If you look at the 'what have you tied' thread you'll know this is not my usual style of fly! A friend at work handed me some bits and bobs from GAC and asked me to tie up some lures using these rubber waggle tale jobbies. It's on an 8 long with a dumbbell, as the title says will fisheries (it's for stockies) be happy with this? Is it legal? And is it even a fly?
My mate doesn't give a shit incidentally he'll fish it anyway!! :shock:
[attachimg=1]
I'd say it was a valid "fly" but I suppose it depends on the individual fishery.
How much of a "fly" is a cascade?
Anglers are among the most conservative of animals. Many still don't accept float tubes :lol:
As Fred says it will depend on the management and he might be told not to use it. Is it a fly as most anglers will look at it? No, I don't think so. It will come under the lightweight spinners category like the flicker spoon that was in vogue a number of years ago.
I've seen Hywel Morgan fish something called the jelly minnow or something Veniards sell them and you just fold and stick them over the hook shank.
To be honest, fisheries make their own rules and that's fair enough. They're investing in a business and probably have their own individual visions of how their fishery will be managed. Many allow spinning, bait fishing and fly and your mate would probably get away with using this lure on those. For me, the issue isn't really about whether it qualifies as a fly and who cares anyway? Fisheries and competitive anglers might I reckon but not too many more!
I will fish a 4 inch sandeel imitation made of resin and synthetis plastic / nylon fibres with glue on eyes for bass and sea trout. I fish it on a fly rod but does that make it a fly ? I think it is a 'lure' actually but the most enjoyable way to fish this lure is with a fly rod. I also fish bigger 4 inch sandeel lures that are a heavier. The only way I can fish these lure effectively is with lure rod. I don't feel any different about how I catch on either rod. Each style of presenting a fly or lure , fly rod or spinning rod, has it's pro's and con's. I wouldn't be too fussy about what your chosen fly or lure is made of, I think if you can cast it on a fly rod, it is effective and you enjoy fishing it, then fish it!
I also think that trying to cast that out any distance and then trying to 'work' it effectively with a fly rod would be difficult to say the least and that's the main reason I would choose not to fish it on a fly rod. To get the best out of a soft plastic lure like that one requires a really lightweight fast action spinning rod with a sensitive tip. A lightweight braid would also be of great help in working this lure to best effect.
We could argue all day as to what constitutes a 'fly' but at the end of the day it only matters to fishery owners and competition anglers.
It will certainly catch fish. :wink:
If you were to arrive on a loch with a 10 weight pike fly rod and pluck it out of a box of 'budgie' sized lures no one would blink nor even consider asking the questions legal or fly ?