Swinging/dec. 13

[toolman]

Hit the Bow on this beautifull, winter afternoon, for an hour and a half of Spey casting/fishing. Flow rates were up and the drift ice was as terrible as it usually is in December, but there were occassional opportunities to direct casts between the burgs. Lined up my Loop GA 6120 with a SA 430gr. Skagit head and looped on 8' of T-15 + a few feet of 10 lb. tippet. The 8' sink tip was a bit short/light for the flow rate, but still fishable.

Started off with a #6 CH Bugger in brown, which produced immediate results. Worked downriver towards the deeper tailout pools and had 6 on the line, with 4 Bows 14'-17' landed. The majority of takes were aggressive, with a couple of fish hitting the fly several times through the swing and/or slow strip retreive back along the bank.

When I reached the last pool, (the deepest), I could see several large trout porposing occassionaly, about 75' below me. I swung down through the neck of the pool towards the risers, when suddenly, a nymph fisherman steps in about 50' below me ( next to the rising trout). He then rigs up, proceeds to point out the large trout rising in front of him and starts casting.... WTF buddy?

Those of you who have fished with me already know that low holing me usually does not end well for the offender, but today,

I just reeled in and headed back upstream, where I found and landed a couple more decent Bows on a black bugger.

[SanJuanWorm]

Sorry Toolman that was me. You know how I roll.

[toolman]

I said he was a Nymph fisherman, not a bait fisher. hahahaha....

[lethfisher]

What kind of water do you look for for swinging this time of year? Water seems to cold for fish to be in anything fast... Tailouts and deep pools the way to go?

[toolman]

What kind of water do you look for for swinging this time of year? Water seems to cold for fish to be in anything fast... Tailouts and deep pools the way to go?

 

At this time of year, the only thing I am hoping for is open water. I usually start swinging at the top of the pools (where the water slows/levels off) and fish down over the ledge into the pit of the lie, working all of the water down too the tail spill. I'm finding most fish down low, in the back of the pools and into the tail. The water is often deceivingly fast when the flows are up and having a sink tip of sufficient mass/sink rate/length, is critical to get the fly to swing deep and slow.

Some of the water that I hooked fish in today was not that deep, but faster than you might expect.

I usually use 10'-12' of T-14 or full sink heads at the pools that I fished today. The trout wanted a very slow pace to the swing this afternoon, as they most often do in cold water.

[lethfisher]

At this time of year, the only thing I am hoping for is open water. I usually start swinging at the top of pools and fish down over the ledge into the pit of the lie, working all of the water down to the tail spill. I'm finding most fish down low, in the back of the pools and into the tail.

The water is deceiving fast when the flows are up and having a sink tip of sufficient mass/sink rate, is critical to get the fly to swing deep and slow. Some of the water that I hooked fish in today was not that deep, but faster than you might expect.

I usually use 10'-12' of T-14 or full sink heads at the pools that I fished today. The fish wanted a very slow pace to the swing this afternoon, as they most often do in cold water.

 

Do you find yourself hooking bottom with the T-14 and a Conehead bugger? Do you change up the sinking head during the day depending on what part of the river you are fishing? ie a deep pool would need to T-14 to get down but if you are fishing the tail where it isn't as deep do you switch up the rig?

[toolman]

Today, I only used the 8'-T15 sink tip and did not hang up very often. Occassionally, it would hang up on the strip back along the bank and in the shallow sections. How deeply a tip sinks depends on the amount of sink time allowed after the line is cast. If the water gets shallow, I tighten up on the fly sooner than if the water is deeper. Also, sink time is affected by the flow rate. In slower water, I tighten up sooner than in faster water. If the water is really deep and moderately fast, then I might switch up to a longer tip. I use T-14/15 tips from 8' - 12' or full sink heads in S2/3 and S3/4, for most of my winter swinging. There are some pools that you could use 15' of T-14 or faster sinking Shooting heads when the flows are up, but not many.

[jayjjones11]

Come on toolman, can you really blame the guy? Youre working your way downstream, which in the world of trout takes second base, especially when your going to swing into rising fish. Are you sure that he hadn't been stalking these fish and noticed some guy about to walk over rising fish he was working on, so he quickly made his presence known? Both of these imply intent, which very well may not have happened, or likely was not malicious.

 

I hardly call this low-holing, hell he may have thought you were heading upstream if he had not been watching you and thought he was just fine.

 

 

Take it easy, it's the winter and there is a lot less water outthere...

[toolman]

I did cut the guy a break... I gave him the entire pool, large rising trout included and even chatted a bit from a distance, before I left. Maybe it was someone I know, who maybe assumed it would be no problem, which I can understand. Not sure as it was starting to get dark.

[GaryF]

So as a new guy, what would be the proper ettiquette(sp) in this situation? What if I was heading down and scoping the river and noticed rises that were happening and there was another guy nearby(>100') that wasn't even looking at them? Do I go and fish the rises if he isn't or what? Do I make him aware of the rising fish and I pass up on it? Trying to get this whole thing figured out. We all just want to fish, but I have noticed that some ppl out there are darn right ornery about anyone being even within 200' of them, and I don't take kindly to someone yelling at me when I'm just trying to enjoy the day.

[Jayhad]

Gary, for me the Bow is huge and you can always find another spot with rising fish. If another angler is there, regardless of him noticing the fish or not ask him if he's going to fish up, down or at those rising fish. I've found a little conversation can defuse most hostilities, and have had several guys ask me if I want to fish at those rising fish as well. Just knowing the other anglers intended direction of travel can help.

[pkk]

Do you find yourself hooking bottom with the T-14 and a Conehead bugger? Do you change up the sinking head during the day depending on what part of the river you are fishing? ie a deep pool would need to T-14 to get down but if you are fishing the tail where it isn't as deep do you switch up the rig?

 

I will fish heavier sink tips in the winter as the fish are stacked up in the deeper part of the runs. I will typically not change my tip unless there is drastic speed and depth change. You can vary the depth of your fly many ways without changing the tip.

 

1 - put on a weighted fly

2- increase the angle of your cast, 90 deg range with an immediate mend (mend dependent on the water you are fishing)

3- after cast take a few steps downstream

 

If none of the above work - change your tip.

 

And keep in mind that if you are fishing deep in the middle of the run - you will eventually hook bottom near the end of your swing. So if fishing that way start to strip in line for the later part (or where you starting to hook bottom in that particular run).

 

PK