Current Or Eddy

[toolman]

That's right Birchy and a beauty Bow too...nice fall colors, dark purple stripes.

[steelhead]

Ok oK,

 

 

No not everything you say is going to be wrong, I am obviously the one in the wrong here.

 

 

 

After all that has been said, I wouldnt suggest to use streamers on the Bow. Rainbows and browns over the 22 inch size are easier caught with insects as told by many here.

 

 

Dont waste your time using streamers. They only work for big Bulls on the highwood.

 

 

Dont contradict anything anyone says on this board. They will hold the fact that you spin fish also against you and use it to enforce thier comments.

 

 

My bad

 

 

steelhead

[Guest bigbadbrent]

glad to see the redneck mentality is still strong and proud 'bigger is always better'

 

I'd rather catch 1 20 incher on a perfectly presented dry, then 3 20 inchers swinging streamers..any day

[Guest bigbadbrent]

and you even admitted to only catching 2 fish in the trip...

 

I'd rather catch a dozen 15"s then 2 bigguns

[steelhead]

and you even admitted to only catching 2 fish in the trip...

 

 

Yes, I am a rube. I am only capeable of one or 2 fish a trip. I bow to the Gods of flyfishing. You guys are right, and I am wrong

 

 

Dont take my advice, its not a proper method for the bow and bigger fish are caught by not using streamers

 

 

Steelhead

[brewingup]

I'm with kungfool.

i snuck out of work early to hit the elbow for just an hour. didn't catch crap but had a great time.

 

I'm also with birchy and thinkin of addin 500 volts to my flyline / nymph setup to see if that helps.

 

(just kiddin birchy!!)

[esleech]

Dude, just let it go. People here fish streamers and people here catch good fish. You're coming across as being insecure, and desperately trying to prove something. 2 facts: streamers work for big fish, dries work for big fish. You have had some sort of epiphany, good for you. When you finally realize that fishing isn't just about catching "big" fish, then you will actually understand what fishing is all about. A wise man once said: "When you read something you know something about, you realize 90% of it is false, and when you read something you don't know anything about, you believe every word." Well, I know alot of members know something about fishing, and we've read a few of your posts...

[steelhead]

Yes MR. leech

 

 

90 percent of what I said was wrong.

 

 

Sorry for offering my advice to this person and giving him an option to try something else. It was all false and its better to take advice from those who know the bow better than myself.

 

 

Steelhead

[birchy]

*sigh*

[esleech]

i will now go and....

[Guest bigbadbrent]

thats 2 fish in about 15 casts. Can you get 2 over 20-23 in 10-15 casts? was piloting boat, 2 tosses at each hole. Walk and wade, was a 2 hour trip. 2 big fish in one hole. I think I did ok.

And as I mentioned, I dont care to catch alot of 15 inchers, Boooooriiiiiiing!!

But you can have em all there kiddo.

 

you can catch 15 fish in 15 casts....and im sure i have a better time then you..

 

And btw, my best night fish of the day put 5 20+ inchers to hand in 6 casts..goodnight!

[OneMoreLastCast]

You bet I researced with dries, nymphs, feeding habits, hatches and all the other piddle and crap(been there, done that!), but I now only throw streamers. Sick of catching lots of little fish.

I think you need to rethink your study habits.

 

I never once said that you cant catch big fish with the methods you all have mentioned. I said, you have a better chance of catching a fish over 24" with a streamer than 5 days fishing dries and droppers. Thats my opinion, and thats from my research. All these pics were 3 days of fishing and the only fish caught were over 20. No smalls, no whites.

 

I'll answer that with some quotes from your own posts. So yes, you did say that.

 

After the 20 inch size is reached, theyre eating other fish, not bugs.....

Bigger the fish, the bigger the bait. Although we all wait and fish for months and years for the monster 24 incher to hit your size 16 Caddis....

If your gonna keep using a wire worm and a size 10 stimmie, get used to small fish.

 

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

I dont fish the bow much at all anymore as I'm bored with it and its overpopulated and it stinks like a outhouse. Fished it to death with every method. Many of which you all have mentioned, and that was a looooong time ago.

 

Much appreciated.

 

You see, I try new things and it has paid off for me. 2 years of dries, 3 years of nymphs and 4 years of streamer fishin.

How many years of streamer fishing do all you guys have??? Obviously not many.

 

Streamers, Dries, Nymphs....Ummm, +30 years here. You don't think we sometimes use streamers? Why would any decent Angler not use the appropriate technique for the situation?

 

Because I am a serious flyangler I use bits and pieces of every style and method of fishing to add to my research to make sure I catch what I am targeting. Because I used cranks, I have found exactly where to cast and fish my streamers to catch big fish. I dont stick with narrowminded thoughts about fishing, I have broadened my horizons. Obviously you havent.

 

Why not cast Streamers to find out exactly where to cast Streamers to catch big fish? Switch back and forth, I could care less as long as it is allowed by the Regulations, but please don't try to say you were casting Cranks as research to help you be a better Fly Fisherman.

And I am the one with a problem?

 

Dont shoot down streamer fishing, these guys have obviously NO clue about it.

 

steelhead

 

The old....Everyone else is wrong and I'm right theory in play. Nice.

[steelhead]

Yah you got me.

 

 

You mentioned that everything you say will be wrong in my eyes. Well, it looks like its the other way around.

 

 

 

You were right all along, and I am wrong. You obviously know way more about fishing the bow than I do. You are not narrowminded for not spin fishing the bow, it is an exclusive fly fishing river and using spin methods for research is all wrong.

 

 

But please, for the interest of others, MTB, when is the right time and place for throwing streamers?

 

I wouldnt mind a few tips from someone who knows and has 30+years, and so would many others on here i'm sure. Do you have any favorite patterns exclusive to the Bow to share?

 

 

Other than cutting up my methods, please add something reasonable. I am also getting tired of cutting up your dribble also.

the old everyone else is wrong and I am right theory is getting tiring

 

 

thank you.

 

 

Steelhead

[Weedy1]

Hey, where did all the Darth Vader pics go?

[OneMoreLastCast]

I'm done with this. Pretty hard to debate anything if you will just go back and edit your original posts.

If you were confident in what you said, why did you go back and change anything?

 

Have a good one.

[Weedy1]

MTB - have you not run into the fisherman that tells you a story one week, only to have him tell you a different story the next week while forgetting he told you the story the week before? I thought this was what fishing was all about, lies and deception. No?

[steelhead]

there was a post a while back where weedy got me on my grammer when he didnt have anything good to say. I called him on it, and he replied with a great response that was helpfull and kind.

 

 

why cant you do the same.

 

 

I asked a question, how about answering it. You obviously dont agree with the use of streamers for big fish, tell us why. Please. other than cutting my methods down and myself being a crank caster.

 

 

When is a good time for streamers?

 

Prove to us you have an answer,

 

steelhead

[dmelenberg]

So I bought me some streamers - to give it a go...

but when I hit the water, I knew I was in over my head.

So yeah, I would like to know when is a good time for streamers,

and back to my original question - current or eddy - where do I 'cast' them?

after realizing that I didn't have any idea on how to use them well, I resorted back to dries.

But truly, how do I use a streamer?

do I place it in an eddy, and draw it back to me (kinda like a spinner might work)?

or do I place it in the current?

 

I think my ranking on this website is newbie, but it also pertains to my prowess thus far.

[Guest bigbadbrent]

streamers in early mornings later in the year, before the bugs wake up. Streamers in runoff..

 

 

I fish mine either by casting upstream and stripping fast enough that im just barely faster then the current, to full out sprinting. Or cast them 45 degree's down stream, and strip, or straight out and strip, or straight out and mend and swing and strip back up....so many options for streamers its ridicilous

[OneMoreLastCast]

By limiting yourself to only one aspect of Fly Fishing, you are likely limiting the number of fish you will catch, as well as limiting yourself to moderately sized fish.

Although I am a proponent of more technical methods when it comes to Fly Fishing such as different Nymphing Techniques Sub-Surface along with Surface techniques with Dry Flies, Crippled and/or Spent Insects and Emergers, there are definitely times when it is effective to use Streamers. Catching fish is not about what they are eating sometimes, but more so where they are located. Streamer fishing can be a great method for locating where the fish are holding because a person can cover so much water. When fishing Streamers, the fish you do catch are more likely to be bigger on average, but don’t be surprised to occasionally have a Trout not much bigger than the Streamer take it.

 

In the span of a day of fishing, I am likely to use all of the techniques in my repertoire in order to better my chances of not only catching more fish, but in catching big fish. I will often switch either Rods with different rigs, or switch my rigging up quite often thru-out a day in order to improve my chances of success.

 

I will skip any discussion on Nymphing and Dry fly fishing and move right into Streamer fishing, both Traditional and Alternative techniques.

 

The Traditional thinking when it comes to fishing Streamers is to use them in the early and later parts of the fishing season when the water is cooler and the fish are stacked up in deep pools. The Streamer would be cast either straight out or slightly downstream, allowing the current to carry it down. The Angler would then strip it back up thru the pool or just on the seam of where the slow water meets the faster water. This was and still is a very effective method for fishing streamers and will usually get a person into some nice fish not only early and late in the year, but can also be good thru-out the summer too. When using this technique, you will often get “chasers” that bite the tail of the Streamer before actually taking the hook in its mouth. So be sure to have patience and let the fish take the hook before yanking your offering away and missing the fish.

 

It has been discovered thru trial and error that Streamers have been greatly under used, as well as very limited in how they have been used. Not only the methods have evolved, but the patterns have as well.

 

Instead of just casting a Leech Pattern or a Wooly Bugger downstream, letting it swing and stripping it up thru deep pools, Streamers can induce aggressive strikes in many different types of water that in the past would have been reserved for Dry Flies or Nymphs.

 

One of my favorite techniques is to cast a heavy weighted “Clouser Minnow” upstream about 45º in faster riffled water letting it hit the water hard. I then strip it back to shore pretty much as fast as I can. This has proven to be effective from shore, but even more effective when casting from a boat to the shore and stripping it from shore. The strikes when using this technique are very explosive and exciting because you can often see the chase and take. This is a technique I used almost exclusively with Clients in my guiding days because not only was it effective, but it was very exciting for the people as well. Be warned though, because you can see the chase and take, people missed a lot of fish due to premature hook sets.

 

Another excellent way to fish Streamers is to fish them opposite of traditional thought. Using either a basic pattern like a Wooly Bugger, Leech, etc. or a newer type of Streamer, cast directly upstream into pools, seams, riffles, etc. and retrieve it just slightly faster than the current adding sharp “Jerks” into the strips. Adding slight side to side action to the retrieve will help induce more strikes as well. The strikes when fishing like this are often very different from the ones mentioned above. The fish are more likely to just scoop the offering up as it passes by them, so I would advise setting the hook on every little bump you feel.

 

We often walk upstream casting Dry Flies as we make our way where sometimes we are successful, but if the fish aren’t looking up or we have the wrong imitation on, we’ve limited our chances of catching fish. We also do the same with Nymphing where we walk up casting behind every boulder, by every log, thru every seam and riffle, etc. This also can produce positive results, but if the fish aren’t interested in our offering, or are simply not feeding, again, we may have limited our chances.

By doing the same with a Streamer while walking upstream and casting to the same exact spots, now we don’t need to be so concerned with “matching the hatch” because we are inducing a strike out of aggression or opportunistic behavior. A fish that may have fed all day and is, or was, content on just relaxing for a bit will chase and bite a streamer where Dries or Nymphs might get ignored.

 

The last technique I will talk about is to combine two practices into one. Tie a Wooly Bugger, Leech, Bee-Otch, etc. (Traditional Maribou type Streamer), on under an Indicator. Cast it thru water that you would cast a Nymph set up thru, but strip it back at the end of the drift. You will get a lot of strikes on the dead drift as well as on the strip retrieve.

 

Don’t get me wrong, personally I prefer fishing the other two ways I mentioned, but I would never limit myself. There are also a lot more ways to fish Streamers than I mentioned and one big positive thing to Streamer fishing is that there are so many ways to fish them, so experiment and come up with your own “Secrets”.

 

A few tips to close.

1. Weight your streamers appropriately. Simply making them really heavy can sometimes limit your success. There are times when casting light Streamers thru fast, shallow water where it rides just under the surface is what you want.

2. Tie a Swivel on your line to help with line twisting.

3. Use heavier line of course because of the aggressive strikes that can happen. Also check your line often for abrasions, knots, etc. because it would be a shame to hook into that fish of a lifetime only to lose it to a break off that could have been avoided.

4. Duck! Nothing can ruin a great day like a big heavy eyed Streamer in the teeth. Start off casting smaller lighter streamers and work your way up so you get used to casting them.

5. Have fun. Isn’t that why we fish in the first place.

[dmelenberg]

Much obliged MTB and bbb,

I did have fun trying the techniques.

thanks for the encouragement!

cya on the river,

FH&D.

[OneMoreLastCast]

Rusty made some great suggestions in another post that would help as well.

 

http://flyfishcalgary.com/board/index.php?...ost&p=18181

[Hawgstoppah]

Funny thread. I... uhh... have caught more of my biggest fish, on dries, than any other method. And I don't catch just little "time wasting piddlers" or whatever this dude calls 'em.

 

Streamers is a great way as well. Dark days, early morning, or late evening are your best times. Olive/ Black / brown are your best colors. Your absolute best shot at huge fish on the bow is just after runoff, when theres a lot of water in it and about 1-2 feet of vis. Throw those big 'ol streamers in and fish them a foot or less off deep slow shores. And hang on.......

 

And I'll have to say this. Up to about 6 or 7 years ago (maybe even 10) I would toss "cranks" into the bow. For those that say the sjw hooks fish badly, go watch someone cranking them. about 80% of those fish go back with scars/cutts/gouged eyes, etc. That's why I quit doing it. 'd suggest you do the same Steelhead.... or at least cut 'em back to one single hook somewhere.

[birchy]

Funny thread. I... uhh... have caught more of my biggest fish, on dries, than any other method. And I don't catch just little "time wasting piddlers" or whatever this dude calls 'em.

 

Streamers is a great way as well. Dark days, early morning, or late evening are your best times. Olive/ Black / brown are your best colors. Your absolute best shot at huge fish on the bow is just after runoff, when theres a lot of water in it and about 1-2 feet of vis. Throw those big 'ol streamers in and fish them a foot or less off deep slow shores. And hang on.......

 

And I'll have to say this. Up to about 6 or 7 years ago (maybe even 10) I would toss "cranks" into the bow. For those that say the sjw hooks fish badly, go watch someone cranking them. about 80% of those fish go back with scars/cutts/gouged eyes, etc. That's why I quit doing it. 'd suggest you do the same Steelhead.... or at least cut 'em back to one single hook somewhere.

 

Psssft! Whatta YOU know Brian.. you were just a guide!

[steelhead]

What did I say that gave you the assumption that I use all the hooks on a crank? Maybee you should have asked before assuming. I use single barbless hooks. I cant say the same for everyone else that cranks, thats them, this is me. That way i dont belly, back and face hook like using a dropper fly. As much as no one likes me here, I do have concern for the fish I catch, and only use single hooks and single flies, no droppers as they foul hook alot. I would like to see the regs change to stop the use of dropper flies. They are the fly anglers pickerel rig. used by flyangling butchers all over the province. They are bad. So yah , make me into the boogey man and the reason all the big fish are scarred, when you had to change fishing styles and not the amount of hooks on your crank to stop foul hooking and scarring fish.

 

 

How did I know someone was going ask when the best time to use streamers was. He he. Thanks for answering my question MTB. Like you told fly high and dry, " By limiting yourself to only one aspect of Fly Fishing, you are likely limiting the number of fish you will catch, as well as limiting yourself to moderately sized fish." Now hes trying streamers. Excellent job on the encouragement. A big change from your initial comments about streamers.

 

 

My take on whens the best time to throw streamers, ANYTIME, any day, any part of the season.

 

And why I say that........

 

 

Theres one constant on the BOW, and thats baitfish. They are always present, no hatch times of year, no seasons for baitfish, they are always in there. And there isnt a trout on the planet that wont hit at a well presented baitfish pattern at any time of year. Whitefish, dace of 3 different varieties, 3 types of suckers, 2 types of shiner, perch, troutperch, small trout, sculpin, darters. WOW, theres just as many types of baitfish as there are types of bugs. Isnt that something!

 

Because no one can open up a big trout on the Bow to see what it eats, no one really knows what the largest fish are eating with any definite answer, all assumptions. I have caught 24 inch plus bows out of lake Mcgregor many times. They all go into that lake from the bow river. They can be kept there. I have kept a few as have many people I know. Whats in thier stomachs??? Perch minnows, shiner minnows, sucker minnows, and maybee a few bugs and shrimp. Mostly baitfish. And if anyone here knows lake Mcgregor, they would know its full of bugs and shrimp. Humm? Why is it all those big fish eat all the baitfish before eating bugs?? Hummm? Maybee theres something to that?

 

Now, many of you have launched a boat at Makinnons (like all the know-it-all ex-guides who have come to bash me) and have fished there. If you have, you will notice the amount of baitfish at your feet in the shallows. There are millions billions trilions of baitfish in that river. And they can be seen there at all times of year, long before and long after all the major hatches of bugs. A fish may be slammin bugs, but if he sees a baitfish swimmin by, hes on it. The big fish know a good meal when they see it. Fish are programed to eat dead and dying fish. Its a healthy meal and they get more nutrient than a bug for the work they put out for it. The fish know that, why dont any of you realize that?

 

 

No matter what time of year your fishing, day, night, dawn, dusk, clear water or stained, no matter what type of bugs the trout are after, they will always hit a well presented baitfish pattern. Thats what big trout do.

 

This is too much fun! Keep the shots comin boys. And open up a book and read about trout, you might learn something!

 

 

Steelhead

 

 

Getting a big kick out of this thread too!! Thanks for your entertaining insights.