FLYMPH FORUM

This all started off as a fly pattern over in fly dressings, but has evolved somewhat after a bit of field testing, so I decided to shift over here and go more into the technique, or rather how I use the pattern.
I have been trialling the Soft Hackle version for a few months now, different sizes and material combinations, but exclusively teamed as the point fly behind a heavily weighted nymph (usually a #14 Pheasant tail or GRHE either lead wrap weighted or tungsten bead head).
Nymphing is a popular past time here, second only to the dry fly only crowd, so there is a lot of knowledge held here for the method and techniques used, not to mention specific ties for specific waters. I threw most of that out the window for these tests.
I used most methods of presentation, to sighted fish and hopeful prospecting of likely holds. I also varied the dropper length from around 6" (hoping the larger heavier fly caught the fishes eye and he took the more pattern match sized Pogo) to around 20", both with and without yarn indicator.
Nymphing without an indicator can be fun, but frustrating, depending on the rod choice and water current. A lot of the water I was covering required reasonable distance casts- making it hard to sight the end of the line (as I was using Rio line with an olive head and yellow running line) so I was relying on touches being transmitted through the line to the rod and onto my hand, more than seeing the line stop or head upstream. This is one of the areas where glass rods shine all over graphite in my opinion. For the size of the water, size of the fish and to suit my mediocre casting, I really enjoy my VXP Sage, so most of the time I was using an indicator, the type I will go into later, but it is the best system I have come across yet and many of my American friends have never heard of it until they see it hanging from my vest, or me using it.

The original ties I posted showed a black foam wingcase, this has been replaced with tan foam. The tail is now a clump of organza ribbon fibres instead of the two strands of krystal flash, abdomen Golden Pheasant tail fibres ribbed with fine copper wire, thorax of Aussie possum belly fur and hackle of either Partridge or mottled brown hen (both seem equally as successful).
Short 6" droppers seemed to attract smaller trout (sub 20") and were taken at any point of the drift- even when cast upstream, but have yet to be hit by any trout of over 18-20". This leads me to think the weighted fly may be shying the smarter (if there is such a beast!) larger trout?
Longer droppers (up to 24" from the front fly) lead to bigger trout, but only at the end of the drift and on the rise (how often when fishing across and down have you been hit just before you lift the line to cast again?). Which makes me think either the trout are following the fly on the drift and hitting it as it tries to flee, or it is just arriving at the right place at the right time in front of a holding trout. The longer dropper may allow the Pogo more natural "flight" in the water compared to the short dropper restricting "natural" movement.

Prospecting with a fly here has never really been a successful way to fish, usually it it 90% sight fishing, but with this particular pattern I have managed to shy any sighted fish I have cast to! This I feel is because of the weighted front fly disturbing the water more than the entry of a single unweighted dry or wee wet. A Pogo fished as a single may do better here, but I require the weight to get the fly into the feed zone depth as the foam wingcase acts like a suspender, more of an emerger pattern than a true nymph.
Fishing this team into likely looking water has been very successful for me, opening up a lot of water I would normally pass over in the process. If the quarry is not disturbed by the original entry of the team of flies and the drift is good, with the Pogo presented in the feed zone depth and bobbing- dancing- rising and falling in the current on a long dropper in a "natural" way, some large fun can be had.







That is todays test subject, if not for this one healthy big brown...... I would have been skunked. Trout fishing can be like that here, you can walk/wade 5 miles and get nothing one day and several good trout the next.
Anyone still sceptical, all I can say is tie a few up and have a go. If it does not work, it does not work, but nothing ventured nothing gained!
It should also be noted not a single fish has been taken on the front fly any time I have been testing these soft hackled Pogo's and the front fly is not hackled, it may have a Pheasant tail wingcase with the tips used as "legs" but not a true soft hackle.

Jeff - After reading your report I plan to try the method this spring. Would you mind it I convert your report to a PDF file an save a printed version? Great stuff.

letumgo wrote:Jeff - After reading your report I plan to try the method this spring. Would you mind it I convert your report to a PDF file an save a printed version? Great stuff.

Feel free to do with it as you wish Ray, if you feel it is worth referencing other than here! I will add more to the story as it progresses and add some better shots of the flies I am now using, rather than the bedraggled version hanging from big Mataura brown trout jaws.

Jeff ~ Since I saved your original photo of your Pogo construction to use a guide for copying it, and even started scrounging through my materials to find some black foam, I'm a bit put off to learn than you are now using a different color (tan) foam and have substituted some other materials as well. What prompted you to make these changes? Have you found that the newer materials scheme is producing better than the original?

tie2fish wrote:Jeff ~ Since I saved your original photo of your Pogo construction to use a guide for copying it, and even started scrounging through my materials to find some black foam, I'm a bit put off to learn than you are now using a different colour (tan) foam and have substituted some other materials as well. What prompted you to make these changes? Have you found that the newer materials scheme is producing better than the original?

Very much so. The originator of this pattern (a true nymph not a soft hackle) used black foam and still does- he has a lot of success with it as do his clients, but mainly to sighted fish. So I must be presenting "wrong" to sighted fish and introducing the team too close to the intended prey- thus spooking them. He also ties a "King Pogo" which has a white material tied centre of and over the black foam wingcase, not sure what the material is, but it kind of gives the flash-back nymph look.
I had mixed things up a bit and tried a lot of foam colours. I then teamed three flies, the weighted one and two Pogo's of differing colour. It didn't seem to matter much what colour was point and which was middle dropper- but the black was ignored if tan was in the system, the tan cased fly was always the one hit. Bright yellow foam was not hit at all- neither was red. Orange caused a wee bit of a stir, but tan was the most consistent producer. This was all carried out on the same run in the same river on the same day, in an area I know there are plenty of smaller hungry trout and one of my favourite spots to test fly patterns- because of the activity there. I carried three rods to the river, set up so I did not have to tie on/cut off and swap flies too often to test a bunch.

BUT THAT IS HERE!! Also all on one waterway, what works for me on the Mataura may not work as well elsewhere. The guy that invented the fly fishes the Mataura as well (although higher up) and he uses black foam and krystal flash tails exclusively.
As I said in the original posting, choose colours to suit your water and target species. It is not the colours so much as it is the way the fly is fished. Indeed it does not need to be tied as a PT variant, you could tie a Pogo GRHE if you wished (indeed this is next in line to get wet here).

If you have a soft hackle or nymph that produces well for you on your local hot spots, tie a few up exactly as you do now but with a foam wingcase (thus making your own special Pogo variant) and fish it in the way I have described. I would be very interested to hear of the results.

Great answer, Jeff ... well-supported and highly believable reasoning. Thank you.

Great post, Jeff. I'll definitely add this to my repertoire. Thanks.

w

This is the indicator system I referred to earlier. I like it as it is totally adjustable, removable, re-usable and simple to use.



I am told by the supplier that there are good stocks of the tool/system in the States, I do not know where though as most Americans I show it to have never seen the system before. Anyone here familiar or use this type of indicator?



Anyone interested should be able to see the website, have a look and order one if you want- I recommend them and have used nothing easier (I detest uni-bobber type things) in a yarn indicator. Tell Barry I sent you and he might look after you.

The tool , or something very similar is readily available in most craft shops - usually called latch tool or latch needle. Small diameter silicon tubing is all u need then. nice easy system , thanks for sharing.

Jeff, years ago I would fish an unweighted single pheasant tail nymph with a black or brown foam wing case. I saw the pattern in Fly Tyer Magazine I believe. It was a productive fly fished during a hatch. The fly floated just under the surface with the wing case just at waterline. I went through a couple years of tying where I limited myself, for really no reason, to just tying with natural materials. I haven't had the fly in my box since. I'm going to add the idea back on the block. Thanks.