[freeze69]

went out today for trout for the 1st time. and i've got a couple of questions.

1. only saw a couple of trout and they wouldn't even look at anything i was throwing. (using dry flies) should i have tried a nymph or something of the such.

2. has more to do with my wading boots. my wife bought me some hodgman waders and hodgman boots. the stream i was on was both muddy bottom and stone. is there a boot that will work on both of these?

bluegills liked everything i threw though. the water was moving very fast. the creek comes off of one of my usual lakes via the dam. lots of rain had the water moving.

[fshfanatic]

A basic rule of thumb for me is "if they aint rising throw nymphs". A couple of "go to's" would be a flashback hairs ear or a pheasant tail or even a thread midge. Sometimes called a "Yong Special" Yong claims to have invented this fly , but in all reality it is a modifid Colorado thread midge. They are deadly.

[Joni]

like fshfanatic say's, nymphs. I have found on rivers around here, that subsurface works real well also. WD40's or small softhackles in the film of the water. Even when they are taking dries, this always seems to work. I guess grabbing the food before it leaves the water.

[ffffg]

wool felt is probably the most accepted boot bottom used around here..you can glue it onto yourpresent boots.. slick wet mud is bad news no matter what bottom you have on your boots, probably worse with felt.. go to the local lybrary and take home a pile books and read all you can.. this will give you a base knoweledge to get started.. using two flys compounds the casting problem by giving you tangles.. try to cast in a slight oval bringing the fly back line slighty to the right, then forward slightly more to the left so it doesnt all dont bang into each other.. put a dry fly on the end of the leader, then put your nymph or subsurface fly behind that by tyiing on to the back of the hook. the rear fly or dropper is about 18 inches back from the indicator fly (that is first on the line).. when the first fly stops or sinks lift the rod to set the hook, you may have a fish.. this allows you to use two flys at once, dividing the time in half to find out what they are eating.. if you cant cast two that is fine, it will all work out in time.. a good local sporting good shop/ fly shop should trade good advice as to what to use at the time in your area, in trade for some purchases... simply go in and ask for his/her pick forthe week, and buy three or so, be sure to find out how to fish the type fly your getting.. dave..

[Piscator]

Freezy Man,
All of the above is dead on. I totally agree with ffffg about adding a dropper rig to your skills as a fly fisherman. I've had my greatest success with such a setup.

Next time your at you trout stream you might consider taking a sample of the insects that are floating in the water. This will give you a better idea as to what the trout may be cueing in on. My bet is a midge of some sort. Entomology is fun and just another aspect to learn in my opinion to be successful in the sport of fly fishing. If I remember right you like reading the American Angler. They always have a good section Etomomology. I have other resources as well if you are interested.

Try a 18 to 20 zebra or disco midge. Also depending on the type of vegetation in the stream you could even run into some scuds or sowbugs.

Hope this helps.
Thanks,
Terry

[freeze69]

haven't been able to get back out. the rains have returned. only have had a matter of hours since wednesday that it hasn't been raining. finally stopped again for now.

as far as the bugs didn't see to many at all. the stream was moving very fast so i had secluded myself into a little pocket of still water. going to try and get out again but don't know when. rain isn't supposed to let up any time soon. calling for it up through saturday the last i checked. just glad it's a steady cold drizzle and not a total down pour.

[BigCliff]

Fast water? nothing working on top? blue gills present? Sounds like soft hackle territory to me.



Try casting them across the current and letting them swing down to where you expect fish to be, or you can fish them upstream with some splitshot and an indicator. Be sure to smash the barb and have your hemostats with you, as the bluegill can take those deep. You will become a big fan of these things.

[Joni]

As far as trout, thread body softhackles (Olive, gray, orange and black).
As far as shoes, I have the Aqua Stealth and won't ever change. However, felt or stealth soles can be made even better by adding 1/4" sheet metal screws (preferably stainless steel) to the sole makes them even better, plus removeable for boats. Just four in toe section (a square) and two in the heel. Plus it saves on the wear of your felt soles.

[ffffg]

cloudy, wet, cold,,,?? try some beteas nymphs if you see any tiny bugs flying about in this type weather.. a week ago they were hitting 18s in this variety here untill it warmed up.. im just learning this too, so you experienced guys please correct me if im not exactly correct here.. . dave

[freeze69]

will have to try some of those soft hackles. just picked up some peacock feathers from my friend. going to try again if the rain ever stops. a drizzle isn't bad but don't know when it's going to bust loose.