Fly Fishing Streams in Mississippi

I use to fish sparingly with the fly rod back during my early days in Mississippi. I was too busy fishing my bait casting combo for largemouth bass mostly from my small aluminum boat. Little did I know that when I lived there that there were 100’s of small streams in the state that was a fly fisherman's dream. This fact really hit home the other day when I was reading the Outdoor Sports section of the Clarion Ledger the largest newspaper in Mississippi. Rex Jones a documentary film maker at Ole Miss had put together a fantastic piece on fly fishing streams in Mississippi. The documentary features David Frazier an avid warm water fly fisherman who has fished some of the best streams in the state for bluegill, spotted bass and largemouth bass. After watching the video, I discovered I missed out on some great stream fishing using the fly rod in Mississippi when I lived there. Hope you enjoy the video much as I did; it is worth the watch.

 

 

 

Interchanging Fly Line Weights With Fly Rod Weight

 

I started experimenting towards the end of the fishing season last year with interchanging different line weights with the fly rod weight. I did this because at times fishing the tailrace I experienced lots of wind in some of the narrow areas. I started using a 5 weight line with my 4 wt fly rod to help cut through the wind a little better. I found the exchange made it much easier to cast and place the fly with more accuracy. I also discovered that with the wind ripples on the surface I didn’t need the longer leader in the 9 -10ft. range; I could actually fish a 7 ½ ft. leader and get even more accuracy. So hopefully I have the wind problem solved when it is whipping down the gorge at break neck sped.

 After trying the “wind scenario” and it proving to be successful; my next experimental pairing will be to use 2 or 3 weight line with my 4 wt 8 ½ ft. fly rod. With this pairing I still have the power in the rod, but I am getting a much softer and lighter presentation of the fly as it touches the surface. Using a 9 to 10 ft leader/tippet size will cause even less disturbance on the surface. The trout here experience a lot of fishing pressure and I feel the lighter the better for me when it comes to producing a take on a tiny dry or nymph. This will be my first set-up I will be experiment with when I get back on the water. I know a lot you guys have interchanged lines with rod weights; what’s your take on line weight verses rod weight?

 

Hope all you guys have a great Christmas!!!