Bug seining?

[Bigfly]

The classic pose for a fly fisher, is staring into a fly box.
(For a long time.)
Over my career, I've gone from never examining bugs, to spending a bunch of time with a net. (Several times a day.)
Just wondering how many of you look at'em?

 

[madjoni]

I watch them all the time

 

[littledavid123]

I have never seined for them but do turn over a lot of rocks and look thru the shallow weeds to see whats hanging around.

Dave

 

[Rip Tide]

I said "once or twice" but it's really more often than that.
I have a nylon stocking leg that I fit over my landing net and use that to seine.
If and when I carry the net, then I'll seine, but most often the net stays at home.

 

[Jimmie]

Had to vote "never have" even though I've wanted to do it. Just simply don't know how.

 

[dean_mt]

When I was just getting into fly fishing and trying everything that I read about my also green buddy that was learning at the same time bought a seine. We used it a couple times. I've never owned one. I've never done it myself. Which is curious now that you bring it up. I've thought about it the last couple years. I tie my flies. I love to improvise patterns to match what I think I see. So why don't I do it?

I'll say that I'm sure it could prove to be a useful tool and exercise. But there is a line, or current seam maybe I should say, that it feels like sometimes goes beyond the the mystery that I don't need to cross.

I mean, I observe bugs in the air, on the rocks, ect. I love catching mayflies by the wings and placing them on my knuckle to sit there unaware while I gaze at the size and shape and tails and wing and the elegant beauty of the whole thing. But when I am confounded by rising fish and have worn out my offerings...I find that a pheasant tail soft-hackle in the right size (ahh...how do you know what size? keep guessing and going smaller) will mimic just about anything and fool just about all but the most stubborn fish.

So after all that, I have to laugh at the point you make Bigfly, about the "quintessential" image of the fly fisher, rod under arm, as he/she gazes deep into the fly box searching for an answer! I've always thought that "postcard" image is so silly. But it must be how we are seen by the outside, the romantic version of the fly fisher...deep in consternation!

Nice poll. Thanks!

 

[caseywise]

i voted never.
nettig up bugs always looked like a viable way to see whats floatin around, but i choose to turn over a few rocks then go to a trial and error method with different patterns.


casey

 

[MoscaPescador]

I chose semi regular. When I walk and wade, I minimalize my load. I just don't want to carry a seine around. If I am using a watercraft to access fishable water, there is always one on the boat.

I will admit that whenever I seine, my catch rate is higher than it is without using one.

Dennis

 

[Liphookedau]

Even though it's a guide we all know works,however none of us like carrying the Nets around which doesn't stop us from looking under Rocks & Stones etc.

 

[planettrout]

Under rocks, stream side vegetation, in the drift and on my waders...use this too:

Insect net for the fly fishermen

PT/TB

 

[Jackster]

Under rocks, stream side vegetation, in the drift and on my waders...use this too:

Insect net for the fly fishermen

PT/TB

That is exactly what I used. I liked it so much I had to buy another after giving the first away to a friend.
Sadly, it does not fit on the throat of my drop-dead beautiful Tropical Lightning nets so now I flip rocks, observe whats on the water surface and in the air.

 

[Bigfly]

The main reason I asked, was yesterday we had some emergers pop in the net, and fly away. Most of us live in the future, or the past, fleetingly in the present..
Few things grab the customer (or me) with the force of watching bugs change from one life form to another. It is the now......and that is where we need to be, to catch trout!
Turning over rocks is good (I do that as well.), but the small stuff, is mostly caught in the net.
I got light colored mosquito netting, duct taped it to two sticks cut to fit my pack.
Do three separate seines.
1. Skim the surface for a while. Top 6" for 40 sec. Evaluate.
2. Do a full depth seine, but don't let water go over the top. 30-40 sec. Evaluate.
3. Repeat the full depth, but disturb the bottom, upstream of the net. 10sec.
The foamy water has the most bugs. But it is interesting to sample different parts of the stream. Back waters, silty stuff, grass, etc....
I'm math challenged, so we don't count, or key the bugs.
Just get out a flybox, hold it up, and compare colors and sizes.
I help little kids do it. (They pick their own flies.) You don't need to know the names, just the availability.
The skim/deep seine tells what is the menu's "special" right now.
The deep disturbed seine gives you most all the water menu, except for accidentals (hopper, ants, beetles, etc.), and the quick stuff like crays or fry.
Next to catching fish, it can be the highlight of the day....

Jim

Rip's stocking over the net is the cheapest, smallest, to carry. Almost nothing in your pocket.

Wanted to add, light colored material is best, most of the bugs are darkish. Helps to see them.

 

[Rip Tide]

Rip's stocking over the net is the cheapest, smallest, to carry. Almost nothing in your pocket.

Actually I leave it right on the landing net.....keeps the net bag from getting caught in the underbrush.
Ghetto stylish too

 

[Bigfly]

I think it's "fish styly". Bro....
I tried wearing my legionnaires hat backwards, but kept falling down....

 

[mikel]

One thing for sure...since I started seining (thank you Jim) I find myself going to midges more often than ever before, and catching more fish...-m

 

[Bigfly]

Mikel, you are welcome. Sorry so slow to get back, fast and furious right now.
Trout eat a bunch of midges, because midges are almost always around.
That, and trout think small is safe....
Hope the East-side treated you well.....

Jim

 

[dave5977]

Jimmie posted that he doesn't know how to sein for bugs. I can believe that a lot of fly fishers don't know how or never thought of doing it.
When I bought my pole many years ago, I took a class Los Gatos CA. In that class, seining was only briefly mentioned.
Years later, I took another class in Sandy OR. In this class, the instruction not only talked about it importance, but he showed us on the Sandy River how to do it and what to look for.
In this case, I'm sure I wouldn't sein at all if I had only taken the Los Gatos class.
I guess its a matter of who you meet and where you are...

 

[Bigfly]

Dave it is amazing how few do any sampling. Glad you were exposed.
We are fly fishers are we not? Aren't fish eating them?
I suffered from information overload when I started fishing, so maybe it is something we come to over time.
Sure wish somebody had showed me sooner...
I ask everyone I see if they want to try it. Total strangers on the water...
All my trips include one session. Why just guess?
Many of my friends didn't do it before we hooked up.
They all have their little nets now, and we spend 10-15 minutes each time out.
You just never know what you'll see.
Heck, you might even catch more fish too...

 

[jcw355]

I'm taking an entymology class next weekend and seining will be part of the class. We are going to the river and will be actually doing some seining. The class is being taught by people who are on this particular river all the time so I'm hoping to learn something from the local "pros".

 

[Bigfly]

jcw, to me fishing without sampling, is a bit like ordering in a resturant without a menu...
You might get it right.....
Have fun and report back.

Jim