[Sandy Nelson]

I've tried to quantify what i would tell the bairn in an effort to word what i was refferring to before.

Observation being the key, it is learning which twitch of the line to respond too, and how.
Tightenening the line instead of striking with the rod will allow you to continue your retrieve if you miss or if it was a false alarm. Lightweight flylines help, the reduced drag of a 3 or 4 wt line on the surface allows the lines to present less resistance to the fish and be moved more easily, indicating a take more readily. This helps with spotting more takes in the first place.
For a start small indicators help if you install them on the leader and not the flyline, small dryflies or foam pads help you spot the movements that covert to fish. Once you become accustomed to the indication you can remove the indicator and use the flyline as your source for movement.Greasing the first foot or so of leader at the end of the flyline can also be used (the great Frank Sawyer did this).
Figure of eight retrieves help you to stay in contact with the flies and this helps to convert hook ups.
Sinking lines are different, normally it is done by feel, but again the striking thing with nips and plucks, a tightening of the line will be more useful and allow missed takes to perhaps become additional follows as the fly has kept in a fairly constant motion.
Varying the speed of retrieve will allow you to try different depths, once you find the fish you will catch, the time spent experimenting at the start of the day will pay off later on.

The other thing to remember is stillwater fish move around so watching a feeding fish you can establish a pattern and then intercept it. casting at a riseform is pointless as the fish is already gone, casting ahead or behind the sworl gives a 50\50 chance of hitting the fish's path. The type of sworl indicates how fast the fish is travelling and how deep it is swimming, time spent watching fish in clear water will help you learn these things. then you can predict roughly where the fish is going to be when you cast.
The advantage on stillwater is a duff cast is soon forgotten as the fish has moved anyway, much less likely to spook than on the river, where the fish hold station to feed and are easily spooked by inaccurate casting.

hope this helps, i dont think i've ever typed so fast

Sandy

[Irvine Ross]

I'm with Sandy  on this.

I think experienced angler can spot the slight twitch which tells you a fish has sucked in the fly and can distinguish between that and the motion caused by wind and water. Its a bit like an experienced driver on a patch of ice. By the time your realise your car is skidding your hands have already applied the correction. You react first and think later.

The experienced angler reacts instinctively first, then becomes fully aware, and realises he has in fact got a fish on. It feels like a sixth sense because you were not consciously aware of the signal that made you lift the rod. Half your mind was elsewhere at the time. Of course you can only learn the signals as a beginner by concentrating and some people never do. They just catch the fish that hook themselves.

Irvine

[Sandy Nelson]

The sworl thing a small general rule to start from

The more gentle the sworl the higher in the water the fish is swimming

Sandy

[Colin Davidson]

hello all,

had this very discussion in the hut last wednesday, the really windy day. i'd given up with buzzers as i couldnt control the floating line and it wasnt deep enough for the intermediate. tried it, lost some flies. however one chap was managing the floater. 2 buzzers on the cast. i asked for some tips and he said "dont know mate, this only my 4th time out. i got the kit for xmas." he'd had 4 trout  int the first two hours and i'd had zilch. i had to change to heavier buzzers, longer leader and casting into the wind to get any control and start spotting takes. this is just one example of people catching and others not for no apparent reason.

i believe in the sixth sense idea as i have several times watched the line coming round and thought this is the cast that'll catch and its worked. i also agree with the sub-concious idea that the arm reacts before the brain engages because if this wasnt the case i'd be slightly worse than i am, with a dry fly!!

there is no way to teach this, as i've picked the brains of the local instructors and also the better englers on my local waters. they all agree that there is no reason for them to outperform other anglers. however... they all, if listened to closely, have made observations of a fishery they know well or of conditions on the day, that i wouldnt even of been looking for.

so there's my input here. i think keeping quiet and a low profile and your eyes open  even whilst stopping for a cuppa can make all the difference. also as stated by some of the other lads, change. change flies, depth speed size colour tail length retrieve. mainly depth and speed. keep in touch with your flies and watch eveything around you.

sorry there is no definite answer here but if there was one i'd gladly put it here.

i like the idea of this thread and i really hope it helps some other folk as well as me! 


Colin