Fishing Teams

[Leon Roskilly]

Just interested in if anyone here fishes teams of flies, or has opinions on fishing teams.

 

Under what circumstances and why? (or why not, apart from tangles).

 

 

Teams of 2, 3 or more?

 

 

Are multi-fish hookings a problem?

[Sportsman]

Just interested in if anyone here fishes teams of flies, or has opinions on fishing teams.

 

Under what circumstances and why? (or why not, apart from tangles).

 

 

Teams of 2, 3 or more?

 

 

Are multi-fish hookings a problem?

 

It depends on what sort of fishing your doing and what your quarry might be.

Fishing a team of three flies is traditional when loch style fishing for brown trout. a weighted fly on the end (the point) are lighter nymph or buzzer above that and something bushy to make a disturbance on the surface on the top dropper.

It has recently become popular to fish two or three buzzers under a bite indicator (float) when fishing for rainbows in stocked fisheries. it's very effective but doesn't have much to do with flyfishing.

There are many other permutations of fishing several flies at a time in differing circumstances. I tend only to fish a team when fishing for relatively small brownies. D

ouble hookups are not uncommon and if the fish are decent sized rainbows it's unlikely that you will land them unless you are using a very heavy leader. Not my cup of tea but each to their own.

[Leon Roskilly]

Cheers Sportsman

 

When fishing the three-fly team described above, would you expect any particular fly to be the trout's target?

[Tony U]

Leon

That depends on all sorts of factors, normally when fishing traditional loch style you would aim to fish an attractor on the point (a mini lure or a wet such as a Butcher or Silver invicta etc.), a muted fly on the middle dropper and a bushy palmered fly on the top dropper. These days however virtually anything goes a team of buzzers as Sportsman points out or a booby on the point and a set of Diawl Bachs or buzzers fished washing line style experimentation being the name of the game.

In Northern spate rivers it is traditional to fish a team of three spiders e.g. a Partridge and Silver on the point and Snipe and Purple and Partridge and Orange on the droppers, used to work fro me on the Coquet; today I would not be surprised if the use a couple of Diawl Bachs and a Czech nymph on the point.

 

Then there is the issue of leader length I think we should met up and discuss this more fully in the Pub.

 

Tony

Edited November 29, 2010 by Tony U

[Leon Roskilly]

I think we should met up and discuss this more fully in the Pub.

 

 

A pub near a trout poll after the thaw seems like a plan

[chuby]

I fish teams of buzzers when allowed to under fishery rules.Tangles however can be problematical,especially when i go through c##p spells of casting .More often than not i will only use one dropper.I have tried the New Zealand style,but not convinced about it although i have caught using the method.

[Tony U]

I fish teams of buzzers when allowed to under fishery rules.Tangles however can be problematical,especially when i go through c##p spells of casting .More often than not i will only use one dropper.I have tried the New Zealand style,but not convinced about it although i have caught using the method.

 

Chuby

I am glad i am not the only one with that view on the New Zealand method I have tried it as well, but unlike you I did not catch on it so I reverted top the tried and tested droppers.

The New Zealand set up of tying the dropper on to the bend of the hook above just is not right for me.

Edited December 1, 2010 by Tony U

[chuby]

Chuby

I am glad i am not the only one with that view on the New Zealand method I have tried it as well, but unlike you I did not catch on it so I reverted top the tried and tested droppers.

The New Zealand set up of tying the dropper on to the bend of the hook above just is not right for me.

 

Tony,

i'm like you,just not totally happy about having mono tied to the hook bend.I have used it with a dry and a buzzer below and caught on the buzzer.Whilst in New Zealand last year,i went fishing with two guys who straight away did a set up of nymph and then put a small egg fly beneath if nothing was forthcoming.Guess that in a fast flowing river the fish have one chance of a meal,grab it or miss it, as opposed to i a stillwater ,i just feel the fish can inspect things a tad more

[chuby]

Leon

may i ask where it is that you are trouting?

[greg long]

I use a team of three or four wet-flies on the loughs. Usually three at a time, the main reason is to allow three different patterns to be used. Sometimes also at different depths, most notably when fishing four skinny buzzers.

I also have fished a team of soft hackled wet-flies, upstream on the rivers, and also a team of weighted nymphs/combination of both also fished upstream.

When fishing dries from a drifting boat I usually use two or three flies, two if large dries, to allow me to bracket a moving fish. Three when using small dries (16's) with the middle fly larger and visible to allow me to see where my flies are sitting in a ripple.

I rarely get a tangle, except when fishing in an unsettled gusting wind, which may see me reduce the team to two, and the cast length down to 20 feet. Occasionally multi hook-ups happen but not often. Saying that, early in the season this year I won a lough competition (three fish limit) in no time at all. I saw a Rise, cast out four dry flies, and had my limit plus one in 2 minutes flat.. in a flat calm with bright sunshine. 5 other fish caught for 30 anglers all day. Sometimes you do get small shoals feeding together.

 

You need to fish a stiff mono or fluoro when fishing droppers. I find 10 inch droppers to be the max I use, tied onto the main cast using a doubled overhand Granny knot with both pieces fine when the knot is properly lubricated. Leave the dropper pointing away from the rod top, this is the strong end. If you do hook more than one big fish this knotting method allows the dropper to break off without breaking the mainline cast. I would NEVER cut the main cast between fly-line and point (tail) fly as this causes the weak point to be the knot, and not just the dropper.

Also, while I fish 20 - 28 foot casts, they are not neccesary. Six feet to your top dropper and 5 feet between flies will do you fine, say 16 ft for three flies on the lakes and about 3 feet between flies on the river (11ft).

 

PS. Shorter droppers will make tangles less likely, as will open casting loops, tight loops don't help when fishing a team.

Edited December 1, 2010 by greg long