Small water deep pockets

[Streammagic237]

I was curious if others are fishing small water where a undercut or good depression maxes out at 3' and you come to a section with deep holes 5-8 ' deep will you completely re rig to fish one or a few areas like this . What are some of your go to non season depended rigs to effectively fish this . Are you just adding split shot and calling it good ?

 

[dudemanspecial]

I was curious if others are fishing small water where a undercut or good depression maxes out at 3' and you come to a section with deep holes 5-8 ' deep will you completely re rig to fish one or a few areas like this . What are some of your go to non season depended rigs to effectively fish this . Are you just adding split shot and calling it good ?

I think the only way to effectively "fly" fish holes that are over 4 foot deep is with a long mono line and jigging a very heavy jig streamer through them. I don't fish like this much so I typically skip those super deep holes. I don't think it's common for trout to feed when they are holding that deep either.

 

[Bamboozle]

There are more than a pretty small few places I fish that have one or two really deep holes. For example I can think a few at Slate Run that I would be afraid to wade through...

Depending on what I am fishing when I approach, I'll either adjust an indicator and/or lengthen and beef-up a tippet and make a test cast or two. If I hook-up and I think it's worth it, I may swap out an entire leader to something longer and better suited.

I should add that I use fly lines and leaders with loops and tying blood knots is easy for me so switching things out only takes me a minute or two so I don't mind.

I also have caught a TON of fish on nymphs NOT dredged on the bottom at holes like these with a Bead Head Prince and a Bead Head Flashback Gold Ribbed Hares Ear being my top two producers.

 

[Streammagic237]

There are more than a pretty small few places I fish that have one or two really deep holes. For example I can think a few at Slate Run that I would be afraid to wade through...

Depending on what I am fishing when I approach, I'll either adjust an indicator and/or lengthen and beef-up a tippet and make a test cast or two. If I hook-up and I think it's worth it, I may swap out an entire leader to something longer and better suited.

I should add that I use fly lines and leaders with loops and tying blood knots is easy for me so switching things out only takes me a minute or two so I don't mind.

I also have caught a TON of fish on nymphs NOT dredged on the bottom at holes like these with a Bead Head Prince and a Bead Head Flashback Gold Ribbed Hares Ear being my top two producers.

Thank you for the good info , appreciate it

 

[troutbert]

You can just add a BB shot to fish that pool, then take it off when you continue on up the creek.

Or fish it with a conehead streamer.

Situations like this are yet another reason to fish small streams with a rod that has some casting power, not a 6 ft, 2 wt.

 

[Mike]

I add split shot to nymphs and 3-wet fly rigs. If there is fast current flowing through those holes and if they are narrow and deep as opposed to the normally quiet pools, I have been known to steal a technique from ice fishing, extending the rod out over the water vertically jigging the entire rig through the length of the hole. It works quite well.

 

[dudemanspecial]

@Nymph-wristed posted in a different thread recently that they carry loose tungsten beads and slide one or more over the line before they tie the fly on to get deep, I thought that was a great idea.

 

[troutbert]

@Nymph-wristed posted in a different thread recently that they carry loose tungsten beads and slide one or more over the line before they tie the fly on to get deep, I thought that was a great idea.

So the bead would be right up against the fly, correct?

Would it be possible to use a toothpick to fix the bead in place further up the tippet?

 

[Bamboozle]

Soft weight putty has been part of my kit since the first day it appeared on the market...

Just mold a blob on the head of the fly and you have an instant weighted fly without cutting off the fly AND it's pegged so it doesn't slide all over the place.

In regards to beads, I've been carrying around a few beads and cone-heads forever to add to my fly if I want something more permanent.

To peg them, I carry around a cheapo wire bobbin threader and some rubber fly tying "legs." Just pull a few "legs" though with the threader, snip them off flush and the weight is pegged.

In a lazy pinch, I've also used some of the soft weight stuff.

BTW, the same "threader/legs" trick works on a small cork or Styrofoam pompano float with just a single hole through it if you want to use it as a "strike indicator." The rubber will peg it and make it VERY adjustable within a section of a knotted leader.

 

[hooker-of-men]

So the bead would be right up against the fly, correct?

I was halfway through writing a post around the same question.

Assuming the bead is right against the clinch/bead of the fly, how does this impact casting / rig blow-ups? I imagine I am not alone in this, but the thing I absolutely dread most about fishing a 2 fly rig with splitshot above on the leader - other than the embarrassment of being a bobber boy - is the constant threat of destroying the entire leader with all the hinge points. I spend my days in fear of one snag on the bottom that pops off just to birdnest into oblivion.

Does having the weight lower change this? I guess it's a question for @Nymph-wristed

 

[Bamboozle]

Having an added bead or cone against the fly behaves the same way as a purposely tied bead head or cone head fly.

HOWEVER, if the bead or cone head is loose and not pegged, all kind of things can happen with most of them no good. THAT'S why I always peg them as described above in Post #9.

You COULD peg a bead further up the leader using the bobbin threader/rubber leg trick but I doubt it would stay at the same place for very long.

IF I felt the need to add weight up there, I'd use Dinsmore's Cushion Shot which comes in lots of sizes and is coated to reduce slippage.

 

[Swattie87]

On small streams for the majority of the year I’m just fishing a dry, or a dry dropper set up. I don’t really “nymph” small streams, though you certainly can, and I know guys who are extremely effective with that technique. Anyway, in the warmer months, I’ll chop off the dry or dry/dropper rig and switch to a small heavy streamer, with split shot if needed, if I come to one of those “whopper” pools as I call them. Then switch back to whatever I was doing prior after fishing that spot. If dry/dropper, I just cut it off at the dry and leave it rigged on my drying patch, so I can just retie it at the dry when I’m ready to use it again.

When it’s cold out, I’m probably already fishing a small heavy streamer anyway. Just add shot if needed.

 

[hooker-of-men]

Having an added bead or cone against the fly behaves the same way as a purposely tied bead head or cone head fly.

HOWEVER, if the bead or cone head is loose and not pegged, all kind of things can happen with most of them no good. THAT'S why I always peg them as described above in Post #9.

You COULD peg a bead further up the leader using the bobbin threader/rubber leg trick but I doubt it would stay at the same place for very long.

IF I felt the need to add weight up there, I'd use Dinsmore's Cushion Shot which comes in lots of sizes and is coated to reduce slippage.

I currently use shot. I guess one could roughly replicate the loose tungston bead method by placing all additional shot right above the bead of the fly. I guess I've always assumed that would somehow mess up the drift or put the fish off a small nymph, but I can't say I've experimented extensively.

 

[afishinado]

On small streams for the majority of the year I’m just fishing a dry, or a dry dropper set up. I don’t really “nymph” small streams, though you certainly can, and I know guys who are extremely effective with that technique. Anyway, in the warmer months, I’ll chop off the dry or dry/dropper rig and switch to a small heavy streamer, with split shot if needed, if I come to one of those “whopper” pools as I call them. Then switch back to whatever I was doing prior after fishing that spot. If dry dropper, I just cut it off at the dry and leave it rigged on my drying patch, so I can just retie it at the dry when I’m ready to use it again.

When it’s cold out, I’m probably already fishing a small heavy streamer anyway. Just add shot if needed.

Me too. I keep what I call "bomber flies" in my box (both nymphs and streamers) and just tie one on to fish a deep hole or a deep stretch of water. My bomber flies are are generally the same size as other streamers and nymphs in my box but tied with heavier tungsten beads, dumbbells and/or lead wraps on the shank. These flies have caught me some nice fish in tough situations. Don't leave home without 'em!

 

[JeffP]

I think the only way to effectively "fly" fish holes that are over 4 foot deep is with a long mono line and jigging a very heavy jig streamer through them. I don't fish like this much so I typically skip those super deep holes. I don't think it's common for trout to feed when they are holding that deep either.

I used to waste a lot of time fishing these hole. Something so intriguing about them. You just imagine a couple 2-footers at the bottom but never catch anything.

 

[troutbert]

I used to waste a lot of time fishing these hole. Something so intriguing about them. You just imagine a couple 2-footers at the bottom but never catch anything.

They are in there.

 

[Swattie87]

I used to waste a lot of time fishing these hole. Something so intriguing about them. You just imagine a couple 2-footers at the bottom but never catch anything.

If you don’t catch (or at least move) anything, but are otherwise catching fish in that stream, that’s often the indicator of the presence of a large (usually Brown) Trout in that location. Conditions, conditions, conditions.

 

[Streammagic237]

I used to waste a lot of time fishing these hole. Something so intriguing about them. You just imagine a couple 2-footers at the bottom but never catch anything.

The only time I have done very well in this situation was with a deep rock ledge overhang with a pool under it where I could, if on the correct side of the stream be over the fish stand on the rock formation and the fish is looking out away from me , they never see you and any decent drift is a good chance at a fish .

 

[Andrwhite610]

If I’m tight line Nymphing, which I almost always am and usually in the winter. I’ll tie a desired length of tippet to the eye or bend of the nymph I’m fishing shallow water with. I’ll tie on a small jig streamer to the new extension of tippet with some added shot to get down and jig the hole. When I’m done I’ll save the tippet tied to the jig streamer for the next deep hole or run. If I want to fish a nymph deep I’ll do the same thing but replace the jig streamer with nymph. Then I’ll use an airlock indicator so I can get a slow, clean, suspended drift….this is something kinda new to me and it’s pretty lazy but seems to be ok and has given me my biggest fish on my favorite stream (14” maybe lol).

 

[Nymph-wristed]

So the bead would be right up against the fly, correct?

Would it be possible to use a toothpick to fix the bead in place further up the tippet?

Sorry, just seeing this fellas.

I have found that a countersunk bead with lock in pretty good over a clinch or double clinch knot.

Have not used the toothpick, but I bet it would work. With 4X, the bead is not sliding a lot, and if it does, it is doing less damage than pinch on shot in my experience.