Reading the signs and changing tactics

[rowch]

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 perhaps a 14 would have been better - may be skittering.

It was frustrating to watch a brown of at least 5lb charging here and there, showing no interest in my offering.

It was even more irritating to see an angler down the bank nail a hefty brown on a small spinner fished near the surface.

Too little, too late...

[Paul Arden]

First hatches of the season are always difficult, Rowland. I would often switch to dries only to find someone doing better subsurface! The other problem is that the hatches are often brief and sporadic and so you have to move fast!

I had good dun fishing with CDCs and small tippets (.14mm) in Tassie last season but would have liked to have developed some more foam flies for more fishing time and less drying time!

Cheers, Paul

[ACW]

#12 sedge is rather large IMO ,over here in the UK ,I have found small drys usually far more effective try some 16s and fish them in the film rather than high and standing on their hackle points ,a basicly brown para in #16 to 20 does a lot for me.

[rowch]

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.

[al greig]

Hi Rowland - what about spider patterns, just sub-surface? They imitate loads of stuff successfully. Easy to tie too - just any old hen hackle and a thread or silk body. Add some sort of bling if you like. Fish them static, or slowly.

Al.

[rowch]

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 and dropper.

[Paul Arden]

Personally the only time I grease the leader is for quick shots at Snakehead to speed up the pickup. For everything else I always muddy the leader to sink it.

Cheers, Paul

[al greig]

I'm with Paul - I'd want the tippet to sink. I guess the spiders will end up where they end up, sinking rate-wise - but if they are small, and on light wire hooks I reckon they'll sink pretty slowly anyway. Maybe they won't have time to sink very far, what with being taken by trout as soon as they hit the water

[rowch]

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 them up, to sink again... repeat... with moderate success.

[Paul Arden]

It really depends how deep the fish are. However I never use FC. Never fished Diawl Bachs either. A rising fly can be a good inducement for a fish to take, but on lakes I’d rather it sat in front of the fish and moved half a inch if he was going to ignore it.

I don’t know if you’ve found this section. http://www.sexyloops.com/stillwater/ I wrote this in ‘96 before Sexyloops. I’d been fishing about 16 years on the reservoirs at that point and working in a fishing lodge for 10. Ok I was younger when I wrote it but there’s not much I would add. Sight fishing, duns and more about currents. But the fundamentals have served me well since.

Cheers, Paul