Indicators What’s Your Favorite

Indicators where do I begin; there are bunches on the market, that work to perfection while others need some more work. With most of us using the indicator nymph combo on a lot of our fishing trips; I thought I would share with you guys some of the latest ones to hit the market and some that have been around for a while.

Before you begin each two minute preview, let me explain why I am even doing this post: on my last outing I had a hell of a time removing the pinch on style indicator from my line. After the ordeal with the pinch on I placed the standard stick/football indicator on and wasn’t impressed with it either. The stick swells in the water making it difficult to remove once you are ready to fish a dry. My inner thoughts that day and days before kept telling me there has to be a simpler way to us an indicator, and I found it by doing a little research. Just curious, what is your favorite indicator and why?

This is one indictor I haven’t heard of the “ Fish Pimp”

 

The Yarn Indicator

 

BioStrike Indicator

Insta Set

Frog Hair

Pinch On indicators---the video shows how to remove the indicator from you tippet; a light tippet will break using this removal method

Tear Drop Slip Foam Indicator

Still Water Indicator

Famous Thingabobber

 

After finishing the research I have to admit the  Fish Pimp and the

Insta Set are my two favorites. I will give both try.

 

 

 

A Big Reality Check!!!

An early morning walk along the road running parallel to the tailrace had me anticipating numerous hookups with the recently stocked rainbow a few weeks ago. In fact, I was so confident that had tied on my favorite nymph I usually fish early in the morning here with great success. Low humidity and a slight breeze made it seem a little like the approaching fall, which is some months away, but it doesn’t hurt to wish.

As I approached the water's edge I stopped to survey the area and notice as usual there was no surface activity to have me wishing I had tied on a dry. I begin working my usual spots with no success, so time to start experimenting with other patterns. I don’t know about you guys but after about 15 to 20 minutes of one pattern with no success, I change flies and tactics. It is now 9:30 and no takes after over an hour of fishing numerous patterns. I continue to work my way up the gouge, fishing some familiar places and some I haven’t tried this season. I kept noticing a few rainbows every 15 to 20 minutes breaking the surface but not actually feeding on top. I had seen this before here and knew that the nymph and dry were not the flies I needed to use to make a connection. So what next, I am now well into my second hour with no trout landed and still trying to beat the skunk. I knew I had to go with a pattern that would just break the surface and at the same time stay up high in the water column. My logical choice was a red soft hackle fly size 12. I don’t know the exact name of the pattern, but I had fished it in similar situations here before and had success. It is getting close to lunch and with more confidence and my new red hackle fly, I begin casting upstream and letting the fly slowly drift back over trout I continue to see feed subsurface. A few missed takes made me work even harder to touch my first trout. Some of you may see where this is going, and say he found the magic fly that finally proved to be the charmer, not so. I gave the fly it’s more than fair share of making a connection but to no avail. I’m one to never give up on solving the lockjaw problem of fish on certain days, so I had one last thing I wanted to try before the generations were turned on and I had to call it a morning.

 With an occasional trout still feeding subsurface, I decided I would tie on another soft hackle pattern size 18 brown color.  I started working the fly but was having trouble getting the fly to touch the water in a delicate mode, so I changed tippets to a 7X which gave me a much better presentation. Not to panic, but a glance at my watch showed me I only had roughly 20 minutes left before the generators would start gushing walls of water down the gouge. With the generation time schedule on my mind, I begin working the little brown hackle above a couple of trout that was still in subsurface mode. I figured if I was lucky enough to land my elusive trout today I had at least 250 yards of space between me and the huge wall of water that might take me under.  As time ticked away I kept trying to land my one trout that would keep the skunk off my back for the first time on the Sipsey. With ten minutes left I saw another trout come up and barely break the surface. I had to move a little downstream to make a cast that would give me a decent drift that hopefully would get its attention. I made a long cast that sent the fly across the tailrace waters. As the fly drifted over the area where the trout had broken the surface total silence from the trout below. A few more cast left I assumed before the horn sounded; surely one more cast would get me my lone trout for the trip. It was not to be, the horn sounded and sent me moving out of the water and to safety up the bank.

 Today was my first skunk day on the Sipsey, and I’m sure a few of you guys have experienced the same type of trip. As I walked back to my truck I kept wondering what I could have done differently to land just one trout. So I thought I would put the question to you guys, what pattern would you have used on a day with subsurface feeding, clear blue skies, and a slight wind coming from all directions at times?

The Good Stuff with Bryson and his Mom

Today was another memorable fishing trip with Bryson and his Mom on Beautiful Smith Lake. We had a couple of hours of fishing before the humidity set in and we lost most of the shade.  Bryson is getting to be an accomplished bluegill fisher boy.  He still has some work to do in handling the bigger gills, but today he manages to lip and release the smaller fish he caught. The crickets and nibblets were the bait of choice for the morning using a popper and slip shot. All the bluegills were caught in water 8 to 10 feet deep. I don’t whether you guys have ever fish for bluegill or catfish with the hook tip with either a white or chartreuse nibblet, if not you should give it a try. The fish will go after the nibblet before they inhale the cricket. It is really an excellent attractor to get the fish interested especially on slow days. The slim that is emitted from the nibblett gives off a scent that the bluegill, catfish, and even bass go after.

Just one of the big bulls Bryson landed using the microlight combo, he is still working on the casting technique; the landing technique he has mastered.

This big bull is the largest Jenny has ever landed on Smith. I wish I had my scales with me today to weight it, I am sure it would have pushed a pound. She landed it using the 7 ½ ft. microlight with a light action Shimano spinning reel. All the microlights were spooled with 4 lb. test line.

The front side of this monster bluegill Jenny landed

Landing another nice bluegill

The best of the best for the morning!

Fly Fishing Bargains Can Still be Found

Mel’s post recently concerning the ever increasing prices of fly fishing equipment got me doing a little research. There are still bargains out there for the fly fisherman who isn’t concerned about using the top of the line fly fishing equipment. I found out a long time ago when I was doing the bass fishing tournaments, that I could catch just as many fish with casting combos that cost half the price of the top of the line combos. Same thing wholes true for my fly fishing equipment. It’s hard to believe that our local Wal-Mart carries fly fishing supplies and fly fishing combos. They are not the top of the line products but their equipment and supplies will get the beginner started in fly fishing.



This assortment pack at Wal-Mart will cost you 15.00 bucks, just the forceps at Orvis  will run you 15.00 to 20.00

Quite a bargain at 5.00

Most of these nets will run you 80.00 and above at different fly fishing outlets

Courtland 8 ft. and 9 ft. 5/6 fly rods

Bargain Combos

Great Price on Teton Float Tube---75.00

The cheapest Chest Pack at Orvis is 75.00—this White River Pack at Bass Pro will cost you 25.00--I'v been using this pack for the past 3 years

Telescopic Walking Sticks at Wal-Mart will serve as a great walking staff when you’re on your favorite stream or tailrace. This is the walking stick I have been using for the past 3 years and it works just as well as the folding or telescopic version at Orvis which sells for 100,00. The Wal-Mart Stick sells for 10.00

 

Hope I’ve helped some of you guys out with your bargain bin shopping!!

The Contour Video Camera Filming Landing Rainbow

Today I was determined to get film footage of some of the trout I’ve been landing on the Sipsey. The heat and humidity was on even at 8AM and wearing a camera helmet made it even hotter. I found myself splashing cold water on my face frequently most of the morning. I only got to fish a couple of hours because the generators came on at 10AM instead of the 2PM schedule time; so I was glad I made the most of the time I was given.

Sorry no trout images for today, but a brief description of how both videos played out: The first footage took place in shallow water 12 to16”, using the nymph with a stick on indicator. I knew the trout were holding in a narrow seam about 30ft. from me. I made numerous cast before I connected with a quality rainbow, which put up quite a fight for my 3 weight. I was using a 6X tippet, in the super clear water, which has worked much better lately for me as opposed to a heavier tippet. These trout are pressured on a daily basis so the less visible line worked better. As always on the Sipsey the drift is critical and today was no exception.

The next footage takes place on the opposite bank across the tailrace. I seldom wade out into the middle of the tailrace but I knew trout is always hanging out in this fast current seam next to the bank there. You will notice there is a large boulder I am standing by to film this segment. I was using a nymph swing casting up current and letting the nymph dead drift through the seam and at the very end of the drift I would swing the nymph across the seam; as I was working the nymph back across is when the attack would occur. There is no mistaking the hit when it happens. Again numerous cast were made before I got the hook up, and of course when I did the camera switch came on.