[Jim Eddie]

Following on from Baz’s cruel jibe (I have feelings Baz) about me using lures at Lintrathen, It got me thinking about whether we  sometimes look down  on other peoples methods .
It got me thinking is it “traditionalism or snobbery” Yobs with Blobs etc.

Where do we draw the line ? Do we look down on Salmon fishing  for using lures ? After all when was the last time you saw a  hatch of Munro Killers or Willie Gunns ?  I believe if they had had the synthetic materials we have today there would have also been some Salmon flies that resembled Christmas decorations.

Personally I have no problem if people want to fish Dry fly only, Wet fly, Nymph or Lures as long as its within the rules of the location you are fishing its fine with me.

Personally I would prefer to fish dries , but if its obvious that method is not going to work on the day , I’m happy to fish wets , nymphs, lures  whatever is working on the day that will catch fish. If someone else want to persist with dries well that fine and dandy with me.

To quote Gierach “-"If we carry purism to it's logical conclusion, to do it right you'd have to live naked in a cave, hit your trout on the head with rocks, and eat them raw. But, so as not to violate another essential element of the fly-fishing tradition, the rocks would have to be quarried in England and cost $300 each."

 

Jim

   

[Peter McCallum]

It's never the method thats at fault simply the man.

[Ben Dixon]

Nothing wrong with blobs, on a floating line, ginked up and fished on the surface (at warp speed) they provide one of the most visual and exciting ways of fishing for stilwater trout.  Don't really think you can make a fair comparison between trout & salmon flies, when fishing for salmon we are fishing for something that does not (can't?) feed in freshwater, I have always meant to try fishing saltwater / sandeel patterns vor them in the river to see how they fair, not got round to it as yet.  I would also prefer to fish dries or preferably upstream spiders for river trout but in some situations or, if I am after big fish in certain situations I will chuck something nasty.  Baz commented on the size of fly I was fishing yesterday, a #4 is about nomal, #2 is a better bet anything much smaller than a 6 does not produce the same size of fish for me.

Some of my favourite river patterns, to be fished on at least a type VI and stripped like crazy, there are a few sublteties however....







Cheers

Ben

[Barry Robertson]

Good question Jim and a great answer in return Ben.
Nice to hear i am not the only one who strip blobs or rolly pollys 
I kind of understand the princeples of a big wooly bugger on coloured or high water but it seams this method is ok and is seen as the norm 

But....
As soon as talk of a blob or a booby comes into it , some people say oh thats not fishing i would never resort to that and boobys always end up right down the fishes neck  ???
As Peter said it's the angler thats the problem and not the method. Of course a booby will go right down the throat of a fish if its not fished correctly and fished out the back of a boat on the trawl or static.
But all these flies have there uses and fished correctly can produce awesome sport and results.
I personally dont think it's snobbery but just a poor understanding!
Good thread though Jim 

[Ben Dixon]

Baz,

A blob or booby is no different to a peach dog nobbler, simply an attractor in my mind although a booby is unique in that it is buoyant but fished subsurface, there are some tyers on the continent that tie nymphs with with foam and fish with split shot, similar effect to a booby whereby a fly with a lower density than water is held beneath held beneath it.  I believe that it is the way that the fly is fished that it most important, fish a big enough black blob on a river in the same way that I would fish a woolly bugger and I think the results would be similar.

Cheers

Ben

[Noel Kelly]

I'm another who will happily fish anything that I can throw with a fly rod. I enjoy all the methods that I have tried and all have equal merit.   

[Sandy Nelson]

I'm another who will happily fish anything that I can throw with a fly rod. I enjoy all the methods that I have tried and all have equal merit.   

Hear hear 

Once something is no longer new then it becomes a traditional method if many people use it

Sandy

[Paul Rankine]

Hi All,
           Of course it's snobbery.

Look at how they catch fly fish for river trout in America.

No real distinction is drawn between fishing large muddlers and other more garish often very large streamer patterns and fishing "traditionally" there. It's a case of what's required at the time .

It's only here that we hold on to these silly ideas (until someone brings the patterns back here).
Ollie's poodles come to mind .

And very effective they are too !

 

[ColinC]

I'm another who will happily fish anything that I can throw with a fly rod. I enjoy all the methods that I have tried and all have equal merit.   

I too would fish with anything, although i do think a ball of powerbait on a floating line would be frowned upon.

[Rob Brownfield]

I guess I would be classed as a snob...but i don't mean to be 

I turned up at a local water to be confronted by people sitting on stumps, casting out with indicators and fishing static blobs..so I did not even bother going to the ticket office.

Does this make me a snob? I guess it does.

However, I am a firm believer in using the best method for the conditions/day. Some of my flies I use would scare even Ben! Maybe its a "self control" condition that I have put on myself in that if I think I am not working for my fish, I won't fish the method. I have fished the "indicator" with buzzers..had 3 fish in 3 casts at Mikes so put the indicator away.

For salmon, I would love to be able to trot a shrimp under a float, working it down the runs, holding back so it flutters up over a boulder, letting it run so it drops into the deeper holes..but I would be hung drawn and quartered!! For me, this is far more skilful than casting a fly out and letting it swing round, taking a step and repeating. But shrimping is the pastime of "poachers and murderers"..

Maybe I am just confused. ???

[Paul Rankine]

Here is an article for traditional streamer fishers,

http://hatchesmagazine.com/blogs/Hatches/2009/08/29/barr-flies-by-john-barr/

 

Paul.

[paavo]

Hiyah Jim

Traditionalism or snobbery? Good thread. I’m a river fisher, most grayling, so for me it’s simple. It’s with dries to 90%, effectively? 
It’s about having fun. Isn’t it?
Folks, fish the way you are pleased with.´

//Harri

[Jim Eddie]

Hiyah Jim

Traditionalism or snobbery? Good thread. I’m a river fisher, most grayling, so for me it’s simple. It’s with dries to 90%, effectively? 
It’s about having fun. Isn’t it?
Folks, fish the way you are pleased with.´

//Harri

Thats the way I see it to Harri 

[Iain Goolager]

I'm a SNOB!

Don't care for certain methods but care even less for a certain type of fisherman.

wrote a long speech but felt posting it was pointless.

Iain

[Jim Eddie]

I'm a SNOB!

Don't care for certain methods but care even less for a certain type of fisherman.

wrote a long speech but felt posting it was pointless.

Iain

Och come on Iain Baz is not that bad 

 

Jim