Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => Fly Fishing Cafe => Topic started by: bugger on July 05, 2008, 07:07:43 PM
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I need some tips or advice on fly fishing. I was fishing a upper mountain lake today, and the fishing was slow. I tried almost every fly in my box, it was overcast almost all day, and when the sun would pop out there would be mayflies all over the water, but no fish were taking them. Once the bugs are hatching like that and are not being surface eaten, what flies should you be trying to use. Is that when you would try to chrinomid(or is it to late in the hatch) or do you use a mayfly nymph? any help would be appreciated. thank you .
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Chironomids and leeches are always good bets. I have found that leeches will work almost any time of day, any time of year where as a chironomid is specific to the hatch of bugs.
Just make sure the leech is only a foot or two off the bottom and you should get some action.
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Weather has been wacky, changed from really hot past few days and today was particularly cold. Fish don't really respond well to big changes like that...may have been no fault of your own. I'd have used a mayfly nymph, sink tip line, a few feet under the surface with a retrieve almost like a fast figure 8, then pause for a moment, then resume. Mayflies tend to wiggle up and take rests where they drift a little, almost like 2 steps forward , one step back (from what I've seen anyways). You'll get them next time :D
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Overcast days are perfect for mayfly hatches . But , as marmot mentioned , unsettled weather tends to put the fish off . Especially high-pressure systems .
I like to always have some pheasant tail nymphs in my box with me . Size 12 , and 14 will cover most callibaetis mayfly hatches on the lakes I fish . I tie an ostrich herl nymph that is probably a better imitation , but is a little more time consuming to tie properly . Can`t go wrong with the pheasant tail though .
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I tie one out of dubbed cat belly fur. Cat doesn't mind too much.