Fishing The Fly Scotland
Index => Main Discussion Area => Topic started by: Colin Davidson on 29/11/2006 at 00:51
-
love it or hate it its a method that is here to stay, many anglers fish this method exclusively and catch a lot of fish, some use it sparingly and dont seem to get a touch. well i've posted this topic to find out why. from both sides of the coin, why it works and when and why it doesnt work and when. i use this method to great success most of the time, holds up buzzers and lures (or both) and allows me to fish at a constant depth when i know where the fish are feeding. and its great fun. i prefer to catch when 'watching the loop' but missed a lot of takes as i learned this method, the indicator was the answer for me but now i fish 50/50 (indicator/loop methods) when fishin buzzers/nymphs/lures slowly.
the whole purpose of this is to find out some new tips and methods that i havent thought of in the llast 17 years on the rod so please post a comment or send an email telling me what works for you where.
also please bear in mind that im not arguing for or against here just wanting to hear some new views on tried and tested methods. if you have lot of success without an indicator when fishing slowly let me know this too please with some info on how you do it.
thanks for reading and please reply/comment.
Colin Davidson.
-
Colin
We've had some heated debates over this in the past, as have a lot of sites.The outcome has always been each to his own as long as its done fairly.
meaning not sitting on plastic boxes like coarse anglers and the striking so hard it rips the fishes mouths apartn(as has been happening on some waters up here).Indicators are great for people with failing eyesight or as you say to ensure fishing at a constant depth with buzzers as the waves make the flies rise and fall like the real thing, so it is effectively imitative fishing, however float fishing lures doesn't really amount to the same thing.
That said i rely on the tip of the flyline as my indicator when fishing buzzers, but then i never fish static (no patience :z4 ) I like my flies to move in the water and i can vary the depth with more control, by altering my retrieve speed, during the course of a day the fish will change positions in the water and i like to keep with them.I suppose on some heavily stocked waters this doesn't matter so much as you could stick to one depth and there will be fish there most of the time so you will catch, its just not what i choose to do.
The indicator was good for teaching my son how to spot takes when he was nymph/buzzer fishing but eventually he wanted rid of it. Since the removal of the indicator his casting improved no end and he seems to get as much satisfaction from this, as from catching the fish.His catch rate stayed about the same.
So to sum up i like a nice longish leader 15-20 ft, a couple of flies, a dead slow figure of eight, and i like to be mobile.
Sandy
-
I have tried the sight bob once and lasted half an hour. Caught 3 fish and thought it was boring waiting around for my bob to dip under. To me its like using a plastic bubble!. I normally fish with 15ft leader + and a few flies and if i need to adjust my depth i tend to shorten my leader length.
As for fishing a sightbob with a lure -one i dont use a lure at the best of times and 2 i cant understand why anyone would do this. I use the tip of my leader as an indicator and enjoy the fact that i have to be on the ball so i dont miss any takes.
Everyone to there own but i enjoy buzzers and nymph's without a bob!
-
baz and sandy, thankyou for replying and for your information, very useful. i have trouble with the tip of my fly line sinmking, (only 3 months old) so struggle to see takes at the end of the line although i watch the loop now, thankyou trout fisherman magazine, and have more success with this method. do wither of you apply floatant to the last few feet of fly line to keep it riding high sat all or does this asffect the lines performance. if so, what sort of floatant would you suggest?
thanks again for the prompt reply
Colin.
-
Befor i stick a new line in the water i always seal the end of the tip with super glue. I use a cortland 444 peach floater line and never seam to haven any problems with my line floating. Its also good to wash your line regulary and as for floatant i might stick a bit of mucilin on now and again.
-
hi colin
ive alredy said my piece about float "fishing or indicators" but what sandy has just said rounds it all up.no lures should be fished under an indicator
henry from
the water buoys
-
Any method that is legal at the fishery must, by definition, be OK If you don't like it don't do it.
-
thanks baz i'll give it a good wash and try a bit of mucilin. its a greys line and fairly new so im surprised this is happening not had any trouble before.
Everyone else, im not trying to open a debate on indicator fishing, just looking for some hints and tips on hoiw to fish slowly successfully whether with indi's or not.
Cheers again, Colin.
-
if you dont want your line to sink dont fish that big fluffy lure with a gold head :z2
Stick with the naturals!
-
Colin
I never use loops, they bugger up the tip of a line when casting and ruin presentation, the tip of a line is designed to be delicate as general rule and adding a loop unbalances the tip, it will also absorb water and sink.
i use nail knots for leader joining to flyline and seal them with superglue just like Baz.
I also treat all my lines with a line slicking agent such as lineslick or any silicon based product. I tend to clean them once a month and then apply a new coating, it only takes 10 mins and my current line is as good as new after 2 years hard use.It still floats really well too even with weighted point flies.It really makes a difference to any line.
Sandy
-
I like your style sandy - You sound scarily like myself :cool:
-
Sandy,
maybe i've confused things, when i say i watch the loop i watch the loop of my fly line between the rod tip and the surface of the water, if it twitches or flattens i strike but miss most of the takes. thats what i really need the help and tips about.
sorry for the confusion guys, Colin.
-
Colin
Why watch the line just under the tip of the rod when the flies are 15yds away?
your indicator is at the top of your leader, so watch the tip of your leader instead, same thing much easier to cast with.
Treat the line nice and it will float :z16
By the time a twitch reaches the rod tip the fish has often long gone.
I watched a Golden rainbow one day cruising , i cast a couple of buzzers to it, got the distance right and waited as it swum past, the fish never changed its direction, its mouth never flashed white, the line never moved, so i lifted the rod to re cast and found myself attached to an angry goldie, it had taken the fly with no indication whatsoever and i could see everything very clearly. Makes you wonder how many times a fly gets taken and you dont know at all.
One of the reasons i like my flies to move, even if its only slightly.
Sandy
-
Hi Colin
Welcome to the forum :z16
Lots of great feedback there ......... I'm with Sandy, get the end of your fly line floating and keep the fly moving :wink:
Best wishes
Mike
-
mixing two posts in one
-- a big fave fly of mine on stillwaters is a claret hopper, size 14 or 16.
use it on the dropper, and have a wee buzzer on the point;
if the buzzer is light, the hopper will keep it suspened; voila -- hopper acts as indicator ;-) and buzzer is in top layers of water. you then have chances of fish on both flies ;-)
cheers
iain
-
I do the same thing :wink: but I've also tried the "New Zealand" method of tying off the buzzer/nymph off the bend of the dry fly - interesting method which works, but looks odd :shock:
-
To be honest, i used to use a strike indicator when fishing buzzers but found that it would not present them as nice, sure you miss a couple bites and lose a couple from not hooking them well when watching your line, but in the long run you are probably going to catch more fish and you won't have a bright orange peice of yarn above your fly which i think puts them off slightly. just cast your line into the wind slightly let the wind push it around taking in the slack at all times and it will present them really well and you'll catch more fish than when you are using a peice of yarn or floam. so i would say as long as you have a good floating line there is no need for an indicator. It's probably more relaxing as well.
Jay
-
Well put jay
:z16
Sandy
-
i'm converted :z4 :z4
spent a most enjoyable four hours at a fishery called Regal which is in Drumclog and fished the method you describe Jay, black buzzer orange cheeks on point and olive buzzer on the dropper (black size 10 olive size 12) missed three takes in the first 20mins and almost reached for the indi but then i saw it, the tip of the line went under i struck and landed a lovely 4pounder. finished the session having banked 9 and lost 2, and as far as i remember i only missed about three more during the day. fished across the wind.
tremendous sport and great fun! and now my indicators are in the bin!
i followed all the advice given here on this page (washing the line, mucilin etc) and it all came together for me! thankyou all very much for being so helpful.
Colin.
-
Great stuff Colin :z16
It just takes a little confidence ........... you must try fishing spiders like this too :wink:
Best wishes
Mike
-
coooooool!
As mike says ,try spiders with the same method, might be a little late in the season now, but it should still work when the fish are in the upper layers.Its even more fun. :z16
Sandy
-
I started fly fishing 3 years ago and began using indicators(fish pimp type)last winter in a bid to stop my finger freezing during some very,very cold winter sessions and a couldn't believe the fun i had.I still use then most trips but only the white ones as i also believe the brighter ones either put the fish off.
A handy hint if you decide to rake your bucket to get your indicators back or anybody who still has no morals :lol: and is still using these little foam devices is too use a hot needle to put a hole in the top AND bottom of the rubber stopper and to thread your leader OUT of the top hole and INTO the bottom hole before attaching the indicator.This will stop the line creeping round the stopper and you losing your indicator.
-
great tip derek hope fully i wont always see my pimp landing 10 yards away from my leader and flys anymore