Year of the crazies?

tabasco_joe

tabasco_joe

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Joined
Sep 11, 2006
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So far this year I've noticed more odd tackle being used by stream fishermen than I ever remember seeing in the past. A few weeks ago I talked to a guy fishing for trout on the Little Lehigh using a shad dart suspended six inches below a large white and red bobber. Then there was a guy fishing for trout in the Neshaminy using a large Rapala floater with three trebles. On the upper Jordan I found a large Mepps musky sized spinner in the stream bed. Last night on the Neshaminy I found a deep diving crank bait hanging in a tree. It was rated at 14 - 16 feet on a creek with maximum 4 foot depth.
 
The more ATWs you fish, the more of that crap you'll see. I've seen worms hanging from trees on line so heavy that it might as well be nylon rope... for weight, you guessed it, a stainless steel nut.

I've also always been amazed by the otherwise competent looking guys that use the bright yellow mono on their spinning rods. That must be costing them some fish. Maybe they think they are fly fishing?
 
Sounds like that newfangled thing they call spin fishing finally made it to the backwoods-lol
sorry,couldn't resist.
I am old enough to remember when spinning first came over from France-right after WW11-
Eveyone thought it would replace the old fashioned flyrods.
The Old Guard said men would still fly-fish and give spinning tackle to the women and kids to keep them quet.
Made sense.
 
Hey Pete, can I quote you, that was terrific,

"I am old enough to remember when spinning first came over from France-right after WW11-
Eveyone thought it would replace the old fashioned flyrods.
The Old Guard said men would still fly-fish and give spinning tackle to the women and kids to keep them quiet".
 
read it in a book in the 60s.
The guy said the men would be around the bend flyfishing while the women and children would be using their spinning tackle in the pool at the parking place.
 
I see the same guy at random put and take streams throughout SE PA fishing with a pluggin rod U would use to throw plugs in saltwater. This however is an improvement for him b/c ten years ago he was using a surf rod:) I am being completely serious too. I am not joking!
 
It's pretty funny b/c I was at a picnic and two guys were talking about seeing him the week before. I thought to myself I am not hallucinating then! :-D
 
I've been known to use plainer boards on the wider sections of Penns. Just kidding!
 
Just Fish, I think I saw the same guy you are talking about....can you even feel a trout bite with that pole????
 
I guess if you are using a bobber your good! Believe it or not a lot of people have seen him. Well....it's kinda hard to miss a guy with a surf pole on a trout stream.
 
Dear tabasco,

Just so I understand things, trout won't hit jigs, right? Especially under a bobber?

What are beadheads anyway? And I won't say anything about strike indicators, I promise.

I'll give you that the guy was probably a goof if he was fishing a 1/4 shad dart under a shiner buoy, but lots of people catch trout on micro-jigs.

A long time ago I used to fish at the wing dam in New Hope before they built those stinking condo's at the old factory. There was a guy who would fish along the wing dam with 1/64 oz white twisters and he would catch a limit of good sized trout each time we saw him in May and early June. He was a master, and we would stand in awe catching catfish and smallies on minnows while he was hammering trout.

Likewise never underestimate the power of an oversized Rapala. I've caught more fish of better size from streams that were high and unfishable on # 11 and 13 Rapalas than all the fly fishermen in the Universe have ever caught on anything.

I guess my point in all this is that you can rest assured that we sophisticated and stylish fly fishermen often look dorky and stupid to other people too. :lol:

Regards,
Tim Murphy :)
 
So right Tim.Truth be known little 1/32 or 1/16 jigheads and those small plastic twisters with spinning tackle will fish circles around fly fishers in ponds.As an avid flyfisherman I hated to admit it but it was NO contest when both were given an equal chance.If you could use that outfit at the Paradise-whew what a blast that would be.
 
On the subject of ponds and lakes, given an even playing field with fly rod only does anyone have techniques or fly patterns they have good sucess with? In small ponds woolies are always my go to but deep lakes I haven't a clue how to by-pass a bluegill to find a trout. Also anyone have some favorite Trout Lakes in Pa?
 
OK, so 1/32 oz jigs with twister tails are only for spin fisherman?
Uh, OK so nobody look at the top row of my bass fly box, uh OK?
 
Good trout lake in Pa. is Hunters Lake in Sullivan county, must sustain good population cuz it's among those waters receiving those "gift" trout this week (only mentioned that because of these recent stocking posts)

lol, and why would you want to "bypass" the gills, ??
 
I'm a novice, but to me the real allure to fly fishing is catching fish on a dry fly, something you can't really do the same at all with spinning tackle. I've caught trout nymphing and with wooly buggers, ect. but to try to fly fish for them at depths over 20 feet is something I'd not even know how to attempt. I'm certain that the experts know exactly how to go about it and I'm eager to learn, but to me there's nothing better than seeing trout sipping bugs off the surface.
 
Dear Henry,

I've been at this game for almost 40 years, and to me dry fly fishing for trout is about the most boring aspect of it. I realize that is just an opinion, and I know what an opinion is like, but dry fly fishing is like shopping for freaking tomatoes to me.

You see what they are eating, you see a target to cast towards, and you continue until either you or the trout succumb to boredom and do something stupid. I'd much rather fish a Zara Spook than a dry fly. At least with a Spook you are required to manipulate the lure in such a way as to entice a strike, which is totally unlike dry fly fishing.

Nymph or streamer fishing at least includes the element of surprise which to me is 95% of the reason to go fishing in the first place.

Regards,
Tim Murphy :)
 
TimMurphy,

I never heard dry fly fishing referred to as boring. Interesting.....I am sure this will spark some debate!
 
Dear justfish,

Like I said, it's just my opinion but I do find dry fly fishing to be boring. Once you figure out what they are eating it's like shooting fish in a barrel, and it completely lacks the element of surprise which to me is the greatest reason to go fishing.

Think about it? How many people fish dry flies without already having seen the fish they are targeting? Contrast that with nymph or streamer fishing where you select a fly you think they will eat and you cast it out into water in the hopes that something will eat it?

You know something is in there and you know something will eat, but you don't really know what is in there and what they will eat so you keep trying until you succede. To me the unknown is more fun than the known.

I understand that isn't a common train of thought and I know I'll suffer the consequences for it, so be it.

Regards,
Tim Murphy :)
 
Dry fly fishing can be fun on Chalks where it takes a modicum of skill to stalk and present to fish with PHd's but it can get boring on easy pickin's[like the salmon fly hatch in the west].
Trico's[?] on falling springs -humility high.
 
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