your favorite flies for unpressured fish

[littlelehigh]

Hey Guys

Just getting ready to fish some local waters that don't see many fisherman. Not exactly sure what I will find in them but am hoping for the best. I suspect water will be rather shallow with a hole to fish here and there. Also when prospect ing I noticed alot of lilly pads and under water grasses. Just wondering what kind of fly you use to start out with, example: a #18 BHPT, a #14 ant, or a #10 Wooley Bugger keep in mind most of the fish will probally be 4 to 9 inches but there may be some undercuts or deep holes along the way. All of these sections are between 5 and 20 ft wide I assume you wade only when necessary if at all is that correct?
Also I expect to hit some real flat calm waters what is the best way to try to fish those or just skip over them out right?

I'm just trying to make sure my fly box is full of the most important flies for these excursions. Any tips to keep in mind would be appreciate. Or an experienced buskwacker looking for an adventure could gladly join me!


Thanks in advance if you don't wanna share your secrets please PM me.



Ok so much of this was covered in the thread Wild Trout my fault no one needs to repeat themselves but I would still like more info on fly selection and approaching slow sections with weeds/ lilly pads if possible.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

I recommend these flies:

Stimulators w rubberlegs size 12- 16. 2nd choice for unpressured trout. After your drift....twitch it back upstream just under the surface. If you dont get a brookie on top youll get him the second time. You can use it as a grasshopper or a large caddis by skittering it and skating it.

bettles size 14 - 16

ants 18 - 24

Griffaths Gnat size 18 - 24

BWO's They hatch on almost all streams. size 16-22

***3 BH olive, 3 BH black and 3 BH white crystal flash bugger. size 10 (cut the tails a little shorter for short strikes or tie the bugger tail more on the hook) Unpressured trout love these flies and are my number 1 choice.

flashback scuds size 16-18

copper johns size 18 - 22

Just a small list.....bring plenty of buggers

When hiking in take as little as possible when it comes to flies. These types of trout are not selective. Now that said carry in water and first aid. You never know ;-) make room for the more useful stuff.

 

[MattBoyer]

salvelinusfontinalis wrote:
After your drift....twitch it back upstream just under the surface. If you dont get a brookie on top youll get him the second time.

I would suggest a Hornberg fished exactly like this in the flat water. It looks like a caddis going down dry, then looks like a minnow on its way back up.

Boyer

 

[littlejuniata]

not sure lily pads and trout like the same water? always willing to learn though

 

[Raff]

The Grumpy Frumpy.
http://flyfishfood.blogspot.com/2007/08/grumpy-frumpy-ugly-but-fish-eat-it.html

It's been picked up by Rainy's. This fly SLAYS!!!!


The guy who designed this fly, clark pierce, is a good friend and was recently in thisisfly.com issue. He's the fly tying mad genius. Makes the best and most innovative flies around.

 

[ryguyfi]

hi viz adams

 

[jaybo41]

I'll add Lime Trude and Chartreuse Coachman to the fine suggestions thus far.

 

[dryflyguy]

During summer and early fall, I usually start out with a #14 crowe beetle, and go from there.
Lightly or heavy fished streams, doesn't matter. They work almost everywhere for me

 

[littlelehigh]

littlejuniata wrote:
not sure lily pads and trout like the same water? always willing to learn though

I think I get where your going with this LJ lilly pads = warm water fish. Maybe they are not exactly lilly pads but they do resemble lilly pads although I'm not sure they flower. It's definately a spring fed waterway. These lilly looking things are not far down stream of the spring house, although they are growing in only about 6 to 8 inches of water and 7 ft of silt below that. I'll have to do some investigating and get back to you.


I'm glad to see small is not the ticket for unpressured fish I will be sure to tie up some of those basic patterns everyone has suggested. I should be fully prepared in a week or 2.

On a different note I would think a short (7ft) leader tapering to 5x should be sufficient does this sound correct?

 

[jayL]

I think I know what stream you are talking about, but either way...

If it's spring fed and in the lehigh valley, it's full of crustaceans. It's also full of midges, and probably gets tricos. Tis the season for terrestrials too.

For small freestoners, I use the attractor patterns. For small unpressured limers, I tend to use more standard trout fishing tactics.

 

[greenghost]

My all-time favorite dry for brookies is a stimulator with rubber legs. It's versatile, easy-to-see (which is important for middle-age eyes), imitates a variety of stuff, and floats like a cork all day long.

 

[littlejuniata]

http://www.letort.org/letort_files/PDF/ConsPlan/Cons%20Plan%20Report_VI.pdf

 

[bikerfish]

my fav combo is either a stimulator or big bushy adams with a hares ear dropper, at least while searching for fish. amazes me what hits the dropper and where!!! sometimes in places you would never think a fish would be. royal trudes, coachmans, humpys, all good hi-viz flies that produce. of course, if somethings hatching, gotta try to match it if fish are feeding!!
for slow water, I like a parachute adams, they seem to land a little more gentle on the water. good luck!!! as for your leader, 5x seems good, I rarely use smaller, you might want a little more length though. I usually use a 9-10 foot leader unless on tight streams, then sometimes as short as 6 ft