Flies and approaches

[Traditionalist]

QUOTE with intermediate answers in blue!

Interesting thread, I personally have found a lot of completely opposite experiences to a lot written here but that's fishing isn't it? We all come across different situations and react to them differently.

My approach to flat water is to crawl along the bank, keep a low profile (should go without saying!), make sure you have a really supple tippet and stick a tiny little CDC pattern on, anything will do if the fish are up and feeding. If the presentation is right you stand a good chance. I've had a number of fish following this method where other flies have been totally ignored, CDC is the dogs bollocks for flat water, thanks to Buzz for originally putting me onto that.

Indeed, CDC flies can be very good indeed for flat water and difficult fish. I would not disagree with that at all.

The tippet degreased or not degreased is a classic debate. Interestingly at the fly tying demo last night Paul Procter said that he doesn't degrease as he often likes the tippet to help keep small flies afloat. I'm stuck in the middle as I do it sometimes and then I stick on more visible 8lb tippet for a big wind resistant dry and the fish don't seem to care.

Degreasing is not quite so important as deglinting in my experience, but I prefer to degrease as well.  With very small flies or poorly floating flies it wont work as it drags the fly under.


Re small flies, I'm a big fan. I've had a lot of success with really small nymphs, sometimes the biggest trout seem to hit the smallest flies. I only bother with big nymphs if I need a bomb to get down in the water. Big dries, don't mind them especially if it gets an explosive take from the trout

I just don't bother with them so can't really comment much. The times I have tried I never did much good with them.

I totally agree with Malcolm and Alan in that drag is everything, I think drag comes so far in front of fly choice. If the presentation is right and the fly roughly fits the prey image then you're as good as gold unless the fish have keyed in on a particular fly or stage of the lifecycle.

My priority:
1) Stealth
2) Drag
3) Fly

I don't have a set of priorities as such, because you need to meet ALL the criteria if you want to be consistently successful, so for me it is quite impossible to say that one thing is more important than another.

Those super yamamis really throw a spanner in the works of leader/tippet debate, they are bright gold

No idea what that is, leader material?

TL
MC

[scotty9]

Lots of concensus!

The yamame (original speeling was wrong) is a tapered leader from varivas, the super yamame is the one with a flat butt section and the thing is bright gold. They cast really well but the gold is certainly a different visual aspect!

http://www.fly-fishing-tackle.co.uk/acatalog/Varivas_Leaders.html

[otter]

Very interesting topic this and a type of water that I love to fish occasionally. If the mood is right and the wind is howling ,  it is worth spending time walking and surveying. Because such water is quite often ignored by other anglers, good fish can be found, often tight to the side, high in the water column sipping away. Observation is key to success here, especially if you would like to connect to a better than average trout.

Midge and other small black stuff will be the mainstay, terrestrials on many occasions also . More often than not I will find myself using a size 18/20 simple CDC fly, body is black or natural CDC barbules spun in a thread loop and to aid sighting a small wing of a few white CDC barbules is added. Occasionally a small klnkhammer on a curved (similar to b100's) in an 18 does good work - depends on what they are taking or if they are honed onto one particular thing. The thing I have noticed most is that feeding will be at a maximum when the gusts of wind ease for a minute or so, particularly when the wind is downstream.
this is useful as casting a size twenty , tight and upstream into a gale is extremely challenging especially as you are likely to be operating from gaps in vegetation etc..