Lucky Catch

[wellsw]

A couple of time this year when I have been nymphing, I caught fish when I was walking to a different hole and my fly was just dragging in the water. It has also happened to a friend of mine. In all instances the fish that were caught have been rather large. One was a 24 inch rainbow on the Madison River. It was probably just chance, but does anyone know if there is something to dragging a fly (that is not a streamer) against the current.

[MadisonMan]

Some nymphs (may fly swimmers) are very good swimmers. It is not very common to catch them that way but can happen.

[Crosby]

many times that will happen- prey trying to get away- look at how many times you catch trout on a skimming caddis.
Great technique to fish a caddis down stream thru pocket water- pick it up skim it across then back and start all over again with out casting.

[mcgx2]

I usually use this technique when I am about finished fishing a section of stream. One of my early mentors taught me this years ago. It works more often than one would suspect, especially in pocket water or near undercut banks. On a good day I can pick up an extra fish, sometimes two. I suppose the fish may be attracted by the disturbance on the water thinking something might get away.

[Cam]

Just so everyone here knows I was there that day on the Madison and that fish was not an inch over 12!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Don]

Curtis, what I am guessing is happening is when you are nyphing and the drift is coming to the end of the line, that nymph you had bouncing along the botom is now rising to the surface as your leader tightens up. That upward motion will oftentimes cause the fish to strike, as it sees a possible meal escaping, or in your case as your walking and your fly is bouncing in the water it looks like the same thing.

How many of us get impatient and once our stike indicator has made it through the area we think the fish are we lift the rod and cast again? You would be surprized how many more fish you would catch by letting your leader straigten out behind you and even let it sit there for a couple of seconds. This is especially effective at the tail of a run as the water fans out, in a riffle, or where the water plunges into the head of a pool.

Have you ever heard of the Leisenring Lift? He's the guy who perfected this style of fishing. Two great books that talk about this style of fishing are "The Art of Tying the Wet Fly", which is a little older but was writen by Leisenring himself. Or there is also "Nymphing" writen by Gary Borger. Both are great books and both spend a lot of time on this subject, and style of fishing.
I even found both of the books at my local library.

[Conehead]

I like to fish a soft hackle hares ear. I cast up and across so that my fly will sink, and then wait for the swing. As it swings, I like to twitch the rod a bit. WHAMO!! It's a fun way to fish. A great resource is Sylvester Nemes' "Soft-Hackle Fly Addict." Mr. Nemes, describes the techniques in good detail. Another book, "Nymphing" by Gary Borger is a great resource.

[Cam]

If you read this whole post you saw that the originator claimed to have caught a monster on the Madison and I basically called him a liar. Well..........I was there and the fish was huge! I am a little bent about that trip because he caught close to 30 fish and I caught.....count 'em up..........two.
I have now repented though, so I can have a Merry Christmas. You all do the same!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Light Cahill]

I love soft-hackle, and use partridge in many of my subsurface patterns. The grizzly color scheme paired with the lifelike movement of the fibers, suggest insect legs and antennae. Some of my favorite patterns are:

1.) Soft-Hackle Hare's Ear: partridge hackle, peacock herl thorax, brown turkey wingcase, cream hare body dubbing with guard hairs mixed in, and a tail of partridge or duck fibers. I've taken a lot of fish on the Ogden with this one. I fish it dead-drift or deep-nymph it with split shot depending on the water condition and depth.

2.) Soft-Hackle Cased Caddis: peacock herl case, with gold wire ribs. Yellow or pale cream larva dubbing. Black thread for the head, with a partridge hackle. This pattern works effectively where caddis are present in significant or dominant numbers.

Tight lines friends >=LC)>

[cardiac]

LC, maybe you can send in those patterns to Jason for the fly tying database. Whatda say J

[wellsw]

My thanks to everyone who replied to this thread. I got alot of good suggestions for some fishing tactics. Along with the instructional books that were mentioned, are there any instructional videos that would show some of these techniques?Sometimes it helps to see what the author is describing.

[Jason]

Sure, if someone would like to submit there patterns to the Fly Archive, by all means send them in to me. Me and Mike will take pictures of them and add them. Anyone interested send me and email.

[shazerblaze]

Fishing soft hackles patridge and green and soft hackled hares ears during the hatches is one of the best ways to catch a lot of fish. Insect green floss with a partridge collar. Sometimes I use a very small green bead just behind the hackle to get it deeper. Or I will use some olive dubbing. It just depends. They are great searching patterns. They are a very quick tie. You can make the floss patterns more durable by adding vinyl ribbing after the floss. I swing them. My friend dead drifts them. Who know which is best? Good luck.