On its way. Many thanks.

Thanks Paul. This is my first year fishing stillwater and your articles have been a great help.

I have found spring not as consistent as summer and autumn and I'm piecing things together - practice vs theory.

Appreciate the advice and tips.

Will try again tonight if the rain lets up. Thanks again, each trip is a learning curve. My emerger drew no interest and I was slow on the uptake with two or three very subtle takes, presumably on the spider. Usually, I fish Diawl Bachs on FC droppers and let them sink. A slow pull on the line lifts...

Thanks Al. I'll add a spider to the rig and see how it goes. Heading out this evening. Mono tippet with a size 18 DHE on the point. I've tied a few 16s and 20s as well. The spider will live 4' from the point. I guess the spider should be just sub surface or in the meniscus? Maybe grease the tippet a...

It was quick and sporadic. The main fair were probably small dark Caddis with a mix of crane flies and a few large rusty spinners and smallish light grey mayfly. Thanks for the advice, I'll be better prepared with another session later this week.

Things are warming up with some nice mixed hatches. Masses of swallows picking adults off the surface with trout slashing and boiling the surface. Lesson. This is perhaps, not the time to fish subsurface. I was too slow to change tactics and all went quiet. No interest in my size 12 Caddis... and pe...

Learning curve... because of a high rocky shoreline the hard popper heads are occasionally smashed on the backcast, separating / splitting the foam. Not due solely to water pressure on the backcast. Soft foam or spun deer hair is more durable but damage is inevitable if the backcast is not sufficien...

Too heavy but robust. About half the weight should handle variations in line speed. It was a little unpredictable and did not feel balanced. Hard work. Distance, free of obstructions in the back cast, was surprising, shooting line to the white running section. Inclusive of rod length' leader 14' and...

It's been a learning curve. This is an improved version. Yet untested.

You are quite right Paul, I should slow the lift. Thanks for the tips.

The popper separates from the hook rather than line breaks. As a rule, I use STROFT FC 5lb on the tippet and droppers.

I took your previous advice on the leader and it works well.