I'm new to "matching the hatch" so please bear with me. I was fishing South Mountain Park yesterday and got pretty frustrated that the fish were jumping and breaking the water after something but I couldn't see a think flying or floating on the water and it was a pretty slow moving hole. Is this something begining to hatch or what? I used everything I had and couldn't get a strike. I'm new to fall fishing so bug activity is a lot different than spring activity. I read about using midge flies this time of year , does this sound like what I need to use. I threw some different size and style dries at them only to have them study them and quickly turn away.
They were likely taking midges........or possibly caddis emergers on the splashier takes. I would suggest that you try smaller flies of size 18-22 and smaller tippet (6X or 7X) and focus on areas with faster water. Although, my biggest suggestion to you would be to stick to DH water until spring. You will probably find more success and you can still use the same patterns (i.e. midges) to catch those fish, while working on your presentation (mending, casting, etc). Good luck.
Thank's, now I got another direction to go and try some new patters to learn to tie. I don't have any midges or caddis emergers in the box, I'll look them up and get to tying. By the way , the only fish I caught yesterday was on a green elk hair dry, maybe that's why. Again thank's and let me know of any good patterns to start out with.
+2 on the midges. An easy ass pattern you can tie small to imitate those is a griffith's gnat. I find the generic pattern hard to see so I'll throw in some white cdc as a kind of post to make them easier to see from a distance, especially on the smallest sizes.
If they are taking emerging flies alternatively you could try the smallest para adams you can see once you get it cast. That generally works on a multitude of hatches and is a good prospecting pattern, at least for me. Once it warms back up you can start throwing larger sizes.
For nymphs all around good ones are a pheasant tail, copper john (in various colors), prince nymph...and the venerable pink or green weenie.
Thank's for all the info fella's. http://www.brfff.com/forum/Smileys/SoLoSMiLeYS1/cheesy.gif (http://www.brfff.com/forum/Smileys/SoLoSMiLeYS1/cheesy.gif) This has opened up a huge new area of fly tying! The day in question, I failed to mention the only insect I noticed was a small needle like bug/fly. It was about 4mm (5/32") long, gray and about 1/2 mm wide , crawling along the bank near me as the fish in the slower water upstream were jumping. I also noticed the trout gently breaking more than not, which I read on a web page or two on midge patterns and how to fish them. If anyone knows what the grey fly was, please let me know and again, THANKS as Million !
Quote from: aszat on November 27, 2011, 09:04:53 AM
Thank's for all the info fella's. http://www.brfff.com/forum/Smileys/SoLoSMiLeYS1/cheesy.gif (http://www.brfff.com/forum/Smileys/SoLoSMiLeYS1/cheesy.gif) This has opened up a huge new area of fly tying! The day in question, I failed to mention the only insect I noticed was a small needle like bug/fly. It was about 4mm (5/32") long, gray and about 1/2 mm wide , crawling along the bank near me as the fish in the slower water upstream were jumping. I also noticed the trout gently breaking more than not, which I read on a web page or two on midge patterns and how to fish them. If anyone knows what the grey fly was, please let me know and again, THANKS as Million !
Stone fly would be my guess. They crawl out of the water onto rocks, structure, or banks along the stream and fly off from there.
generic pic I found online...
(http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS1GqVKchUsfN4M7IL4n_GK_nj3gL0IafloOmWRkzwsP7P2oVK-)
Thank's, yep that was it! I didn't realize they could be so small.
Quote from: aszat on November 27, 2011, 15:02:45 PM
Thank's, yep that was it! I didn't realize they could be so small.
good deal. you'll get smaller and smaller bugs as winter goes on.