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Fishing Tips

Aug 2010

Pushing the envelope or smashing through the boundary?

There is often debate about what constitutes fly fishing and what doesn’t. On the one hand there are the dry fly purists who disdain anything other than a dry fly on a stream or river. On the other side of the railway tracks are the blue water boys, who chum and tease huge fish into a frenzy and then casually lob a fly into the ensuing melee.
While both extremes use fly rods, fly reels and flies the situation is far from clear cut, as there are no clear rules. It’s a kind of democratic anarchy, as the rules are largely followed, but every man fishes according to his own personal dictates. This situation has allowed fly fishing to evolve from the dry fly only chalkstream fishermen, to the various aspects it encompasses today. All species in the world are now targeted, some more successfully than others, but that makes it a challenge, which in turn makes it more attractive.

These are the thoughts that occupied my mind as I wolfed down four cans of anchovies in the early hours one morning. It may seem to be a strange preparation for my first snoek (Thyristes atun) fishing trip, but prudence dictated that should a heaving sea cause a heaving stomach, my efforts would not be wasted. Thus my early morning brain stumbled upon the first question of fly fishing ethics. If I were to lose my breakfast, it wouldn’t really be chumming. Really! It could also be considered 'catch & release'.

The second question was more complicated. The fly rod and fly reel were safe from scrutiny, but what about my line? Twenty five meters of braid, connected to a six meter head of Rio T17 (that’s a 10 inch per second sinking rate) may not have been an out of the box fly line, but it was probably safe. This line sinks like a brick, especially with a saltwater DDD fly attached. (The saltwater DDD, with apologies to the original DDD, is a large Clouser pattern 4/0 to 6/0, with enormous dumbbell eyes). It was named “Denton’s Deadly Diver” after the man who ‘invented’ the eyes and pointed out that it had the potential to cause serious harm to the back of a skull, as well as sinking like a sack of hammers.

This was a perfect morning for fishing, a calm sea and a whimper of wind. The good ship "Double Haul" made good time to Buffels bay. My rod was quickly rigged and my ‘line’ castt into the water. It sank like it should have, and within moments of getting the fly down, and before starting the long strips, the line started moving away.
No smashing take. Just a reassuring solid pull. I said “Ooooh”, the fish speeded up and pulled harder. A louder “OOOOH”, this was fun. With the 10 weight rod bent to its limit we had a bit of a tug of war, followed by a few to-and fro's. This fish wasn’t giving up easily.
With some good advice from Captain DDD, the fish was soon boated, almost a meter of flashy silver with some serious dentition and a kak attitude.

The rest of the morning went well, with a lot of fish lost off the hook. Having a seriously sharp hook was essential, and having a hook hone even more important.
[Tip of the Day: Keep your hooks sharp, and your wits sharper]
Despite using a mono (100lb Sufix) shock tippet, only one fish broke it off, just as it got to the surface. For the most part the fish were swallowing the Saltwater DDD’s deep, so the tippet was severely tested. One of Captain DDD's fish had the flash of the fly sticking out of it's gills.

The mere suggestion that this is flyfishing, may cause pain in some quarters. When snoek fishing on fly is broken down to its basest components, it is really vertical jigging with fly tackle. It was not nearly as efficient as the commercial guys with bait, but it was immense fun, and no matter what side of the tide you sit, flyfishing.
This is where it gets worse. At some point someone suggested that treble hooks would be a lot more effective (as would barbed hooks). That may well sound like flyfishing blasphemy, yet trebles are quite common when fly fishing a salmon stream.

So where do YOU draw the line?

July 2010

June 210

May 2010

Tangles are a way of life... or are they?
In the introduction I mentioned the use of multiple flies or teams. One of the reasons why people hesitate to use these is the risk of tangles. The best method to avoid this is to open up your loop when casting. You can also slow your cast down slightly. The other way is to get your knot setup correct. Here is a tip from Paul Procter, a UK pro.



Do a surgeons loop knot to tie on a dropper (left). Loop the dropper around the line (point side) and back through the loop created (centre). Pull tight (right) and the dropper now sits at 90 degrees to the line, preventing tangles. Fly line has been used instead of leader material for clarity.



April 2010

While pondering the difference between good fishing vs. good catching days yesterday, I lost concentration a bit and hung up my fly on a rock. The usual 'do a funny roll cast' thing didn't work and the fly stayed stuck. Then I remembered something I had heard or read years ago. Point your rod at the fly, take up the slack, pull until you feel the line stretching, and then let go. This bow and arrow trick shoots the line back at the fly and most of the time it becomes unstuck.
It doesn't work for submerged trees though!
Just remember to check your knots afterward, and more importantly you hook as it may now be blunt and blunt hooks don't catch fish.
 

March 2010

While sight fishing to a large rainbow trout, I was taught the following lesson. The fish sucked in the fly, I lifted and pulled, and the fish was on, then off. It was immediately apparent why the fish got off, and this is why.
You will find you lose a lot of fish when they are close and take the fly, simply because we are conditioned to lift and strip strike.
There is nothing wrong with this, but we should be aiming for the sweet spot, the scissor. The top of the mouth is a bit bony, and doesn't hold a hook nearly as well as the lip or scissor. What I should have done was move my rod towards the rear of the fish instead of upwards. So bear that in mind, especially when sight fishing at close quarters. You will land more fish.

February 2010

When your wife or partner sends you out to go and catch a fish for supper, and you come home via the fish shop...
don't leave your cell phone in the fish shop, you will get bust. As did "x" this week.

See the Blogroll entry for more.

 

January 2010

I think it was Lee Wulff who was the exponent of this kind of fishing, the object of which is to get a resting fish into a feeding mode by constantly drifting a fly over it.  Well, it seems like this is nothing new, as it is a method that has been in use in Japan for a long long time. They call it "Sutebari". The  translation is "showing off the fly", but a literal word for word translation goes like this "throw away fly hook". The latter won't get us any fish, but the Sutebari technique will.
Not only is the technique different, but the tackle and flies are as well.

On the left is a typical 'Tenkara" fly (picture compliments of Yoshikazu Fujioka). You can find more examples and a description of the "Sutebari" technique on his website.

And now to the point. Sometimes you come across a big fish in a river, and you want to make sure that a. you catch it, and b. you don't spook it. The above technique comes in handy at this point.
Start by presenting your fly in line and next to the fish, reasonably far off. This will also help you get your casting distance right. Then gradually lengthen your cast and slowly move each cast nearer to the fish, so that the landing fly describes an arc. After a few casts, you will be ahead of the fish and drifting your fly right through the prime zone.
OK, so you ask why you shouldn't bung it into place the first time. A few reasons. One. You could duff it and spook the fish. Two. Using this method you get your aim right. Three. You are creating an artificial hatch, and the fish being more familiar with the flies just outside his feeding zone but within sight, is more likely to have a go at the fly.

November 2009

Think Like a Fish

"Think like a fish, BE the fish" - Tom Donaldson

Thinking like a fish doesn't mean 'dumbing down', but rather, looking at things from the perspective of a fish, bearing in mind its own priorities. How is the fish going to behave in response to certain stimuli, given that its major needs are food, energy conservation and safety. (We will ignore the obvious, like its need for water).

1. Food. This needs to look like and act like food. Thus your fly needs to behave like something a fish would eat. Minnows don't swim backwards, but prawns do. Flies seldom move laterally across the surface while ploughing it with a hook. A small nymph doesn't swim against a heavy current.
Current thinking is that an exact imitation is not actually a requirement for a fly, so something suggestive works just as well, as long as it is in context. If you were a fish, would the fly look like food, some flotsam, or something scary?

2. Energy conservation. It is not worthwhile for a fish to go out of its way for a small food item. If you were the fish, you would need to balance effort (energy use) with reward. You wouldn't use 10 Joules of energy to chase a 5 Joule morsel. It's not flogical.

3. Safety. A fish will hold or feed where it 'feels' safe. Where would you (the fish) lie to be safe (especially from aerial predators), not have to fight the current, and have food delivered to your mouthstep. You would more likely to be in the seam between the fast current and the smooth patch, as you would be a sitting duck in the smooth patch.
 

October 09

Matching The Hatch

This last weekend saw us fishing during the CPS Bell's Festival. While waiting for my turn to fish the Holsloot I had time to watch the water surface for bugs, and discovered that there was a hatch of small black mayflies in progress. (pic below)

A quick glance into my flybox showed the best I had to offer was my variation of the Griffith's Gnat I call call the 'X-twhat' (see fly of the month). Now, because these are tied in sizes #20-24 there are practically invisible to me on the water. To tie in an indicator just wouldn'y work on this fly, so the trick is to use another fly as an indicator. So instead of a 'dry and dropper' I use a 'dry and dry'. These are spaced quite close and if you get your drift right they will dance around each other. Just watch the 'indictor' dry and if something splashes or moves in its vicinity.....Bam!  This proved quite effective that day and worked effectively the next day on the Smalblaar as well. The moral of the story.. don't forget to look around you! Yes, look for rising fish, but take in the small stuff, it will get you more fish.


Sept 09

How to improve your stream fishing in one fell swoop!
This one is a bit cheeky, but it is simple. Sign up for the Bells CPS W.Cape Fly Fishing Festival.
"This is probably the best investment you can make to your future success at fishing Cape Streams, short of employing your own personal guide" - Tim Rolston


Aug 09

The wind up to the point.
Recently, a lot has been written locally regarding the sink rates of different beads and how the size of the bead affected its sink rate.
The general consensus is that the heavier a bead the faster it will sink. However it's not proportional, as a bead twice the weight of another one wont sink twice as fast, for the simple reason that it offers more resistance to movement in the water, having a bigger surface area. This creates more drag. In a local study, beads were attached to flies, and to make two identical flies with the same amount of material and the same amount of guard hairs sticking out is next to impossible.
The amount of air each fly may trap is also a huge variable. I found a nice bead comparison chart at http://awmiller.wordpress.com/2007/10/09/bead-head-hook-crossreference-chart/ where just the beads are compared. For example a 2mm bead will sink at 13 (19) inches per second and a 4mm one at 18 (16). Figures in brackets are for tungsten beads.
The Point
It's taken a long winded intro to get to my point.
To get flies down to depth (especially where there is a current involved) you need weight.
But you know that already, and here comes the point. There is another simple way, and that is slimness. A buggy fly gets slowed down by the bits sticking out, as well as the air trapped in the fibres and attached to various parts of the fly.
A slim solid fly can sink every bit as fast as a weighted fly with dubbing, especially if you use a thicker gauge hook.
The 'scientific' principle involved is that the slimmer fly offers less surface resistance, and is more dense overall than the others.
But dont take my word for it, get out there and try it. To help you out, this months fly is a perfect example.

Jul 09

Drifting

Well, I would say that I'm just drifting. Here in the pool. - Benjamin Day

Loose items caught in a current of either drift in it or upon it. Being bereft of sails or motors and having relatively weak propulsion systems, a small insect is it the mercy of the current. It doesn’t have an anchor to cause it to drag, or monofilament to accelerate or move it suddenly in a strange direction.

Consider this when drifting a dry fly over a run, or a nymph through the run. Rather than attracting a fish you may spook it with something that is out of the ordinary. Make sure your imitation looks like something that is being influenced by the current alone.

Get my drift?

June 09

Mistakes – The problem of mis(sed) takes.

“It is a mistake to think you can solve any major problems just with potatoes” - Douglas AdamsThere is a rule of thumb that says for every fish you catch, so many more have actually mouthed or inhaled your fly. Even more  fish have seen your fly and ignored it. Mis-takes can be grouped into two broad categories, missed takes you see and are aware of , and those of which you are blissfully unaware. It is the latter of the two which I will address, and in relation to still water fishing.

Getting a fish to show interest in your fly is the hard bit, and more often than not, you get this right without even being aware of it.
Some fishermen are born with some kind of gift of the senses that tells them when there is a fish (counter this) at their fly,
but us poor mortals have to rely on duller senses.

So here’s how to mitigate against those “lost” fish.

1. Stay in contact.
Make sure there are no curves or loops between you and the fish. A line with ‘good’ memory or a curly leader, is going to allow a fish an unnoticed good pull on your fly. Slack is the enemy.
.
2. Use all your senses.
Don’t rely on feeling the pull on your line. Look at the end of your line where possible and at the same time keep an eye where you think your fly is. An odd movement of your line tip, or a flash or swirl near your fly only means one thing. Set the hook! If there wasn’t a fish you haven’t lost anything, but if there was, you have gained. Use your ears. You may have been distracted by something, looked away, and splash! If that happens, go for it, that may be your fly. This is especially relevant under low light or dark conditions.

3. Point your rod at your line.
Keep the tip close to the water (or even in the water). If your rod is high off the water, or pointing in the wrong direction, you loose sensitivity (and fish).

4. Watch your retrieve. Avoid slow retrieves that have your ‘pulling’ hand leave your line. Rather use a figure-of-eight retrieve, that gives you contact at all times.

5. Casting is important. When your leader and tippet are landing in a heap you are at a disadvantage. Fish will be able to spit out your fly before the slack is taken up. Get your leader set up properly so it rolls out neat and straight. Then you have a better chance of catching fish ‘on the drop’.

6. Stay with it till the end. So many fish are lost after a fish follows your fly, you run out of line, and suddenly pull the fly out of range as the fish opens its mouth to eat. Once you run out of fly line, lift your rod to keep the fly moving at the same speed, or pause slightly before doing it. Then when you rod gets up a bit, pause! Pause but don’t allow any slack. You can even wiggle your rod a bit at this stage, and don’t be surprised if your rod suddenly gets heavy.

If none of this works, neither will potatoes.

“Experience is that marvellous thing that enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.” - Franklin P. Jones


May 2009

The only constant is change,* and fish (especially trout) love change.
You will find fish where there is change. A change in depth, a change in direction, a change in light or a change in speed.
Fish like to hang out where water changes from shallow to deep or vice versa, heads and tails of large or small pools, behind sand bars, or even in a small pocket. A change in direction in a river could mean an undercut bank or a disturbance on the surface that can create shelter. It could also cause food to concentrate. A change in light could be dusk or dawn when fish become more active, or it could mean a patch of shade behind a boulder or under a tree. A change in speed could be the seam between fast and slow water, with fish sitting in the edge of the slow water ready to intercept food in the fast water. Tidal water speeds over a sand bar, and predatory fish wait in this sometimes cloudier water to ambush small fish that move out into the current.
Change applies to rivers, still waters and the ocean, so give it some thought to change next time you head out.
* The original quote is "Nothing endures but change" from Lives of the Philosophers by Diogenes Laertius


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