Author Topic: 50cm Rule Origin? (Read 272 times)

Dejon Hamann · « **on:** March 03, 2011, 09:46:10 PM »

Does anyone know the origin and reasoning behind the fips-mouche 50cm Rule?

Quote

28.5. A maximum of three flies is permitted which must not be closer to each other than fifty cm, measured eye to eye, hanging freely.

Randy Hanner · « **Reply #1 on:** March 03, 2011, 11:10:03 PM »

Not sure of the origin, but I think that it cuts down on the snagging of fish.

Devin Olsen · « **Reply #2 on:** March 04, 2011, 10:12:13 PM »

The word I heard (not directly of course) is that competitors were getting good a flossing fish with the two flies and by spreading them out it cut down on the feasability of it. Basically what Randy said.

Dejon Hamann · « **Reply #3 on:** March 04, 2011, 10:53:27 PM »

I donno. I can't really fig'r the rationale behind enforcing such a rule.

Wouldn't "flossing" be easier with an unlimited distance between flies (weight)? I think there are rules enforcing the maximum distance you can have weight from your fly (hook) for that reason on some tributary waters.

I guess someone who's really out to purely rip fish might be hamstrung by this. I donno.

Alain Barthelemy · « **Reply #4 on:** March 05, 2011, 07:24:09 AM »

Randy and Devin are right on the mark. The 50cm rule was set forth to minimize snagging. I read this somewhere from an official source, but I can't remember where. Since you can only score fish that are hooked in the head, this makes sense.

When you put weighted flies closer together, they sink to the bottom much faster. This is because the "V" made by your rig as it sinks (or the double length of leader when it folds) is shorter. I can hardly think of a better way to snag fish intentionally than by having lots of hook points close together (like a treble hook snagger for bunker).

Dejon Hamann · « **Reply #5 on:** March 05, 2011, 09:13:49 PM »

The treble hook is a good analogy. 50cm just seems a bit long, but I guess if it's going to be 10 why not 50.

Alain Barthelemy · « **Reply #6 on:** March 05, 2011, 09:21:07 PM »

You get a much better dual-fly presentation with that distance anyway, they drift more naturally. The other benefit is when hooking fish, you are less likely to snag the hooked fish with the other hook while you are fighting it (I lost some real brutes this way). Make sure you maintain 50cm from hook eye to hook eye. An easy way to size your tippet is to use the "nose to fingertip" method. For most people, this is about 36in or 91cm.

Chris Puchniak · « **Reply #7 on:** March 24, 2011, 05:18:10 PM »

I can't speak to where the ruling comes from, but I do think the wider spread works often the best fro stillwaters. Unlike a river, fish may follow your flies for 30-90 feet before figuring out what to do, and keeping a wider distance between them seems to spook them less and look more natural (though what is so natural about a booby on it's own...). But a close grouping of flies in still waters being pulled is clearly visible to a fish, and may put them off as it is not something they'd be used to seeing, whereas in moving water, the fish may not even notice two flies right up close to each other - or not even care.