albatross
Well-known member
I hope you took your revenge on that poison ivy vine! :-x
Loyalhanna, Westmoreland, 9Mar2008
- Thread starter albatross
- Start date
pcray1231
Well-known member
I say sometimes caddis, sometimes inchworm, most often eggs.
Trout see all colors similar to humans, however, they are especially perceptive to yellows and greens. The reasoning is that those colors don't travel distances well in water, so seeing it better brings them closer to full spectrum vision. But put a yellow or green real close, and the color really pops for them. This enhanced sensitivity centers on chartreuse, which is a very popular fishing color indeed.
I've had more luck with green weenies on rainbows. Yeah, you can pick up brookies, which eat anything, or browns, when in the tribs or when suckers are running on any stream. But they're, at the heart of it, rainbow killers. Rainbows are genetically programmed to eat eggs, and seem to recognize and respond to them nomatter what the situation. I think anything bright and gaudy colored triggers this response in rainbows, I've had them rise and take a strike indicator rather than the nice drab pheasant tail below. Pink weenies work too.
Trout see all colors similar to humans, however, they are especially perceptive to yellows and greens. The reasoning is that those colors don't travel distances well in water, so seeing it better brings them closer to full spectrum vision. But put a yellow or green real close, and the color really pops for them. This enhanced sensitivity centers on chartreuse, which is a very popular fishing color indeed.
I've had more luck with green weenies on rainbows. Yeah, you can pick up brookies, which eat anything, or browns, when in the tribs or when suckers are running on any stream. But they're, at the heart of it, rainbow killers. Rainbows are genetically programmed to eat eggs, and seem to recognize and respond to them nomatter what the situation. I think anything bright and gaudy colored triggers this response in rainbows, I've had them rise and take a strike indicator rather than the nice drab pheasant tail below. Pink weenies work too.
jayL
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- Jan 2, 2007
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I've actually had more success on brown trout.
I agree with all of your sentiments about the bright colors and rainbows, but I've found the weenie to overall work best on brownies. It even works on wild fish, which are usually brownies as well.
Small sample size, so I don't make anything of it. Just figured I'd mention.
Pink weenies are almost exclusive rainbow catchers for me.
I agree with all of your sentiments about the bright colors and rainbows, but I've found the weenie to overall work best on brownies. It even works on wild fish, which are usually brownies as well.
Small sample size, so I don't make anything of it. Just figured I'd mention.
Pink weenies are almost exclusive rainbow catchers for me.
tomgamber
Well-known member
Spend a couple hours in the DH between noon and 2. spent the first two hours trying to convince myself I could catch something on my swap buggers, little black stoneflies and things that looked like real trout food. With a half hour left I finally broke down and put a pink sucker spawn below a split shot and caught 6 before I left. I feel so dirty...
ryanh
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- Sep 9, 2006
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- 654
Dude,
I must suck because I hit that section on Sat and got the skunk. Infact I never do good there. Maybe it is a mental block but I always do crappy there.
I pounded the hole under the swinging bridge and the next one dow with all of the mtn laurel on the hill side. Nada.
What gives?
I can catch wild brownies all day long at Spring or Yellow. Can't buy a stockie on the Loyalhanna.
I must suck because I hit that section on Sat and got the skunk. Infact I never do good there. Maybe it is a mental block but I always do crappy there.
I pounded the hole under the swinging bridge and the next one dow with all of the mtn laurel on the hill side. Nada.
What gives?
I can catch wild brownies all day long at Spring or Yellow. Can't buy a stockie on the Loyalhanna.
albatross
Well-known member
Ryan,
What color is your weenie? If its not green, that might be the problem...
What color is your weenie? If its not green, that might be the problem...
tomgamber
Well-known member
Nevermind...too easy....
Acristickid
Well-known member
I never really do very good on the Loyalhanna- mostly fish there out of convience. The project water is always getting pounded. Have a friend that mentions decent bug activity there but I never seem to catch it.
tomgamber
Well-known member
Yesterday there were lots of cream midges and the occasional stonefly buzzing about.
Acristic wrote: “I never really do very good on the Loyalhanna- mostly fish there out of convience. The project water is always getting pounded. Have a friend that mentions decent bug activity there but I never seem to catch it.
I’ve never fished the Loyalhanna, but from what you describe, it sounds an awful lot like many SEPA streams I sometimes fish. In general I’ve found in heavily pressured streams, when the water is at a decent level, fishing small flies and concentrating on getting a good drag-free drift usually works. Lengthen your leader and lighten up your tippet. Also, try to match the hatch and/or match insects that you seine from the water. The fish have seen thousands flies dragged in front of them, and a small natural looking insect drifting perfectly in front of their nose is hard to resist. In the summer or late spring, few trout can resist a small ant pattern fished on the surface or in the film, ditto for a small zebra midge or tiny pheasant tail nymph. Good luck.
I’ve never fished the Loyalhanna, but from what you describe, it sounds an awful lot like many SEPA streams I sometimes fish. In general I’ve found in heavily pressured streams, when the water is at a decent level, fishing small flies and concentrating on getting a good drag-free drift usually works. Lengthen your leader and lighten up your tippet. Also, try to match the hatch and/or match insects that you seine from the water. The fish have seen thousands flies dragged in front of them, and a small natural looking insect drifting perfectly in front of their nose is hard to resist. In the summer or late spring, few trout can resist a small ant pattern fished on the surface or in the film, ditto for a small zebra midge or tiny pheasant tail nymph. Good luck.
Acristickid
Well-known member
afish-
Thanks. I will always accept advice. Did you mean lengthing the leader for nymphing as well?
Plan to try more slack leaders this year. What are some things you do to accomplish this? Piling the leader up to acheive more drag free drift? What leader formula do you find works the best?
I like the fact I have an open mind about fly fishing. I am not locked into particular method or patterns or teachings. Like to think I can take some ideas from many different people.
Anyone feel free to chime in also. Thanks in advance, Paul
Thanks. I will always accept advice. Did you mean lengthing the leader for nymphing as well?
Plan to try more slack leaders this year. What are some things you do to accomplish this? Piling the leader up to acheive more drag free drift? What leader formula do you find works the best?
I like the fact I have an open mind about fly fishing. I am not locked into particular method or patterns or teachings. Like to think I can take some ideas from many different people.
Anyone feel free to chime in also. Thanks in advance, Paul
Acristickid
Well-known member
Haha- and I actually asked a serious question.
Let me say it wont be the rainbow wig that scares the fish away.
I don't always have cat like reflexes when carring my 260 lb bulk around on slippy rocks.
just to explain:
My avatar is a picture of me wearing a rainbow wig near a busy bridge because I lost a bet with a friend. Bet was first fish of the day.
Let me say it wont be the rainbow wig that scares the fish away.
I don't always have cat like reflexes when carring my 260 lb bulk around on slippy rocks.
just to explain:
My avatar is a picture of me wearing a rainbow wig near a busy bridge because I lost a bet with a friend. Bet was first fish of the day.
tomgamber
Well-known member
One thing, out west,I had no choice but to get better at is mending on a drift. You just can't get that fly down if the line is ahead of the fly. I always (if trying to go deep) mend the line upstream, sometimes several times on the same drift. If that belly gets ahead of the fly its dragging and it surfacing...Mend upstream and keep the fly ahead of the belly and the fly stays down. The line will catch up to the fly and you line will straighten. Just mend again and extend your drift.
Tom G. is certainly right about mending. I mend 5 – 10 times on an average drift to keep the fly drifting without drag. One thing to help your mending is using floatant. I like green muscilan, and apply it to my leader and the tip of my fly line. I really helps you to mend easily without disturbing the water or having to move the fly much.
Acristic wrote: “Plan to try more slack leaders this year. What are some things you do to accomplish this? Piling the leader up to acheive more drag free drift? What leader formula do you find works the best?”
I’ve been messing with leaders for what seems like forever. The knotless extruded leaders you buy are so / so, the knotted leaders with conventional formulas and the furled leaders are great for fly turnover, but they work too well for me. It’s actually hard to get a slack line presentation with them. I tried the George Harvey slack leader formula, and that works well, but this season I’ve been experimenting with the Gary Borger formula for slack line presentations. It’s the simplest one I’ve ever seen, and seems to work just fine. Here it is:
Dry (9’): .013 – 48” / 1X – 12” / 5X – 48”
Nymph (10’): .020 - 51” / .013 – 12” / 2X – 51” / 4X – 6”
That’s it. You can tweak the leader length and tippet size a bit to fit conditions. His formula breaks the general rule of 20/60/20 butt/taper/tippet, and not exceeding .002 diameter between segments, but it is not designed for easy fly turnover, it designed for slack-line presentations. I will say that it takes some practice to get used to, and it will not automatically lay out your leader on a poor cast, but with some work you can learn to lay it out or stack it up on each cast as needed. I’ve been using Borger’s dry formula for nymphing too, usually using a 4X tippet. Three segments, two knots – what could be simplier.
Good luck.
PS The Borger and Harvey formulas are on this chart:
Leader Formula Chart
Acristic wrote: “Plan to try more slack leaders this year. What are some things you do to accomplish this? Piling the leader up to acheive more drag free drift? What leader formula do you find works the best?”
I’ve been messing with leaders for what seems like forever. The knotless extruded leaders you buy are so / so, the knotted leaders with conventional formulas and the furled leaders are great for fly turnover, but they work too well for me. It’s actually hard to get a slack line presentation with them. I tried the George Harvey slack leader formula, and that works well, but this season I’ve been experimenting with the Gary Borger formula for slack line presentations. It’s the simplest one I’ve ever seen, and seems to work just fine. Here it is:
Dry (9’): .013 – 48” / 1X – 12” / 5X – 48”
Nymph (10’): .020 - 51” / .013 – 12” / 2X – 51” / 4X – 6”
That’s it. You can tweak the leader length and tippet size a bit to fit conditions. His formula breaks the general rule of 20/60/20 butt/taper/tippet, and not exceeding .002 diameter between segments, but it is not designed for easy fly turnover, it designed for slack-line presentations. I will say that it takes some practice to get used to, and it will not automatically lay out your leader on a poor cast, but with some work you can learn to lay it out or stack it up on each cast as needed. I’ve been using Borger’s dry formula for nymphing too, usually using a 4X tippet. Three segments, two knots – what could be simplier.
Good luck.
PS The Borger and Harvey formulas are on this chart:
Leader Formula Chart
jayL
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2007
- Messages
- 9,946
To go with what Tom and Afish are saying:
On heavily pressured project waters, I am almost always using a very tiny fly, or a very gawdy junk fly.
The tully, for example, is almost exclusively midges, caddis that are a size smaller than what's hatching (usually 20-22), or on the opposite end of the spectrum: green weenies, sjw, globugs.
Both methods work. What doesn't work well, however, is drifting a traditional fly through a pod of fish. Traditional nymphs are occasionally good.
On heavily pressured project waters, I am almost always using a very tiny fly, or a very gawdy junk fly.
The tully, for example, is almost exclusively midges, caddis that are a size smaller than what's hatching (usually 20-22), or on the opposite end of the spectrum: green weenies, sjw, globugs.
Both methods work. What doesn't work well, however, is drifting a traditional fly through a pod of fish. Traditional nymphs are occasionally good.
