Author Topic: Unweighted Flies (Read 186 times)

Dejon Hamann · « **on:** August 23, 2010, 09:11:54 AM »

I'm curious to see how may of you carry a selection of unweighted flies into competition? Where and when do you find them superior to the usual tungsten/lead nymphs? Dries and wets are obvious fare, but I'm more interested in unweighted nymphs especially in the larger then 16 range.

Mark Hanes · « **Reply #1 on:** August 23, 2010, 09:35:28 AM »

I have thought about this but my past experience leads me to carry some wet flies with me if i want to cover the top 12" of the water column with flies. They have more movement and most important i am confident when I am fishing wets that they will catch some fish.

Chris Michels · « **Reply #2 on:** August 23, 2010, 11:55:01 AM »

I use them a lot. Shallow water/ flat featureless water/ places where you can see the fish feeding higher in the water column.

Mark Ferringer · « **Reply #3 on:** August 23, 2010, 01:47:03 PM »

I carry a ton of unweighted flies in combination with tungsten, but they are almost all in the 18-20 range. Other than midge patterns, my two biggest producers are a bwo nymph and a blue quill. Putting a big bead on them or trying to hide weight inside takes away from their appeal.

Aaron Laing · « **Reply #4 on:** August 23, 2010, 01:54:21 PM »

For river situations I have a box of unweighted wet flies I carry at all times, but almost all are of the soft-hackle variety and most are meant to be fished in the mid to top water column. I have a few unweighted nymphs, but unless it's frog water I stick with at least a bead for weight.

Aaron

Chris Puchniak · « **Reply #5 on:** August 25, 2010, 07:50:09 PM »

I am assuming you mean only river fishing?

Not that I have comp experience yet, but for lakes, very few of my flies are weighted. Pretty rare that they are weighted for me. But I am guessing you are more focusing on rivers. I cannot say for moving waters that I have any unweighted nymphs, but I do have for more of a rising pupa imitation (more wet fly style) a few. Or for emergers that will sit in the top 10 inches, but still be sub-surface a few inches.