10-07-2003, 02:39 PM
[cool]Hey, Itchy, as I am sure you realize, there is no "one-size-fits-all" line. Heck, on any given day on any given water a semi-serious fly flinger might change lines a half dozen times. But, with the price of good lines being what they are, you can make some compromises and get by with a couple or three.
Time of year is only part of the equation in choosing a line. Of course, if cooling water has fish feeding either higher or lower in the water column, then that is what you need to consider. Typically, when the fish are shallow, a full floating or sink tip will get the job done. When they are suspended, they can be actively cruising and feeding on fast moving presentations. Or, they can be in a neutral or inactive mode...in which case you need a slow sink and a slow twitch retrieve.
It also would be helpful to know what waters you will be targeting...and for what species...and what their main forage is. For example, if you are thinking Strawberry, you will do well with fishing right up against the shoreline in the early morning for awhile. As the sun climbs higher, move out to 10 to 15 feet of water...preferable in or over weed growth. Start with minnow imitations or damsel nymphs. Graduate to leeches, San Juan worms or wooly buggers. You can fish the whole day with a sink tip or slow sinking, but floating would be better early, changing to a medium sink later.
In the pre-iceup conditions, when you get ice in your guides (and in your lower unit within your waders), I have done best with a full sinking...medium to high density...dredging the bottom or deeper weed beds. This is still usually less than 20 to 25 feet of water, and on overcast days you can find big fish in water less than ten feet.
There are probably a lot of colors you could use, but most of the regulars stick with basic black, brown and olive for big nymphs and wooly buggers. When the fish are chasing minnows, use either gold or silver "fry flies"...or even white wooly buggers. One of my alltime favorites for deep draggin' is a big wooly bugger made with olive body, brown marabou tail and palmer tied tackle in ginger or reddish brown. I have also done very well with several different black patterns...including a black wooly bugger with a few strands of red flashabou in the black marabou tail.
The type of line you use is definitely important. More important is to be able to find the fish first and to figure out what kind of presentation it is going to take to get them to come out and play. Sonar is not usually considered a fly flinger's tool, but on lakes like Strawberry it can help you eliminate fishless water and help you focus on finding the fish and fishing the right depth. If you are not fishing where the fish are, you are just rinsing out your flies.
That's about eeeenuff outta me.
[signature]
Time of year is only part of the equation in choosing a line. Of course, if cooling water has fish feeding either higher or lower in the water column, then that is what you need to consider. Typically, when the fish are shallow, a full floating or sink tip will get the job done. When they are suspended, they can be actively cruising and feeding on fast moving presentations. Or, they can be in a neutral or inactive mode...in which case you need a slow sink and a slow twitch retrieve.
It also would be helpful to know what waters you will be targeting...and for what species...and what their main forage is. For example, if you are thinking Strawberry, you will do well with fishing right up against the shoreline in the early morning for awhile. As the sun climbs higher, move out to 10 to 15 feet of water...preferable in or over weed growth. Start with minnow imitations or damsel nymphs. Graduate to leeches, San Juan worms or wooly buggers. You can fish the whole day with a sink tip or slow sinking, but floating would be better early, changing to a medium sink later.
In the pre-iceup conditions, when you get ice in your guides (and in your lower unit within your waders), I have done best with a full sinking...medium to high density...dredging the bottom or deeper weed beds. This is still usually less than 20 to 25 feet of water, and on overcast days you can find big fish in water less than ten feet.
There are probably a lot of colors you could use, but most of the regulars stick with basic black, brown and olive for big nymphs and wooly buggers. When the fish are chasing minnows, use either gold or silver "fry flies"...or even white wooly buggers. One of my alltime favorites for deep draggin' is a big wooly bugger made with olive body, brown marabou tail and palmer tied tackle in ginger or reddish brown. I have also done very well with several different black patterns...including a black wooly bugger with a few strands of red flashabou in the black marabou tail.
The type of line you use is definitely important. More important is to be able to find the fish first and to figure out what kind of presentation it is going to take to get them to come out and play. Sonar is not usually considered a fly flinger's tool, but on lakes like Strawberry it can help you eliminate fishless water and help you focus on finding the fish and fishing the right depth. If you are not fishing where the fish are, you are just rinsing out your flies.
That's about eeeenuff outta me.
[signature]