Fishing The Nymph With the Indicator and as a Dropper

Today’s fishing lesson comes from Fishing 101 in nymphing.  We all have had problems when fishing nymphs with an indicator or as a dropper, yes and even tight lining. This is one of the best pieces I have read concerning this often used technique. Most all fly fishermen would rather see that trout busting the water after our dry, but much too often you have to go down under to get the take.

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Fishing With Nymphs     It is often claimed that the highest percentage of fish taken on flies are taken on nymphs. For that to work for the angler, there are two major problems that have to be conquered----This is assuming you have chosen a nymph that represents one of the insects inhabiting the waters you are fishing of course.   The fly should be bumping along the stream bed usually with a weight placed above the fly attached to the leader is a common thread . As much as I dislike a strike indicator of any kind, based on seeing little bits of day-glo colored strike indicators washed up on stream banks, it can be a helpful method of 'seeing' what your fly is doing. Another way to accomplish the same thing - making the action of your fly visible - is to use a high bouyancy dry fly with the nymph as a dropper. A highly visable fly makes it even better. With the strike indicator or the top-water fly as an indicator, you raise your rod tip when the indicator disappears under water. Yes, it's just like using a bobber. Sometimes fish will take the top fly too. A real bonus.  Without using either of the above methods, the angler will learn in time the correct 'feel' of the nymph as it bounces along the bottom. Anything different, calls for raising the rod tip. It could be a snag, or a momentary slowdown caused by a large rock or log underwater. Or a very nice trout! But feeling the 'difference' is the key. Once again, be observant.   Line control is the other problem anglers encounter in fishing with nymphs. Being able to present a dry fly correctly, and getting the maximum free drift from that fly, has to include mending the line. A recent Saturday morning fly fishing show featured Dave Whitlock guiding a television personality. Dave instructed the angler to mend his line. He made a neat mend - DOWNSTREAM! Oopps! Dave quickly corrected him. Amazingly the show producers didn't cut that piece of video from the show. But then, maybe the producers don't fly fish.   All line mending on moving water is produced by making a flip of the wrist with the rod hand UPSTREAM! Or by making a letter "c" with the tip of the rod. It might be a backward "c" depending on the direction the water is flowing. Line mending has also been described as a half-roll cast. Controlling the line in any form of fly fishing is extremely important. Positive results from your fishing depend on your ability to control the line.   Having a dry fly behave in the same manner as the natural insect depends on having a drag-free float! If a fish will not take a fly that doesn't behave in a normal way on top of the water, why would the fish take a fly that does not behave in a normal way under the water?   So the control of line is critical as well to fishing nymphs. The fly has to have a drift that is normal. It has to move along with the current at the same speed as the current. Drag caused by line being pulled along with the current speeds up the fly. Not only is the speed of the fly wrong at that point, the fly cannot get down as deep as it needs to be. There is an exception, (isn't there always?) and that is when the insects are hatching from the nymphal form. But for my money, that's the time for an emerger pattern fished in the surface film and not a nymph. Try it both ways and make your own judgement call.   Generally the best way to fish a nymph is to cast not directly upstream, but quartering upstream, and allow the fly to drift downstream past you. All the while, making mends upstream in your line to achieve the longest, drag-free ride. Once the fly has passed, retrieve the fly in a series of short swimming strips toward you. No takers? Take a step or two up or downstream and repeat the exercise.

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Explosive Takes Fishing With the Fly Rod

If you are into fly fishing for big bull bluegill like me then you need to take a look at some of the segments on this two hour DVD. The DVD is produced by Beckum Outdoors. Some of the segments show the explosive takes the bluegill can produce, and there is also a segment on fly tying which is really interesting. Landing huge crappie with the fly rod is covered as well. I was looking through their website and found this great article on Fly Fishing, after reading this piece it made me realize even more why I fly fish and love it so. What a great gift for all of us guys who know we don’t need anymore fishing tackle--------do you really believe that???  



Rock Wall Fishing with the Boogle Bug Popper

In the hot summer months with the heavy humidity and soaring heat is not the time to be on the lake for me. Saying that statement makes sense to me but when you are a fishing enthusiast like I am you will go if the forecast is 100 and the heat index 107. That is what I did yesterday. I do have enough sense to know when to leave and I think that comes with age, and knowing when the bite is over. Summers in the south and southwest can be brutal. I never fish during the day in the hot summer beyond 9 AM, and I never fish in the sun. Those are two golden rules I have when it comes to combating the heat. As always for this time of year I was on the water and making my first cast by 5:30. I have a fishing window with the 5:30 start of about 40 minutes and if you don’t catch your quota by then it is pretty much over. Once the sun hits the rock wall you can leave that area. In the first 30 minutes of fishing the wall yesterday with the #6 black Boggle Bug I had landed 10 nice bull gills, and to round out the 40 minutes on the wall I added a decent spot.  I knew the minute the sun peeked through the trees that wall was history, and I would have to look for an east wall with shade. At 8:15 in a shaded area under a rock ledge I landed a 15" largemouth with the bug, and that was the end of the hit for the day. I did hang around for half hour more but it was no good, no more fish to be had.
I was fishing today an area I had never fished on Ryan Creek, so I really didn’t know what to expect, other than the steep walls and deep drop offs of 30 to 40ft. down. In the hot summer months the fish are always deep during the day and only feed close to the top at daybreak after the water has had time to cool a bit over night. Even the late afternoons will not produce as well as the daybreak because the surface temps are still warm late in the afternoon.
Fishing the popper can be a heart throbbing experience especially when the hits are the smacking kind, and today I got some of those hits. You just got to love this kind of stuff to know what I am talking about, and there are a lot of you guys and gals out there that are in the know.

The end result of the trip. I threw numerous smaller gills and two bass back to fight another day.

Last fish of the day, sorry for just one live shot of the fish, but I was so pressed for time that I completely forgot at times to take shots of what I was landing. I was in such a hurry to cover as much water as I could while the bite was hot.

To warm water fish in a place like this is special. This is one beautiful lake. The fish are always right at the wall. To get the hit you have to bonce the popper off the wall and let it fall to the surface in a natural way. The Boogle is perfect for this type casting against the rock wall because of the epoxy finish the popper has. This is one tough popper. One will usually last me all season, if I don't get a break off.



Fishing The Zebra Midge With an Indicator

I made a quick trip to the Sipsey River today. I had a couple of hours to fish so I started right at the walk-in area created by Alabama Power. I thought there would be some top water action, but that was not the case so after fishing an hour with a dry, I went to a size 16 Zebra Midge. I am still having trouble detecting a hit unless the indicator goes under, and lucky for me today that was the case. I managed to land one nice 12” with the indicator going south big time, awesome take. I landed two more bows less than the 12. The water was a cool 52 and with shorts on under my waders it can get cool really quick. I can’t say enough about what Alabama Power has done with this place, especially the constant flow. Our club is still working with the Power Company to add more access points and to upgrade the alarm system, so everyone will have time to leave the water when generation begins. I have learned things just don't happen overnight when working with large corporations, especially when it comes to conservation. We are trying here to get the power company to see the advantage of having a cold water fishery in Alabama.
I did talk to one fisherman today who told me he landed an 18” at daybreak on an Adams last week. He said it was in excellent shape with bright red color down it side. I am still in search mode for that size trout.  

Right after the release, and he swim off to fight another day

The 3 wt here is perfect to land this size trout. Of course I welcome a 16" or better to fight the 3wt.

I am getting better with the new camera, notice the ripples at the end of slow flow.

My Goals for Leading a Healthy Life

The older I get the more I realize how important it is to try and stay healthy. I have always been somewhat aware of foods that are not good for you and I have always known that exercise can improve one’s health. This realization really hit home after I had two brothers to have heart attacks. I knew at that time that I needed to make some changes as far as my health was concerned that would help me not only feel better but improve my quality of life in the future. I also knew if I wanted to keep fishing two and three days a week I needed to stay fit to the point where I could last the better part of a day on a stream wading or sitting in a boat casting most of the day. So I decided four years ago to accomplish a number of goals each day.

The first thing I did was to set up an exercise routine. This is something I do three times a week, usually 1 ½ hour, of cardio and light weights at our local gym. This not only helps me stay fit but it also gives me a chance to converse with some of the locals. Most of the time the conversations centers around football or fishing which of course I love to talk about.
I try to eat three healthy meals a day, especially at breakfast. I have read that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Lunch and dinner consist of low cal foods with a heavy portion of veggies. Substitute fruits for sweets and no carbonated drinks. When I say “no” I do break the rule once in a while, but not often. My wife and I stay away from heavy fat foods and eat very little red meat. In other words, this would be a boring buffet for some.
Keep stress levels to a minimum. Try not to let certain things bother you to the point you lay awake at night and dwell on it. Use exercise to relieve stress, and another way to relieve stress for me is to go fishing. I do know when I am on the water nothing else matters but landing that fish.
Stay in touch with your body, in other words, know your blood pressure and cholesterol, have it checked at least every three months if you are on medication. For all of us guys know your PSA reading to combat prostate cancer. I had a brother to die of Colin Cancer, some years ago so I make it a point to have a colonoscopy once every five years. Take a baby aspirin once a day, because this can help prevent a heart attack and stroke.
Make sure you get enough sleep. Some individuals don’t require as much sleep as others, for me 8 hours is plenty to keep me going strong the next day.
As I told you my wife and I break the rules sometimes when we are eating out and on a trip. I know that living healthy is harder to do if your wife and you as a husband are not willing to follow a healthy lifestyle.  My wife has been a big reason I have stuck to this plan because she cooks healthy meals and we both go to the gym together. In other words, we have each other as a support person. I guess I could say I have been blessed with a great lady, who is not only my wife but my best friend. Feel free to add your own suggestions for living healthy.

Fantastic Crappie Fishing Trip With my Brother-Bobby

I just got back yesterday from the best crappie fishing trip I have ever been on. My brother and I fished the better part of three days on Legion Lake in the Northwest section of Mississippi. The heat and humidity was a big factor in keeping us off the water for the better part of all three days we fished but we still managed to land some awesome crappie spider fishing. Yes, I said spider fishing, which is something I had never done and found out that if you want to cover a lot of water and catch a lot of fish this is the ticket. For those of you who don’t know what I am talking about, here is the scoop. First of all, you need to either make or buy four-pole stands that will handle at least 8 crappie poles, ranging in length from 9 to 11 ft. We used six 11 footers and two 9 footers. All the rods need to be spooled with 4 to 6 lb test line and have a good drag system. Four rods need to be positioned at the front of the boat and four rods at the rear of the boat: covering different points in the water, in other words, you don’t want to be fishing the same areas as your buddy in the front of the boat. This arrangement will ensure you cover the maximum amount of water and both individuals catch fish. Jigs are as important as the rods because you are trying to attract the attention of the fish and once you get the attention you use the crappie nibblet to entice the hit. Some fishermen like to use minnows which are fine but the nibblets are much faster and you don’t have to worry about keeping the minnow alive. Having a good depth finder is a must, because you are constantly watching the depth finder to see what depth the fish are feeding. All the fish we landed were caught in water 11 ft. and deeper. You are always checking to see if your tube jig is at least 2 ft. above the crappie, because crappie feed looking up. An absolute must is to have the lure tipped with a crappie nibblet, because most of the time you will never get the hit without the nibblet.
I guess the one thing that got my attention about spider fishing aside from the amount of fish you catch and lose is the leisurely way you do it. You are not casting, but merely sitting and watching the tips of the rods for a hit. Sometimes it can be a very light tip of the rod and other times the entire tip of the rod goes underwater. Of course, when this happens you set the hook and play the fish down with the long rod. It kind of reminds me of landing a fish with a long fly rod. I was really looking forward to this trip and my brother Bobby really showed me the ropes when it comes to this type of fishing. He had been telling me about him and his fishing buddy Joe catching numbers of crappie spider fishing over the past weeks and I am glad I got to see it first hand.  I can't close without mentioning my sister-in-law's Mamie's chicken and dumplings, which was delicious, and of course as always the buffet food. Both made the trip.

The unique thing about this boat is the versatility---it is equipped with the crappie stands and bluegill pole stands to fish on the bottom with live bait. Notice the long rods extending from the stands.

Nice slab under the umbrella, that sun is a killer without the shade of the umbrella

Watching those rods and waiting for that hit!!!

One of three groups we landed and dressed for a huge fish fry later in the fall.

One of the many nooks we fished, the water was super clear and the surface temp was at 90

The crappie is one colorful fish, some are darker than others

We used a variety of jigs to land all the fish we kept. The tube jig was the main lure, in different color patterns. The brighter the colors the better attraction.

Another group fresh out of the ice chest, with the fillet knives ready. Expect to lose as many fish as you catch, why because of the hook set. You lose a lot of the fish that is hooked on the side of the month which is a paper-thin membrane. The top part of the mouth is the perfect hook set, which is the toughest part of the crappie's mouth.

Nice female taken from a creek channel, landing a fish like this on the long crappie pole is a blast.

The top photo of the underspin reel and the long rod is ideal for this type of fishing. Also pictured is one of the micro-lights we use in the spring and fall with curly tail jigs. Just another way to catch this awesome fish.

I just had to show you some of the cattails on this lake, they were in full form. We ended the trips cleaning over 45 slabs for the big fish fry. Sorry for some of the blurred images, I am still getting used to my new camera, my last one got dumped in the Sipsey River the other day trout fishing below the dam.

Making the Case for a Wading Staff

As I looked out across the misty covered waters of the Sipsey Fork River Saturday morning with my son-in-law, something told me it was going to be a good outing.  I was right because my son-in-law had landed 6 rainbows in the first hour. I had landed one nice bow on the 3 wt. Why was I trailing, well my son-in-law was standing in front of a honey hole where the trout was feeding in a run on what we call tiny gnats, that was floating leisurely by. The ticket was the number 16 gnat, which I had success on the past week. So I would say the morning was eventful to say the least, notice I used the word eventful, because it was for me. I experienced what I have read about when someone slips and losses their footing while wading. That happened to me about two hours into the trip and it ended the trip for my son-in-law and me after I made it to the bank. I learned a valuable lesson in that I will never wade in water again waist deep trying to keep my balance without a wading staff. I knew better to try the wade I did but I wanted to get to those trout rising on the far bank from me, and I paid dearly for it. After peeling off the waders I discovered I had as much as a quart of water in the foot sections of my waders. When you slip once and go down, there is always a possibility you go down again, and again, and that is exactly what happened to me. So with all that said, I am making the case for a wading staff in my hand the next time I am on the Sipsey.  

First one brought to the net for my son-in-law

Yet another bow on the 4wt, really glad B.T. had a great morning on the Sipsey

The only bow landed on the Padams, this was right before I took the dunk

Still a beautiful place to fish even with the fog

Fishing for Rainbow Below Smith Lake Dam

One of my fishing buddies and I made another trip below Smith Lake dam this past Tuesday morning. We got on the water around 6 AM, and didn’t have much luck with the dries we were using, mainly because there was a tremendous amount of fog on the surface and we could barely see our flies. There was some trout rising to what you like tiny gnats, so we began to tie on different patterns, starting with the old reliable Parachute Adams, down to a Mayfly, with no success. After a couple of hours of going through some those dries and using a pheasant tail, and Hares Ear with an indicator, we decided to move up stream and get into some moving water which was not quite as deep as where we had been fishing. The faster water had some great stems and some depth too, which made for a better situation as far as the dries were concerned.  I say that because there was some activity on top so tried to match the little gnats on the surface with a size 18 dry midge Dun pattern which prove to be the ticket for the mooring. We landed 8 nice rainbows in this one area all on the Dun Midge pattern. The takes at times were what I would  call soft and sipping, not as violet as last week, but neither one of us was complaining as long as we got to land some nice bows.  The good out of all of this is the catch of course, and the bad was we almost got caught in the river with the water rising on us to the point we had practically run to get out of the river. We both had looked at the Alabama Power website and there was no mention of generation at all on Tuesday, but to our surprise the horn sounded and we knew what that meant----get to higher ground and we did. I guess next time we will have to rely on a face to face conversation at the dam with an Alabama Power employee.  
The difference in fishing the tailrace this year as opposed to last year is the access point that the power company has made for all the fishermen. Before the access point one had to wade through brush head high not to mention scaling down rock walls and getting out once you got the water was even worse. My hat is off to Alabama Power for the first of three access points that will be created on the tailrace. Another feature that has really improved the fishing is the constant flow of water as opposed to the so call stagnated areas that was evident in years pass. The only time water moved was when the generators were on last year, which was not a good situation for the trout that was stocked. With the constant flow one can dream or pretend he is fishing a stream out west, which at times is what the area reminds of now. There has been some quality trout landed this year, with some measuring 16”. I haven’t tied into one that large yet but I will be working on it now that the area has changed for the betterment of the trout and the fisherman alike. Thanks to Brandon at Riverside Fly Shop for working with Alabama Power for making this a better place to fly fish for trout in Alabama.

Sorry for the blur image, but my buddy has problems with the camera

What the tailrace looks like when the generators are running, too much current to try and wade

Nice bow, not good image of the trout, but just wanted you to see the quality compared to last year. Last year the trout would have been smaller. I can't say enough about the difference in this place compared to years past. In fact the area was so bad that I had stopped fishing the tailrace because of the water movement.

Need Some Input for a Big Popper Fly Rod

On my trip to Dismal Creek the other day I carried my 5 wt. fly rod along to see if I could entice some of those larger spots to take my big popper. As I told you in my previous post I had no luck. The top water action was nothing. I did discover while flinging the size 4 popper that it was a hassle to get any distance and to control my cast with any degree of accuracy using the 5wt. and popper set-up. I really discovered this little bit of news after the first cast, but continue on in hopes of hooking up with my trophy spot. As the morning wore on I saw that needed a longer rod 9 ft. with the weight being a 6 or 7. I don't want to go over kill here and I don't want to spend a great deal of money either, because by the time I select the reel and match the rod and supply the line I am talking a tidy sum. If any of you guys have a suggestion it would be appreciated. For those of you who have use a heavier weight rod with larger flies I would welcome your input. I have discovered when it comes to selecting fishing equipment it never hurts to get an opinion or two from your buddies.