When To Change

[nickt]

i have a question regaring the smaller streams and rivers where there is an obviouse start and end to each pool and the is some walking distnce in between. if you were to set out for a planned all day trip where you would like to start near the truck and end way out in the boonies which is usually the case. do you guys switch flies at each pool if they are not responding to what you are going for, or do you do your passes on each pool with one or maybey 2 flies then move on. or do you sit at each pool and work it unil you get something. i am interested to see how everyone attacks this scenario.

 

kfisher

[Guest bigbadbrent]

Cutthroat or browns?

[nickt]

Cutthroat or browns?

 

good question. well lets go with either or i am guessing for browns you wait a little longer at each pool until you find the sweet spot andcuttie you move on andfigure you will get one in the next pool

[maxwell]

could be the flies tipppet presentaion approach too the run etc.. try too get it nailed down in the first few pools.. im up for switching alot of stuff the first few times till i get results then work on the fine tuning....... biggest thing i would say is approach too teh run kills alot of us... second would be how u present teh flies and work the run/pool..... tippet next then flies. htat is if i no they are working

[Guest bigbadbrent]

Browns are a lot more likely to stay in a pool and stare at you and not feed, cutties will either bolt, or make themselves unseen (same with rainbows) if they think somethings wrong...There are some pools where i will catch fish the pool before, and the pool after using the same flies, but that one pool is my 'modesty' pool. If its not working, i'll change flies every time. I also use at least 2 flies at all time, so it helps.

 

If you're not changing flies, but not catching fish..its not that the fish aren't feeding, it's they're just not feeding on what you have...change change change till you hit one, then stick with it till it stops working then change change change (if you havent got a hit on the first cast when site fishing, the same fly won't get hit on the 20th hit..)..probably the one thing i tell new people, if its not working, CHANGE IT UP, change the weight, change the tippet size, change something!

 

You get a refusal, make the fly smaller, get another refusal, make the tippet smaller....

[maxwell]

yup liek brent siad.. someitmes if u get a few on that fly it could be a size or color issue or maybe jsut thick tippet..... stealth is key aswell for anytrout

[nickt]

yup liek brent siad.. someitmes if u get a few on that fly it could be a size or color issue or maybe jsut thick tippet..... stealth is key aswell for anytrout

 

ok hen that is pretty much as i am doing. my next question then would be what size tippet do you guys us for say a size 10 hook and what size tippet for a 16 or 20. am i on the right track with about a 4x for the 10 and 6x for the later two?

[Guest bigbadbrent]

For dries, you're bang on, 5x will do for a 16 though.. (again fish related)

for nymphs, i use 8lb vanish and that's it, if it fits through the eye, i'll use it..

[nickt]

For dries, you're bang on, 5x will do for a 16 though.. (again fish related)

for nymphs, i use 8lb vanish and that's it, if it fits through the eye, i'll use it..

awsome. it is nice to see i am realatively on the sme page as you guys. so now just gotta work on that approach. man am i bad at that. always so wound up to get on the water i scareem all away on the small streams. but orkin on it.

[BRH]

change change change

 

I tend to agree with bigbadbrent but caution you not to change too quick, just for the sake of changing. You can spend your entire day changing flies and tippets ... spending more time changing them than fishing them. Just because you aren't catching fish doesn't mean the fish aren't feeding or that you're using the wrong flies. More often than not, the presentation is the killer. Not necessarily the killer in catching fish but rather the killer in not catching them. I tend to be a bit slow on the draw when it comes to changing flies and/or tippets. I tend to change presentation markedly more often, while searching, than changing flies and/or tippets. I also take a lot longer to fish a hole than my companions do. Whether or not that translates into greater angling success is a matter of perspective.

[nickt]

I tend to agree with bigbadbrent but caution you not to change too quick, just for the sake of changing. You can spend your entire day changing flies and tippets ... spending more time changing them than fishing them. Just because you aren't catching fish doesn't mean the fish aren't feeding or that you're using the wrong flies. More often than not, the presentation is the killer. Not necessarily the killer in catching fish but rather the killer in not catching them. I tend to be a bit slow on the draw when it comes to changing flies and/or tippets. I tend to change presentation markedly more often, while searching, than changing flies and/or tippets. I also take a lot longer to fish a hole than my companions do. Whether or not that translates into greater angling success is a matter of perspective.

 

 

you make a good point. thanks or the intput. i always like to see how other people tackle each scenario compared to how i do because i am self taught so any little advice goes a long way for me.

[bulltrout]

streamers/nymphs going upstream and dries coming back down to the truck (unless i'm in a hurry in which i'll dry it upstream scouting as i go and then hole picking back down, hitting the ones i've seen something big in)...

[nickt]

streamers/nymphs going upstream and dries coming back down to the truck (unless i'm in a hurry in which i'll dry it upstream scouting as i go and then hole picking back down, hitting the ones i've seen something big in)...

you know that is a great system. that really must work doesnt it.

[rusty]

Always the possibility you're fishing up behind someone, or that you're still close to the truck. I know a few streams where I just walk by the first mile of stream as they get hammered. You get away from the footprints and the fishing picks up substantially.

[Hawgstoppah]

Try and find a hatch chart of the river your going to. Start with nymphing the nymph imitations of whats going to be hatching. This is usually bang on, just change up your depth to suit each run. Try to work upstream rather than down, but if your working down walk AROUND a pool out of sight, and then work back up it, when finished walk down to the next pool and do the same thing, don't forget to fish behind boulders and in runs between pools too.

[tgo]

Yeah, I agree with Hawgstoppah, I tend to spend alot more time focusing on the less obvious holding water like small pocket water, short runs, boulders etc. on cuttie streams and undercut banks, bends etc on brwon trout streams. Obviously this is impacted by the time of year and water levels as well. Just make sure you'r not moving too fast on to the next nice deep pool.