Author Topic: Fishing flat clear water (Read 833 times)

John Killinger · « **on:** April 15, 2011, 08:18:10 PM »

I have some questions about fishing "flat or frog water". For a while I've been concentrating fishing short line and long line nymphing methods, and it's been working pretty good I think, it always seems to produce. Now I'd like to start attempting to catch fish from that flat water which I know has fish but seems immpossible, on some, not all streams. I've tried it in the past but the fish always seem to get the best of me. I have been trying it more as of late. I'm starting to catch fish floating the curly but I'm not sure I'm doing it right. I use hoovers, is that right, or should you use small flies? Last fall it really worked well. Not sure if that was just luck.

One stream in particular, the fish will swim up to the fly look at it and snubb the fly. What do you do when that happens other than cuss? Drop tippet size? Smaller flies??

Also, which way is better or what's the difference between floating the curly and dry dropper, other than with the curly, there is less chance for flies getting tangled up. I like that. I know the dry dropper will hold up flies better also. I guess what I would really like to know is pros/cons of both and what the best conditions are for both. Let er rip!

Thanks

Jim Frazier · « **Reply #1 on:** April 15, 2011, 09:04:49 PM »

john , just a guess here but if the fish are swimming toward your nymph but refusing it , I would venture to say u have the right color but not the right size. Given that your tippet is right size for clear water. I also think that the curly doesn't create a shadow "above" like a big dry to suspend a moderately heavy fly. Have you ever seen the shadow on the stream bottom from a big dry or an indicator ? It does spook fish , I call them indicator curteous (they move or "part" out of the way of the indicator as if there was a metal rod hanging below it ..lol some others will alot more knowledge and expierience will chime in just hang in there !

John Killinger · « **Reply #2 on:** April 15, 2011, 09:36:00 PM »

That's one thing that I didn't think of about the curly, good point. Will fish see a shadow from say a size 16 klinkhammer with a parachute post? The post kind of is hidden by the hackle. I really don't know about that. I do know floating the curly works. I think maybe my size 10 Hoovers were a bit big for floating. I'm working on a fly that is small and has rubber hackle for movement, a H.S. and buggy body. Can't wait to try it.

Jim Frazier · « **Reply #3 on:** April 16, 2011, 07:47:09 AM »

john maybe try floating the curly with smaller flys and use a slow retrieve like you would if you are tracking flys back to ya fishing a riffle directly above ya. sorta creating your own drift if you will. you only got another month and most of the fish won't be in that water

Dell Neighbours · « **Reply #4 on:** April 24, 2011, 07:35:32 PM »

I'm not by any means an expert on this subject but, at the southeastern qualifier my last beat started with a very long shallow pool that was smooth as glass. As I walked up to it I could see fish rising on the far side in a slow moving foam line. I rigged up a size 18 parachute adams with a size 20 olive zebra midge and drifted it downstream. I couldn't get very close and didn't want to risk lining them so it seemed like the best approach. I ended up pulling 8 fish out of there and I think 7 of them scored. Not how I prefer to fish but, it worked.