Bi-color/curlicue sighters

[Broad_Top]

I've been spending more time on some slow running spring creeks and these seem like an interesting idea to help stealthily handle skinny water at long distance. Going to tie a bi-color indictor into the lower butt on some leaders. Anyone have good experience with these? I read Mr. Daniels article which was a great primer, just looking for a few more practical tips.

Got a good system to straighten/recurl the indicator section when switching between short and long distance?

Thanks

 

[Heritage-Angler]

Any particular reason you want to straighten the curly indicator for different distances? Just leave it on.

If you make the curly correctly, you'll have one heck of a time straightening it out, and if you do, you'll likely need to re-boil it to get it back to shape.

 

[Broad_Top]

I guess I was under the impression that if I wanted to go to high sticking I'd want the bi color straight when submerged. I figured if I kept the wraps few and large that might be possible, but I guess I'm mistaken.

So I guess that there'd not be an easy way to switch between using the curlicue long-range and a straight bi-color for short range if you can't just alter the shape back n forth streamside, without changing your leader?

 

[Deuterium]

That's right, once you have introduced the curls into the sighter, they are permanent. When I have a coiled sighter in the leader, I use it for both long and short distances.

 

[Broad_Top]

So to be sure, you don't have any issue using the curlicue under the water? Or do you always keep it greased to float on top anyway, long or short?

 

[Heritage-Angler]

Try to keep your tippet section (sighter to point fly) about two times the depth of the water. To fish shallower water, keep your rod low, almost parallel to the surface, and lead your flies - keeping a slight bow in the line.

To fish deeper water, raise the rod tip higher, but still lead your flies with that slight bow in the line. This allows your point fly to be on the bottom, and your dropper(s) to be higher up in the water column.

The sighter shouldn't be under water. If you need more depth to get your flies to the bottom, add more tippet. I typically have at least 4 to 6' of tippet from point fly to sighter. I usually only float the curly if the water is pretty shallow and slower current speed. Depends on the situation, but floating the sighter isn't the norm for me.

 

[Broad_Top]

Thanks for the good info.

So if you're going to use the curlicue, sounds then like it's pretty much a dedicated technique that requires a leader change if you want to get away from it.

4'-6' of tippet seems like a whole lotta leader to manage!

 

[Heritage-Angler]

Broad_Top wrote:
4'-6' of tippet seems like a whole lotta leader to manage!

Nah - it's the 15 ft leader before the curly and tippet that makes it interesting. ;-)

Click here for a nice article on this kind of technique.

Hope it helps...

 

[attackone]

I use a 5' butt section of 20# and then 2 foot of a sighter then about 6' of tippet to my dropper then about 18" to 24" to my anchor fly....then what Heritage said about rod angle its the key and once u figure that out its on

 

[Broad_Top]

Those ratios just seem like so much leader to cast... Well I bought some stuff to rig them up and try. Stay tuned for more questions!

 

[attackone]

U don't really cast its for of a lob ...it sounds bad but it isn't hard at all

 

[Broad_Top]

Still trying to reconcile a few things. It seems like there's not an easy way to adapt dry fly fishing to one of these style leaders. Would you agree? I think the long range leader would work, just shorten the tippet a little off the 7.5 ft tapered leader and a straight sighter, and you have around a standard 9 or 10 ft leader to dry fly fish with. But you couldn't use a curlicue built into your leader.

Do you carry multiple reels with different leader rigs for quick changing between a long/short range nymph/dry fly? This is the only 'simple' solution I can discern. What do you guys do?

Can't have my cake and eat it too?

Otherwise I can put more effort changing up, and have more success. Or I can be lazy, stick with one leader for all situations, and complain about why I'm not catching more fish.

 

[attackone]

well i cant really help you with the dry fly fishing cause i have caught a fish on a dry fly in 4 years, i fish 99.9% sub surface...but i do have a spare spool that i carry with me just incase i want to do a different style of fishing

 

[Broad_Top]

Sounds like it must work... But I'd love an excuse to get a spare nice reel