FLYMPH FORUM

If you took a long hard look at the tying and dressing sections you could suffer pattern and technique meltdown. There are imitative flies, works of art, experimental flies, flights of fancy etc.....

Mike C has espoused some of his methods and his thinking behind his patterns and techniques.

Anyone else prepared to share their fishing methods, their thoughts behind the patterns they use, the type of water they fish, their general approach to things.

Don't be shy, no matter your level of experience etc.... it would be interesting to hear some fresh ideas or even an overview of our different approaches etc..

To my mind a fly in a vice or sitting on a piece of ornate wood or in a clip or a box is an inaminate obeject, it really only comes to life when there is a reason beyond simply the application of fur and feather - what is is designed for and how it is fished is what breathes life and meaning and possibility into the pattern.

Before Willowhead takes out his six gun and heads in my direction I am off course only referring to flies intended for fishing.

Anyone up for this. ?

Otter,
I use a lot of different approaches dependent on how the fish are behaving. You must remember the approach to fly fishing, period, differs in various parts of the world. (Many English wet fly enthusiasts discourage the downstream fly) Where I live and fish most, the Genesee River, in the U.S. the trout like and respond most favorably to a moving fly. Perhaps this is because we have large caddis fly populations, While upstream techniques with soft-hackles work sometime for me, it it mostly up and across, letting the fly sink to the appropriate level in the water column, then activating the fly. Sometime, this is used to an active fish, other times to a likely spot where a fish might be. Often times I just hold the rod still and let the fly rise as the line tightens. At other times I activate the fly purposefully, taking in line via the hand twist retrieve, gently rocking the rod as I lift it gradually. This can be done with one fly or a cast of flies.

In certain spots under certain conditions, A fast retrieve with a team of three flies works quite well. You can read more about that, here.

http://flyanglersonline.com/features/ol ... art402.php

I also find a team of flies fished upstream and retrieved at about water speed, letting the top fly dance in the surface while the others trail will often result in a good fish. I use other little nuances as well, like casting to a spot where a fish might be, letting the fly touch the water momentarily, then withdraw it. You can repeat this if you wish. Then recast and let the fly settle in the film and sink. This often brings a good response.

In A River Runs Through It Paul Maclean develops a technique he calls "shadow casting". While a bit more pronounced than the last technique I mentioned, above, I find it quite similar.

Mark

Great to see you posting Mark. When we do Roscoe, i'll bring my copy (DVD) of Shadow Casting and we can watch it. Great documentary all bout the making of A River Runs Through It and the life of Norman McLean as told by Robert Redford, the actors in the movie and family members of the author.

Otter.....even though my pistol is fresh cleaned, loaded and handy.....there's absolutely no need today. i'm in complete agreement with you when it comes to a fishin' fly. Far as the other flies are concerned.....they actually be fishin' flies as well............you just fishin' for somethin' else..........but (speaking for myself) for the exact same reasons..........to answer your "what it is designed for"............."life, meaning, and possibility."

Upstream/downstream histrionics are pretty meaningless to folks who fish stillwater 96% of the time and to those who do not have trout within 200 miles or wild, self-sustaining trout within a much broader radius than that. Are we okay with spiders aimed at say, bluegill and green sunfish?

How about a minnow-imitating pattern with a white hackle collar tied to target temperate bass?

Are we ready for a 2/0 saltwater soft hackle? Will we, like Colonel Kurtz, mutter, "The horror. The horror"?

Swell.....i'm DEFINATELY ready for 2/0 saltwater softhackle...............bring it on. LOVE to see a pic........

W.H. - you mentioned a DVD "Shadow Casting". May I ask where you found it? I'd be real interested in picking one up, sounds like an interesting "watch".

willowhead wrote:Swell.....i'm DEFINATELY ready for 2/0 saltwater softhackle...............bring it on. LOVE to see a pic........

http://hatchesmagazine.com/page/may2006/178

http://www.tylerbefus.com/fly-tying-tut ... .cfm?id=25

http://www.jackgartside.com/step_dc_sh_deceiver.htm

http://www.jackgartside.com/step_new_wa ... hackle.htm

TL
MC

i have it on VHS and i can't remember where i got it...........i've had it quite a few years...........first i got the movie A River Runs Through It and later on Shadow Casting, the making of A River Runs Through It. Both are excellant. Actually i got the book "first" (funny, i remember where i got that.....in a fly shop in Vermont in the 90's), and as always the book is even better than the movie......but the movie is wonderful. i musta watched the thing over 50 times. i think i know the dialog by heart.........
Shadow Casting is very very interesting.......try Amazon or some one of those type of "houses." It's just been so long, i can't remember where i got it.....was prolly a fly shop somewhere. Hope you find it.....you'll love it.

Btw, thankx Mike, very much. You one hell of a Johnny-On-The-Spot dude.....seen all those before..........yeah, i'm even hip to the kid..... Was hoping to see something by Swell..... ..........oh....Swellllllll.........

Dear Swellcat,
In answer to your question "Are we okay with spiders aimed at say , bluegills and green sunfish?" Yeah, I'm o.k. with that. It's all that I have! It turns out that my little speckled darlings are very willing participants in what ever wet patterns I throw at them! Are they stupid? Not really. Sometimes they are just as finicky as any trout!
The horror? No, the joy of it all!
Yours in a troutless land (but the insects are here!),
Dougsden