Float Tube Fly Fishing

[jwalker25]

I just got myself a float tube and would like to try fly fishing with it. Though I believe I will mostly do spincast fishing with it, I hear fly fishing on one can be challenging but most rewarding.

So to cut to the chase, how do you fly fish on a tube? Do you mostly throw dry flies? I suspect that "trolling" with streamers could be very productive. Can nymphs work? I plan on using it exclusively on lakes.

Sorry for the stupid question. I'm new to both fly fishing and float tubing so bear with me here.

Thanks!
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[flygoddess]

Any thing you fish with from shore, you can use on a lake. If there is a hatch and fish are rising, then by all means. Nymphing, Streamers, and Chironomids. You don't have to cast a country mile, just lob it out and kick.

Try sitting on the ground and casting, that is a good practice. Pontoon, try casting from a chair.
We laughed once as you can tell ff that do a lot of stillwater, they cast with their arms high[laugh]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Float tubes were originally developed for fly fishing...to allow anglers to get out to those fish that were rising out of range of shore fishermen and waders. Always happens.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]A float tube will not make you a better fisherman or a better fly fisherman but it will help you get closer to the fish for easier presentations. No need to make long double haul casts if you can quietly sneak up within easy casting range.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]And it is definitely not all about dry flies. Most fish feed mostly below the surface. So you will need to acquire sinking lines and the knowledge of how to present sinking fly patterns with them.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]My personal suggestion is to spend time learning how to cast a fly rod efficiently before trying it from a float tube. As suggested, when you are sitting right down on the water you will have to adapt your casting to that lower position.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Both float tubing and fly fishing are enjoyable and productive pursuits...and they go together well. But trying to learn both at the same time might be a challenge.[/#0000ff]
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[kandersonSLC]

I found float-tubing (and now pontooning) to make it easier to get into fly fishing. As mentioned, you don’t need to cast far because you’re already out where the fish are. Also, no worries about back casting into bushes and trees (if you’re far enough from shore), and you can rotate your position to take advantage of wind no matter which way it’s blowing.

Basically, I found casting from a float tube to be much less frustrating than trying to cast from shore, and I often spent a lot of time practicing while out in the tube. You can also cover more territory in a tube than I would have thought.

I've used it for dry flies with takes sometimes happening within a few feet of your tube. I've also trolled around with it drowning Buggers, and you can even attach a fish finder if you're so inclined.

Perhaps the best aspect of tubing is that you can enjoy solitude and quiet even when the shore is crowded with other fisherpersons– just plan your route so that the wind will be at back coming in after a long day of finning and fishing.
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[Tangled_not]

I've found a few things to remember while fly fishing from a tube or toon. first, in my experience, having your presentation at the same depth as the fish is the most important consideration. i have seen great patterns fished at the wrong depth, that yields very little to no action. I've also seen UGLY flies catch fish because they were fished at the correct depth. fish feel much safer under the surface a ways(especially in daylight hours), and spend the vast majority of their time eating and hiding under a good blanket of water. Fish also tend to be somewhat lazy, the less effort they have to expel for a meal, the better. Find the "sweet spot" in the water column. A sinking fly line is an absolute must. a medium sink fly line is a good all around choice, and probably what i would recommend for a starter. Although, my personal favorite is a fast sink line, it gets into the strike zone quicker, and allows me a little more flexibility in the depth of water i can fish. A fish finder is a really good idea (especially with a fast sink line) mostly to monitor depth. while fishing shallow water i like to be close to the bottom without being snagged on the bottom. Most of my fishing happens in relatively shallow water (10-30'), so with the right combination of line, fly, and presentation i can fish anywhere in that range of depth. Without a good depth finder, you are pretty much guessing. you'll definitely hang up more without one. i feel lost when i dont have my old reliable fishin' buddy. Fish finders are not a must, but a dang good investment.

another important consideration is the pattern you're fishing. i like to fish larger patterns like wooly buggers, zonkers, bunny leeches, mohair leeches, etc... bigger bait, bigger fish! If the fish are biting, one of these patterns is sure to get some attention. reds, brown, white, black, and green are all tried and true. you may find one color, pattern, or size might be the hot ticket that day, but overall these are a pretty safe bet on any Utah water, year round.

I always fish with the fly rod, line, and fly in as close to a straight line as possible. drop the tip of your fly rod right in the water, and grip the line with one hand, the rod with the other. this way you'll feel the smallest pickups or strikes. this is really important, as most of the time it takes a good hook set to seal the deal.

i usually slow troll the fly by kicking backwards, a slight twitch or a series of strips at varying speed and frequency can also trigger a strike. sometimes the fish need a little coaxing. you'll even catch a good number of fish while reeling in! i'll use a breeze to my advantage, and drift. if necesarry you can slow the tube in a breeze(or wind) by pointing your feet/fins straight down, it acts like a drift sock.

i would definitely recommend a nice calm morning while you are getting used to navigating with a tube. the wind and waves can be frustrating when you're learning. Also, know your physical limitations, a full day on the water kicking the entire time is hard work. after a long day in cold water, i'll almost always end up with a charley horse or 2. i've seen fisherman get blown across Strawberry and Mantua Res. from not paying attention to the weather, and their own physical limits. what goes out, must come back!

It's my favorite way to fish. The simplicity of the float tube, and fly rod is what has me hooked. good luck!
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[flygoddess]

Good write up.
To add to that, the speed you are moving changes many things as well. I agree that sonar makes like so much easier. I tend to move faster than my husband or others I fish with, so I use a faster sinking line than they do, OR is pull out a lot of line (I can see my backing on my reel on many occasions)
All about getting tin and to that zone.
The deep nymphing with indy is great for the warmer months that the big fish are hanging on the bottom.
Just try to remember what you do. I also don't agree that one needs a long rod for float tubing. I see the advantage to longer rods more on river than stillwater. Shorter rods areeasuer to manage on stillwater. Changing out lines, unwrapping a tip, etc.
Just my opinion on that.
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[jwalker25]

Thank you all for your detailed and thought out replies.! They were quite helpful and very much appreciated. Your advice helped me highlight the improvements I need to make in my fly fishing skill. I did finally take my float tube out to Currant Creek Reservoir last week and had fun. I only caught one fish but my skepticism towards float tubing turned me to a believer. However, for the trip I elected to not use my fly rod and stuck with the spin rod. I have too much improvement to do regular fly fishing on a river before I tackle float tube fly fishing. (Though, I'm pretty sure I'll end up trying it soon anyway to see what happens [angelic])
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[cpierce]

Try the fly fishing. It is quite easy from a float tube. You have fewer things behind you to dodge! If you want to you don't even have to cast very much. Just put a cast out and then start kicking backwards to "troll" with a wooly bugger or nymph.
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