Heads up, Fred -- With all the buzz about Euro nymphing recently, I decided to try something radically new. Actually, it's from my youth, when old-timers taught me to "fly fish" with 20 yards of mono (sound familiar?) spooled to my Pflueger reel. What ya do is "tip" it with a red wiggler and high stick it. Works deadly -- I guarantee. :P
(https://i.imgur.com/QqMEsIG.jpg)
We used to put a small nymph on it and catch some dandy bluegill
We used to put a small nymph on it and catch some dandy bluegill
Or a Tellico nymph with a stickbait or wasp larva threaded on the hook.....
Funny, if you read a lot of the old books about fly fishing in the Smokies back in the early/mid 1900s, a lot of those folks were using a spinner/wet fly combo.
I grew up "fly fishing"using a Colorado spinner (sometimes with a piece of earthworm attached) also a Joe's Fly (spinner blade ahead of a woolly worm fly and all trouts were released in
grease.
30 years ago I was a hot fly tier and I donated 2 dozen tailwater flies to a regional TU fundraiser. They impressed folks so much they sent the flies to the national TU fund raising event. I was all proud and stuff. Thought I was hot.
As a gift, I gave a dozen more flies to an old guy who had taught me to "fly fish" years before. They were fancy comparaduns, split duck wing dries, floating nymphs, etc. The guy looked at them and said "Durn, they's purty. I'm gonna tip these babies. Thanks, Phil!"
I was all horrified at the time, being a real "purist" by then, ya know....
I used to spin fish with the spinner/woolly worm combo many years ago, well before the Joe Fly came on the market. This method of fishing is unproductive and a complete waste of time.
A beetle spin rig with a 4" plastic purple plastic worm is murder on browns. So are brass barrelled mepps spinners. This is a wrap for the single hook crowd. Gold F5 and F7 Rapalas are the meanest brown lures on the market.
I fail to understand why anyone would use a retarded joe fly, or any variant thereof. Nymphing is so much more productive.
Quote from: Onslow on May 27, 2019, 18:44:21 PMI used to spin fish with the spinner/woolly worm combo many years ago, well before the Joe Fly came on the market.
You must have been using that spinner/woolly worm combo in a previous life. Since the Joe Flies have been around since 1961 and you're only 49, your claim needs some tweaking.
Joe Flies only work for the non-pretentious.
Quote from: Mudwall Gatewood 3.0 on May 27, 2019, 20:52:04 PMQuote from: Onslow on May 27, 2019, 18:44:21 PMI used to spin fish with the spinner/woolly worm combo many years ago, well before the Joe Fly came on the market.
You must have been using that spinner/woolly worm combo in a previous life. Since the Joe Flies have been around since 1961 and you're only 49, your claim needs some tweaking.
Joe Flies only work for the non-pretentious.
There were no Joe Flies available at Roses, Kmart, Hills Sporting goods in Raleigh. Walmart may have started selling them in the early 2000s. Don't recall seeing them in the Bass Pro catalog, or being advertised in Outdoor life & Field and Stream.
I won't tweak my dates, but have tweaked the geography. I only believe what I see. Sidenote...I don't recall google being around in 1994.
Joe Flies only work those individuals God feels pity for. Someone must be praying for you if you're catching fish on a Joe fly.
Founded in 1961. They were available in Marlinton WV at the Western Auto when I started fishing and was spending my allowance on spinners and pairs of grey-hackled peacocks in little plastic boxes. The Joe Fly was, and still is, one of my favorites. Half of a juicy nightcrawler hanging from the hook is a deadly rig.
https://www.facebook.com/pg/joesflies/about/?ref=page_internal
Quote from: Onslow on May 28, 2019, 19:28:33 PMI only believe what I see.
I never saw a real titty until I was 14, but I believed they existed well before that edifying day.
OK -- back to a serious Euro nymphing question. Fred? Doug? If I'm fishing 2 nymphs -- one tungsten bead, one #18 scud pattern, should I tie the scud off the hook bend (like a freestone dry/dropper), or should I tie it on a tag above the heavier nymph? Inquiring minds want to know....
Euro Doug says tag. Old school Doug says bend.
Some Euro guys do the anchor fly off the tag and the lighter fly off the anchor.
Your mileage may vary.
Caught some fish (7), so broke in my Euro rod. Of course, a hatch of sulphurs came on and the fish wanted dries. There I was all Euro nymphed up.... b';
Took a couple of pics. No decent size, just fun on the 10' rod.
(https://i.imgur.com/tRwSaiG.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/hooH6F0.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/ANKsd8I.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/nViLHtS.jpg)
Go Phil.
You might be surprised how well it throws a dry with a regular leader.
I need to keep some empty tippet spools to make the change easier.
Guess we'll have to start callin' you "Euro Phil".
'c;
I used the Hildebandt Colorado Spinners in my youth on a spinning rod in CA.
The size #0 & #1 work on a fly rod as well, either scented or not.
:o
Quote from: Dougfish on May 30, 2019, 17:22:50 PMGo Phil.
You might be surprised how well it throws a dry with a regular leader.
I need to keep some empty tippet spools to make the change easier.
I finally couldn't take watching all the dry sulphurs coming off, fish feeding, and went to the bank, sat down, and got ready to change my leader to a regular one. The wind was blowing like crazy and I had tried (without success) to "cast" a dry on the Euro leader. I sat there for a minute, realized the water was gonna come up in 20 minutes, and gave up and went home. I dunno about the Euro stuff. I could have done as well with a regular leader the whole time and been able to change to a dry without a problem. Aaaack.
Next time I go, I'll probably need a Euro rig. It's just the way it always goes with me. b';
Quote from: Phil on May 29, 2019, 18:25:32 PMOK -- back to a serious Euro nymphing question. Fred? Doug? If I'm fishing 2 nymphs -- one tungsten bead, one #18 scud pattern, should I tie the scud off the hook bend (like a freestone dry/dropper), or should I tie it on a tag above the heavier nymph? Inquiring minds want to know....
Non-expert me says put the heavy nymph on the bottom, and use that little dandruff flake fly a foot above it. Friends don't let friends tie to hook bends. Tie to the eye or on a loop on the tippet above the point fly.
10', 10'6", 11' rod?
Does size matter?
Pros and cons! Go!
As I have said before euro nymphing does not work......however I do carry around an 11' foot Syndicate 3wt. Just so I can say I have a longer rod than most fishermen!
Quote from: Woolly Bugger on May 31, 2019, 16:32:06 PM10', 10'6", 11' rod?
Does size matter?
Pros and cQuote from: Woolly Bugger on May 31, 2019, 16:32:06 PM10', 10'6", 11' rod?
Does size matter?
Pros and cons! Go!
All bases with a TFO drifts.
Quote from: OnslowAll bases with a TFO drifts.
I hadn't seen that TFO rod. Interesting. Thanks. V:;
Far out
https://youtu.be/w1aZRe6tGj4
Looks great. That's all I need -- another thing on the stream to fumble around with. Now, it's gonna be staff, camera, leaders, flies, and pieces of rod to try and switch around while a dry fly hatch happens and the whole shebang has to be switched back around.... :embarassed: