The Nale Brothers

[sarce]

I agree with whoever it was who said no matter what method you are using, you can learn a lot from spin guys. I ALWAYS talk to other anglers if they're willing and sometimes they've given me absolutely fantastic information. Leading me to a new, very good spot, or learning how to catch fish in a certain area. It's been especially helpful for other species besides trout, such as smallies and striped bass.

I'm a bit of a numbers guy too and can understand the desire to obsessively log data. My interest in actually doing so fluctuates, but I can tell you how many fish I caught on my best days on probably every stream I've fished. I count while I'm out there and really good days stick in my head, other days may or may not stick. I think Frank's switch is just flipped to on all the time. I see no issue with it.

 

[poopdeck]

I think this proves that spin fishermen stretch the truth better then a fly fishermen.

 

[troutbert]

Going on a fly fishing website and saying you can catch more and larger trout with spin gear and bait than fly fishers can with fly gear is similar to going on a horse fanatics website and saying that you can travel faster and carry more stuff in your SUV than they can on horseback.

 

[jifigz]

troutbert wrote:
Going on a fly fishing website and saying you can catch more and larger trout with spin gear and bait than fly fishers can with fly gear is similar to going on a horse fanatics website and saying that you can travel faster and carry more stuff in your SUV than they can on horseback.

I disagree. Your statement conveys that fly fishing is less effective than using a spinning rod. That isn't true. It just depends on the situation. We all know that.

 

[ryansheehan]

Lost interest in spin fishing many years ago. I would rather catch nothing fly fishing than "crush it" spin fishing, that's just my personality. I don't back down from a challenge and that's what fly fishing is to me, a greater challenge. As far as bait fishing of course you catch more and bigger fish, they don't let go when they eat. I really don't think a night crawler would get that many more takes over a san juan worm. The difference is the san juan gets spit out in a fraction of a second(often undetectable) where a night crawler gets swallowed. Fish how you want within the law, more power to you.

 

[ryansheehan]

jifigz wrote:

troutbert wrote:
Going on a fly fishing website and saying you can catch more and larger trout with spin gear and bait than fly fishers can with fly gear is similar to going on a horse fanatics website and saying that you can travel faster and carry more stuff in your SUV than they can on horseback.

I disagree. Your statement conveys that fly fishing is less effective than using a spinning rod. That isn't true. It just depends on the situation. We all know that.

Bait will always win. I feel like the most effective way to use it might be on a fly rod though.

 

[afishinado]

ryansheehan wrote:

jifigz wrote:

troutbert wrote:
Going on a fly fishing website and saying you can catch more and larger trout with spin gear and bait than fly fishers can with fly gear is similar to going on a horse fanatics website and saying that you can travel faster and carry more stuff in your SUV than they can on horseback.

I disagree. Your statement conveys that fly fishing is less effective than using a spinning rod. That isn't true. It just depends on the situation. We all know that.

Bait will always win. I feel like the most effective way to use it might be on a fly rod though.

You guys forced me to say this, because reading the posts above paints a picture of fly-fishing being some kinda lame, ineffective and near impossible way to catch a fish.

There are many days, when I outfish (flyfish) spin guys and/or bait guys on the stream as well as on the lake. There were days when I've caught a hundred plus fish fly-fishing, but now, I would either quit fishing, change out to another way of fishing, or change places to fish before I reach anywhere near that number. I like to FF, and the racking up numbers or outfishing someone else really doesn't matter to me even a little bit. But there you have it....I said it!

Does make make me the Frank Nale of fly fishing!!! :-o

 

[KenU]

I spent the better part of a morning some years ago discussing trout fishing with Mark Nale. I found him to be very informative and well aware of the need to conserve and protect wild trout.

I strongly suspect that the reason really skilled spin anglers like Mark and Frank Nale catch so many and larger trout is because trout, like all predators, respond to movement. To them movement means food. It is much like the response I get from my cat when I drag a fluffy ball of fur anywhere within his vision. He can be sound asleep but responds like flash and pounces on what he perceives as prey. Trout probably do the same thing.

 

[ryansheehan]

afishinado wrote:

ryansheehan wrote:

jifigz wrote:

troutbert wrote:
Going on a fly fishing website and saying you can catch more and larger trout with spin gear and bait than fly fishers can with fly gear is similar to going on a horse fanatics website and saying that you can travel faster and carry more stuff in your SUV than they can on horseback.

I disagree. Your statement conveys that fly fishing is less effective than using a spinning rod. That isn't true. It just depends on the situation. We all know that.

Bait will always win. I feel like the most effective way to use it might be on a fly rod though.

You guys forced me to say this, because reading the posts above paints a picture of fly-fishing being some kinda lame, ineffective and near impossible way to catch a fish.

Not my intent, I think a fly rod is a more versatile tool but also far more difficult to use. However, forget about the delivery system for a moment, don't you think bait is more effective way to catch a fish?

 

[salmonoid]

Why are we fixated on method, or what reporting/recording (or lack thereof) an angler chooses? In tearing other anglers down, do fly-fisherpeople feel more secure in their chosen fishing method?

I fish for trout, using whatever method I feel like fishing on a given day. I personally don't feel the need to publicly post my numbers or my catch rate per hour or day or month or year or decade, but I generally have an idea what those numbers are. I'm open to observations and methods and experiences from all trout anglers; that's called learning.

 

[afishinado]

ryansheehan wrote:
Not my intent, I think a fly rod is a more versatile tool but also far more difficult to use. However, forget about the delivery system for a moment, don't you think bait is more effective way to catch a fish?

Not all the time.

My Dad took me out on the first day of trout when I was 5 years old. Anyway, since then, I've carried on the tradition of getting out there, at least opening weekend, every year since I was five years old.

I usually wait to fish 'til the afternoon, when the crowds thin and the spin and bait guys tell me while walking in, the stream is "fished out." I usually only fish for four or five hours and fish away from the holes and crowds, in the more shallow or fast marginal water where they say there's are "no fish." For the past fifteen years, since I moved to Chester County, I would guess I my average catch on the first day is 20 trout on my local stream, 10 is a lean year and I've caught 30 or more quite a few times and quit early.

The easiest fly fishing I've found is on streams where anglers mostly use bait or lures. While the opposite, using bait or even lures in a FF area would be deadly.

I fish with relatives that spin and bait fish in the boat (you can pick your friends, but not your relatives). Most times I outfish them with a fly rod when sitting in the same boat.

Try bait fishing or using a spinner during the grannom hatch or any major hatch on a river or stream.

Try fishing a size 18 dry fly when the water is up, cold and off color.

Try plopping in a nightcrawler when the water is low and crystal clear.

Never say "never" or "always"...

Some days FFing the best way to catch fish, other days...not so much. Again, I fly-fish because that what I enjoy doing most and care not at all if I catch more fish or less fish that day with a fly rod. But there are many days when fly fishing is the best way to catch fish.

Throw away that bait can and minnie bucket, Ryan...and join us!!! :lol:

 

[Lkyboots]

I like to read his posts and look at his pictures. He uses home made spinners and Rapalas. Never heard or read where he talked bad about fly fisherman and usually fishes where there are no other fisherman.
I don't judge people by what fishing pole their using or how they catch fish.

 

[Brown71]

Just to clarify, I have no interest in numbers fishing. I just thought some of their stats were interesting, as trout in general interest me.

I also don’t think any method of fishing is always better than another. They all have their time and place. And most surely a person should fish the method they enjoy.

I love fly fishing. And afishnado brought up some great points, especially how worthless bait fishing is during a hatch. Also, I liked the way you described your opening weekend fishing, that’s the way to fish anytime you are on pressured water, regardless of what your using.

Now, what I disagree with, is about plopping a crawler in clear, low water. That is actually one of the most productive times to fish them, IF a person knows how.

And there in lies the problem with the thought of baitfishing, there is way more to it, and one bait guy will severely outfish those that don’t fish it right. They aren’t all opening day guys lol.

I’m 36, and have spent 20 some years perfecting it. Long rods, light line, understanding EACH drift and the best approach. It’s endless, just like fly fishing.

Back to the night crawler, I never use a whole worm. Just a 1/2, perfectly threaded on a 10 hook. No weight in low water. Honestly one of the best ways I’ve found to tempt really big trout in low fall water.

You can watch the whole thing go down with a pair of polarized glasses.

 

[misanthropist]

I think most fisherman tend to overcomplicate fishing. When I was a kid I used to ride my bike all over the country side with a long cane pole I made from a Sweet Birch Branch, with a spool of mono and a tin full of everything from bass lures to dry flies. I caught lots of fish, including plenty of wild brown trout from a nice sized stream that flowed through my family's property in New York.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

Not for me, but I also walk away from striper blitzes a bit bored after a while, so to each his own...

What I always found interesting about their posts is that they blow a hole in the wild trout are harder to catch than stocked trout and so on. If you rotate streams like they do, banking on the fish not having seen a spinner in weeks, choose water with good levels and turbidity, are quick with a hookset, then 100 wild browns, some very large, can be had on the regular. Choose the wrong creek or arrive the day after another spinner guy tore up the place, and good luck... I respect the work and planning they put into it, but I'l take 10 fish the way I wanted to catch them that day.

 

[Brown71]

Ryan Sheehan, they spit bait often every bit as quick as a fly if they are in that mode. If you don’t anticipate your hook set, you are out of luck. Trout just do that for some reason. This happens often in low clear water when I’m sight fishing.

Of course, there is times they aren’t doing this, but it isn’t rare.

 

[ryansheehan]

afishinado wrote:

ryansheehan wrote:
Not my intent, I think a fly rod is a more versatile tool but also far more difficult to use. However, forget about the delivery system for a moment, don't you think bait is more effective way to catch a fish?

Not all the time.

My Dad took me out on the first day of trout when I was 5 years old. Anyway, since then, I've carried on the tradition of getting out there, at least opening weekend, every year since I was five years old.

I usually wait to fish 'til the afternoon, when the crowds thin and the spin and bait guys tell me while walking in, the stream is "fished out." I usually only fish for four or five hours and fish away from the holes and crowds, in the more shallow or fast marginal water where they say there's are "no fish." For the past fifteen years, since I moved to Chester County, I would guess I my average catch on the first day is 20 trout on my local stream, 10 is a lean year and I've caught 30 or more quite a few times and quit early.

The easiest fly fishing I've found is on streams where anglers mostly use bait or lures. While the opposite, using bait or even lures in a FF area would be deadly.

I fish with relatives that spin and bait fish in the boat (you can pick your friends, but not your relatives). Most times I outfish them with a fly rod when sitting in the same boat.

Try bait fishing or using a spinner during the grannom hatch or any major hatch on a river or stream.

Try fishing a size 18 dry fly when the water is up, cold and off color.

Try plopping in a nightcrawler when the water is low and crystal clear.

Never say "never" or "always"...

Some days FFing the best way to catch fish, other days...not so much. Again, I fly-fish because that what I enjoy doing most and care not at all if I catch more fish or less fish that day with a fly rod. But there are many days when fly fishing is the best way to catch fish.

Throw away that bait can and minnie bucket, Ryan...and join us!!! :lol:

Haven't fished bait since I was a child, not that there's anything wrong with that but that doesn't mean it isn't very effective. Not really sure how I got roaped into a conversation about bait and spinfishing two things I have little interest in, oh well.

 

[tomitrout]

Quote:

Brown71 wrote:

...this is great discussion.

It's very boring.

And spin and bait fishing is simply off topic on a fly fishing website.

There are other websites where spin fishing is discussed.

Word....is it Springtime yet?

 

[CRB]

What does this topic have to do with flyfishing?
Stirring the pot it does.

 

[Acristickid]

Well at least they do conservation work which is more than most lazy anglers.