Which leaves fight the best?

[Nymph-wristed]

Sycamores fall early and are plentiful. Pin oaks fall all winter. But when a catalpa turns its wide body in the current, you need more than side pressure. Anybody else have any favorites :-D The Tully fished okay yesterday, mid-60s, dirty release water, but the leaf hatch is already on too...

 

[Maurice]

This reminds me of some memorable fall days that involved lots of catching and even more leaf releases. One particular phenomenon is the stacking of leaves in tailouts. I like to examine these and measure their length before freeing them to the angler fishing downstream of me.

Seriously, what I can tell you that is helpful is Clearing of a high water period after a long low water period, the leaves are not so bad and streamer fishing can be phenomenal.

That is all.

 

[jifigz]

I prefer the mighty sycamore leaves, wild of course, because they are some of the largest that I can correctly identify. I turn my nose up at stocked leaves!

 

[redietz]

Yep, sycamores for sure. They're biggest leaves of any tree that's common along river banks.

I just wish they wouldn't fight by twisting my leader.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

I do like wild sycamores but pre-spawn catalpas with the bean pods still mixed in are like redband bows...

 

[foxtrapper1972]

I've taken my share of leaves but once I hooked an old Mountain Dew tee shirt and it got me into my backing. I am happy to say it was released unharmed for some other lucky angler.

 

[laszlo]

At least there's no stocked or native controversy here.

 

[afishinado]

laszlo wrote:
At least there's no stocked or native controversy here.

stocked

 

[Nymph-wristed]

afishinado wrote:

laszlo wrote:
At least there's no stocked or native controversy here.

stocked

Yeah, but places like the mighty Lack would have no riparian buffer without it

 

[CRB]

Wild grape leaves are a fight.

 

[gulfgreyhound]

Tree branches : go big or go home. GG

 

[just_jon]

Love the way this tread is going. Great time of the year to be alive. Certainly not a time to get overly concerned about trivialities. Does anyone count/journal their leaf catches?

 

[salmonoid]

just_jon wrote:
Love the way this tread is going. Great time of the year to be alive. Certainly not a time to get overly concerned about trivialities. Does anyone count/journal their leaf catches?

I have taken to only counting the foul hooked leaves. I have also been keeping stats on the released leaves. Going back 48 hours after release, 100% of the leaves are dead. I do not use a C&R net with them, and I rub them, which wipes off the protective chlorophyll slime.

 

[DaveS]

I can't say which fight the best. Chuckin' a double bunny on a nine weight, they come right in.

I'd like to add however, the ones that are starting for in my yard have kicked my a$$ more than once.

 

[dc410]

Paulownia (Princess tree) leaves are probably one of the most imposing in size, not sure they are the best fighting leaf though, but they too, however are just another "stocked" tree.

 

[ryansheehan]

Japanese knotwood, hands down.

 

[ryansheehan]

salmonoid wrote:

just_jon wrote:
Love the way this tread is going. Great time of the year to be alive. Certainly not a time to get overly concerned about trivialities. Does anyone count/journal their leaf catches?

I have taken to only counting the foul hooked leaves. I have also been keeping stats on the released leaves. Going back 48 hours after release, 100% of the leaves are dead. I do not use a C&R net with them, and I rub them, which wipes off the protective chlorophyll slime.

Do you photograph them while laying on rocks?

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

Pound for pound, [d]Smallmouth Bass[/d] Willow Trees fight harder than [d]Large Mouth Bass[/d] Large Maple Leaves.

 

[Oregon_OwlII]

The leaf litter from sycamores are one of the top three in terms of stream ecology and food for aquatic insects. I would most certainly release all my sycamore leaves. I might keep a few catalpa for the frying pan if the water was not over-fished.

 

[CLSports]

Hooked a small maple seed (helicopters) on Sat. and it twisted my line up really good. I didn't realize I had it on my line and started to cast with a small one attached to my dry fly.