elrodente'
There's some great advice, though I'd be hesitant on the stingers.
I also opt for smaller mice though I rarely tie them small. My travels are quite a ways from home so I usually end up buying a few smaller ones. (morrish)
Hookups are MUCH higher with the smaller rodents! I've had some that would grabt he tail and yank it under, never breaking the surface, but on the smaller bugs those hits are rare.
One thing I don't like about them, is when the fish are looking up you can hook them deep! I tried posting a pic from 2 weeks ago of one that was trying to digest it lol.
Really the main issue is the hook point is down, so hooking them deep is bad! Crimp your barbs!!!! I'd like to come up with a hook up or even a hook to the side morrish profile to help with better hookups. I think it would keep it out of the gills! At least up here they take them and when they do they can take them pretty hard!
I've noticed bows don't jump when they slurp a mouse like they do with basically....well....everything else! I don't know what's with that. Don't hesitate to fish during the day. Matter of fact my best days have come during daylight not at night. I obviously don't have brownies to play with so keep that in mind. Bows for whatever reason at least up here don't seem to care day or night.
For length I prefer a morrish that's 1.5" or smaller. Most of mine are 1.25" from the back of the body to the tip of the foam. Keep the tails on the shorter end as well! Too big and you'll get a misses or flat out refusals. Its cool to turn fish, exciting, but man those takes! I'm using 0x 7.5 leaders down to a 8lb fluro tippet.
I've found for me anyways the best drift is a slow downstream swing more than a typical atlantic style skating swing. I flip quartering down keep the rod up high until it starts swinging, slowly dropping the rod down as mickey comes around. You can introduce movement easily like this though keep it subtle.
Don't set until you feel fish, they'll turn a number of times to grab it! I've had a number of fish turn just to take it well after it passed them.
Don't hesitate to strip them either. That morrish reminds me of a hula popper for bass and I tell you what, the takes you get when they want it chugged are flat out dang impressive! it will scare the jeezers out of ya LOL! Just watch it, when they take like this they hit like a freight train and don't stop..unlike the typically slow slurpy takes in the slower water. Riffle water is fun as well but they generally take a lot better than slower water.
I don't bother with drag free drifts. its just no fun, but I'm sure it works at times. So for me I'll work down stream first swinging meat, or swing a rodent on my way back home in the more promising water.
I had an epic rodent day 2 weeks ago..it was beyond belief! 16 takes in 3 bends (stopped bothering to count after that it was nuts), I don't know how many fish took but it was a LOT of fish and a number of pigs at that! Thought about doing a post but haven't had the time to get pics to the computer and cant upload from the blasted cell. I'm hoping once I get the workbench done to get back after them...winters fast approaching up here, frost already zapped my maters and buddys have been in 7"es of snow!
