Sorta Frustrated

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rufus

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Apr 19, 2011
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I've been out fishing 5 or 6 times (more like every day) since I caught that trout that I posted about earlier. Nothing. Not even a bite. The closest I came to even getting a hit was a rainbow that followed my bugger in to shore. What do you think I might be doing wrong? I'm using all buggers mostly until I get the hang of it. I thought about trying nymphs, but I want to keep it simple. I'm using those little clips so I can change my flies quickly. Is that ok? Does it look too un-natural or leave too much of a splash as it lands? How exactly should I fish my buggers? Let them float down and then strip 'em in? I fished for about an hour and a half yesterday and caught nothing. Went and grabbed the spinning rod and I landed 6 and lost 2 in under 45 minutes. I believe that the fish are on the opposite side of the creek, which is difficult to fish from where I stand. I need to get over there, hopefully some time this week. Any tips? I can roll cast nicely and am getting pretty good at the regular overhead cast

I have three olive and three black buggers. One of the olive is a beadhead.
 
rufus,
Hhmmm...
Well, obviously there's trout in the area you're fishing since you got 'em on the spin rod. What did they hit on the spin rod and what color was it? If they hit spinners, I'd think they ought to be game to eat a bugger. We're you fishing deeper with the spin gear? Are they out of reach in that particular pool for your fly casting? If you can't reach 'em with the fly rod, tie a Wooly Bugger on your spin rod, pinch a few split shots on for weight, and cast the WB out and see if they take it. If they don't, you can bet they don't want the WB. Don't worry about the little clips, that's fine for a bugger. You might try some bright colored nymphs like a Green Weenie or a hot orange egg fly and drift those close to the bottom, esp if spin folks are catching fish on Powerbait or something similar.
Process of elimination. Keep experimenting.
 
I think one of your problems may be not getting deep enough. Add some shot, cast all over, especially towards structures and banks, fish will be hanging close due to high waters. You're not doing anything wrong by dead drifting and stripping. But, try twitching and stripping mid swing, I catch a lot of fish that way on streamers. Like FI said, if they are aggressive enough to wack a spinner, they'll probably hit a bugger. If not, go get some indicators and fish glo-bugs, San Juan worms, Green Weenies, etc. Keep at it, trout are a finnicky fish, you never know.
 
I think they're out of reach where theyre in shallow water and where i can reach them theyre way deep. How much shot is too much? I caught one fish on a black and green rooster tail. The other 6 were on a f-5 perch rapala. I know, who fishes for trout with a rapala, right? Well I've caught more trout on rapalas than any other spinner or bait combined.

By the way, it was a countdown so it was only like 12 inches off the bottom most of the time.
 
there you go, answering your own question. Most of the time, for trout to eat, it has to be in their feeding zone. with that being said, 12 inches off the bottom is a good place to be. Start with 1 shot, and keep on adding on until you are hitting bottom every now and then.
 
rufus wrote:
I think they're out of reach where theyre in shallow water and where i can reach them theyre way deep. How much shot is too much? I caught one fish on a black and green rooster tail. The other 6 were on a f-5 perch rapala. I know, who fishes for trout with a rapala, right? Well I've caught more trout on rapalas than any other spinner or bait combined.

By the way, it was a countdown so it was only like 12 inches off the bottom most of the time.
Click to expand...

use how ever much it takes to get down, it shouldnt be to much though. And yes rapalas are very productive for trout and big ones.
 
I agree with everyone it's process of elimination. If you've switched colors and retrieves then try depth. It's tough when stripping streamers to keep them deep enough quirky te level of water we have here, creeks are raging! I fished 3 full days last weekend and had minimal lick on streams I know where the fish hold. That being said the fish I did catch were between 16 and 22 in! On high colder waters here not much wa working. Yellow and white buggers and the largest fish on eggi quan canobi ( sw worm and egg pattern). Keep switching everything up and by the time you get it the water will change and you'll have to start over again. Don't get frustrated I'm no expert bit I fished some really nice native water sat and never had a hit. Thing will get better.
 
rufus wrote:

I believe that the fish are on the opposite side of the creek, which is difficult to fish from where I stand. I need to get over there, hopefully some time this week.

I think they're out of reach where theyre in shallow water and where i can reach them theyre way deep.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure if this is the case, put pitching flies to the same fish in the same deep hole is not usually the most productive thing to do. At this point in the season, the fish should be spread out fairly well. Try moving and fishing different water types. Work your bugger through some of the riffs and runs as well as the pools.

Often FFing on open ATWs is deadly since you're showing the fish something different from the Powerbait, worms and spinners. Also, the fish have surely begun to feed on many of insects that your flies represent. Keep at it...they will come.
 
If 5 of your 6 buggers are non-beaded, my guess would be depth. As others have noted continue to add shot to get your bugger down.

At this time of year I like a bugger with a tungsten cone head, which starts you off with a lot of weight already on the fly and makes your bugger "dive" nose first much like a rapala would. From there, a couple of micro shot are all that's needed for adjustment based on water depth and velocity.

Regardless of how you want to approach adding weight, the best info I can give you is to play with weight until you're snagging the bottom every 5 or 6 casts.
 
Here's my big piece of advice.... move around. If you can't get a cast out to where the fish are, try a different spot. Depending on the fishing, it's not unusual for me to walk a few miles while fishing. Get to a "fishy" spot that you can cast to and try there for a while. Catch a few, or catch nothing, move on after a while.

Next, take the clip off and learn to tie your knots. "Easy" doesn't necessarily mean better with the clip. Try a nymph and get used to "drifting". Use an indicator. (I recommend a thingamabobber). Once you get the hang of drifting nymphs, you'll get the hang of what fly fishing is all about and can graduate to dry flies. It's all a progression and you're learning that tossing buggers isn't the best thing all of the time. Keep trying and keep asking questions.
 
What size thingamabobber? I have a sheet of those foam wrap-around strike indicators. Should I use them with my buggers though? I have a few egg patterns and a worm imitator that I fish, I think they get down deep enough but I don't use them enough.
 
It's confidence, man. Leave the crutch (spinning rod) at home and make the fly rod and bugger do what your spinner/rapala would do.

It took me about three years to build up the courage to leave the waxworms and size 12 salmon egg hooks at home. When I did, I finally got serious and caught fish. Regularly.

Add some weight to those buggers. I would not even attempt using a bugger without a bead head and some shot with the way the streams are.

And yeah, try different holes/riffles/runs and seams.
 
It definitely takes persistence when fly fishing for trout. Takes dedication and practice. I agree that you should leave the rod and reel behind.
 
The medium or small thingamabobber will work just fine. Trust me, buggers catch fish, but you won't get the true hang of fly fishing until you start nymphing or tossing dries during a hatch. Tie on a hares ear, or pheasant tail under a thingamabobber and have at it. You'll learn quickly what to do and what not to do.
 
My friend is tying me some pheasant tails, so I should be able to give it a try with that soon enough. Thanks for all the tips, guys. He's tying tonight, any other flies that would be good to try?
 
Rufus, I was having a heck of a time for awhile and I went with a 1/2" ( the smallest one) thingamabobber with a PT. Finally landed one with that, I then switched to a copper john, I had em on, but he got off at the last minute. I had lots of strikes with these nymphs, I just wasn't setting the hook at the right time. I went through about 6 different fly's that day until I found one they were interested in. Give it time and experiment it will happen.
 
It can be as simple as to stop doing what isn't working. It happened to me in Maine last fall, fished 2 days and didn't catch a thing. As soon as I stopped doing what wasn't working I started catching fish. Try fishing the woolly bugger like a spinner. Vary the retrieve.
 
"I'm using all buggers mostly"

part of the problem?
the other might be depth as others pointed out. The water has been high.
 
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