the bite suddenly (or slowly) peters out, try immediately tying on a stillwater nymph, skip nymph or whatever you've got. If the fish are still feeding, you'll get takes. If I've caught 70 trout at Amber this year, 50 came by way of a skip nymph in the south end shallows when nothing else would work. At Medical and West Medical (especially W. Medical), I've been hammering rainbows with the stillwater in between chironomid hatches. No movement necessary, let the wind do the work, and fish it exactly as you would a chironomid. I fished W. Medical today for 8 solid hours and at least 30 of 50 fish landed came by way of a stillwater fished under an indicator, including the fish of the day, a 24" brownie. If bait fishermen on the banks had a gun, I'd have been shot! Now, to go a step further, when they quit hitting the nymph, immediately switch back to chironomids. This has worked for me on several occasions (twice today). I'm convinced that when the next hatch starts, they completely lose interest in the nymph and get dialed back onto the chironomids. In all eastern Washington waters, one should be prepared to change, and change often.
Gents, I've only been doing this fly fishing thing for six years. I still consider myself a novice despite the fact I fish hard and often. These are only my observations and those of my partners (more seasoned fly fishermen than me). We don't make up stories....we catch a lot of fish and giggle like little kids while doing it! Give these techniques a try sometime...they really work!
OK, who's next. Any more "thinking outside the box" ideas to pass along to the rest of us? I sure would like to learn and try some new things.