Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Polaris]

Wanted to try fly fishing with my regular spinning rod and monofilament line (to see what's possible without fly fishing gear).  A friendly fisher suggested I try 'dry fly' floats (teardrop shape float with wire rings on the ends).  I tried it and found out that after one or two casts a dry fly sinks and becomes a 'wet' fly - sort of defeating the point...  Any suggestions how to keep dry flies from sinking? ( I was thinking floating beads but that would probably ruin the presentation.)
Also, if using the same ordinary spinning rod with wet flies, would you recommend, just using some weights with a fly and casting and retrieving it just like a spinner or using a float rig where a wet fly is used instead of bait?  If both techniques are valid where would one be superior to the other?

[ynot]

i use my spinning rod and reel for trout using a wet fly.  2 inches of pencil lead ,bead, swivel. 6ft of 4lb leader cast out fast retrive, best fly for me olive green woolly bugger.if fish deeper slow down.

[buzzbomb]

Go for it! The first fish I caught with a fly (@ Sawmill) was on a bee fly with a splitshot above and a  bobber. Way back.  There was a time (Halford v GM Skues,  back during the Industrial Revolution) when it was debated whether or not the only way to target trout in a sporting manner was to present dry flies in a natural drift, and no wading allowed.  I remember thinking, 'Wow, that fish really thought that was a bug!"

[skaha]

--one of the reasons to false cast a dry fly with fly equipment is to dry out the fly...
--there are commercial fly floatants that can be applied to the fly.. you could also try foam fly patters .
--as to wet fly you could fish similar to chironomid having fly hang down but would need a release type or slip float when using at depth you would not be able to reel in.
--an option would be to set up a drop shot rig for fishing near bottom... that is weight is at bottom of the line and hook with fly would be attached a foot or more above the weight... this would allow you to reel in the fish without removing the weight when you want to fish deeper areas.  drop shot is very effective as you get the feel from the line and do not feel the weight.
--any of the streamer type or minnow imitation fly's could be cast with weight and reel in similar to a spinner.

--there was a commerial device available.... you could splice in a section of floating or sinking line that would be able to pass through your guides this would have some weight for casting especially on an ultra lite rig.. we have used this technique when buck tailling if we don't want the fly to sink to far and do not want a definate kink in the line.. this allows you to troll at a variety of speeds without changing the weight.

[fishingwithegg2]

There is a very good video on youtube with instructions on how to use the bubble fly method.
Guy was fishing at Rice Lake in North Van.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1v3Gxx0-Ch0&feature=relmfu

For dries I read you need to put a lot of floatant on the fly, or else the bubble's weight will wet the fly everytime.

Cheers!

[Polaris]

Thank you to all for your answers.  There are some points I'd like to clarify:

ynot:
Never used pencil lead as a weight.
How is it better than removable 'winged' splitshot?
If is a strip, how do you attach it to the main line?
What size of woolly bugger do you suggest and would it work for salmon?

skaha:
Could you recommend a specific brand or example of a commercial fly floatant?
Would using a wet fly on a 3' leader, swivel, splitshot and slip float constitute "fishing similar to chironomid"?
Could you explain the "drop shot rig" in more detail;  if the leader with a fly is attached a foot above the weight, how can you "reel in the fish without removing the weight"?  (Perhaps you could include a link to a picture of this rig?)
A picture of "streamer type or minnow imitation fly's" would be much appreciated.
What length of floating low vis line would you recommend to attach to monofilament line to float a fly; would a dry fly float still be useful in this setup and can the floating line be attached with regular knots without a special device?

[RalphH]

you can fish wet flies (mainly nymphs and bait fish type patters like a wooly bugger) with a scaled down float technique. Light rod, reel and line, small float and a couple of split shot. Before I really took up fly angling I'd fish classic wet flies like a Royal Coachman almost like spinning. Use a split shot or 2 and toss the fly out and let it swing in the current. It could work like a dam!

[Sandman]

I will wade in here to save you time.

Thank you to all for your answers.  There are some points I'd like to clarify:

ynot:
Never used pencil lead as a weight.
How is it better than removable 'winged' splitshot?
If is a strip, how do you attach it to the main line?

Pencil lead is usually attached to the line using a three way swivel and surgical tubing.
 
The advantage over split shot is that you can attach a large heavy piece that will get you down into deep pockets in fast currents in a way it would take 10 split shots.

What size of woolly bugger do you suggest and would it work for salmon?

I most commonly use a #6 or 8 wolly bugger and coho love them.

skaha:
Could you recommend a specific brand or example of a commercial fly floatant?

I use "Gink," it is a silicone based dry fly floatant.

Would using a wet fly on a 3' leader, swivel, splitshot and slip float constitute "fishing similar to chironomid"?

Yes, except that chironomid fishing is using done at a specific depth (usually 1 or 2 feet off the bottom or top of the weed bed), not using a slip float.  The drop shot rig describe below would keep the fly up off the bottom.

Could you explain the "drop shot rig" in more detail;  if the leader with a fly is attached a foot above the weight, how can you "reel in the fish without removing the weight"?  (Perhaps you could include a link to a picture of this rig?)

There are a lot of images of this rig online:

A picture of "streamer type or minnow imitation fly's" would be much appreciated.

What length of floating low vis line would you recommend to attach to monofilament line to float a fly; would a dry fly float still be useful in this setup and can the floating line be attached with regular knots without a special device?

 Really do not know what you are talking about here.

[ynot]

the pencil lead i use is hollow so i feed the main line through it, then a bead then swivel. i use size 6 or 8 wolley buggers.

[Bassonator]

And remember you're not fly fishing you're gear fishing.

[skaha]

--thanks Sandman for taking the time to add visuals good answers.
--to splice in a piece of fly line use nail knot... best to look up on U-tube for visual or do search.. nail knot can be tied without a tool... use product such as knot sense a loon product to smooth the knot... this would allow one to reel in the line if required.
--could also purchase a sinking or floating poly leader from a fly shop.. if your intent is to experiment with use of ultralite spin gear.

--when fly fishing with a chironomid is it usually presented with either a wet line and very slow retrive or more common now a strike indicator used for depth control... as the fly is slow or stationary many use fluorocarbon leader near the chironomid due to its low visibility in the water.
--it would be possible to make similar presentation with spin gear however it is much easier using longer fly rod.

--ultralite fishing with a spinning outfit if taken seriously can be as much or more expensive as fly fishing...you would need premium mono,braid and fluorocarbon different combinatons for different presentations... rods can be custom or factory... reels with smooth drags as when using lighter line.. even with an ultralite rod any sticking of the reel could cause break off... also if getting larger fish small cheap reels will not stand up to longer runs.

[Long_Cast]

Back in the 90's at Deer Lake in Burnaby, I was fishing with a spinner and I was nailing lots of trout. Then an old guy in his 80's showed up with a spinning reel and a clear transparent raindrop float with a dry fly and he ended nailing lots of rainbows with it too. I was fishing side by side and we were like catching trout like non stop.

I actually caught a bunch of rainbows and I took it home, battered it, and deep fried the trout.  It tasted pretty good, not really muddy either. The meat was pinkish!

[arimaBOATER]

Used my spinning rod at an interior lake.
Did some trolling & caught ZERO.
Chap sujj. to use a small willow leaf troll leader & light green fly.

Immeadiately got results BIG TIME.

[newsman]

complicated answers or what? One of the thing a good fly fishing instructor does is make things simple and understandable. Fish your fly as you would bait! if you need weight, use one. Any form of lead to a spark plug or nut will do. As said above us floatant. Floatant is like a pen; many different styles and types find one that works for you.

As defined in our BC sport fishing regs, fly fishing; is angling with a line to which a fly is attached. Which means any thing from the highest tech rod to a hand line.

[rootbeer]

Heard many stories similar to what A-BOATER has posted.  Seems that some people will drag a fliy on their second rod when trolling alone, and seems to have as good results as on their deeper lines.