Rising To The Bait

[Guest Elton]

Am I right in thinking that 99% of fish rise to a fly, rather than feeding in the way that they feed for bottom baits with their heads down?

 

If so, is there a particular challenge in trying to catch bottom feeding fish on the fly? i.e. Gudgeon, Barbel, etc.

 

I've heard of it being done, but have any of you been patient enough to try it?

 

Tight lines,

 

Elton

 

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[Guest Cranfield]

Whilst fishing small nymphs on the bottom with a very slow retrieve I have caught tench,skimmer bream and small carp.

Roach and perch midwater and off the top also rudd and chubb off the top.

 

All by accident, I was fishing for trout at the time.

[Guest Mike Connor]

Actually, no! Most fish take the majority of their food sub-surface. Including the fish which do in fact often take surface food.

 

Nymphs and similar sub-surface lures are invariably more successful than dry-flies, even for free-rising fish like trout, grayling etc.

 

Gudgeon, barbel, carp, and a few others, are difficult to take on a fly for a number of reasons, not simply because they are mainly bottom feeders.

 

They rely heavily on scent to find their food, and are not primarily predators. Flies are not usually scented, and although you may occasionally tempt a fish to take even a non-scented fly, when presented properly, this is quite difficult.

 

Sometimes carp will feed on the surface for flies. I have seen a "rise" to spent mayflies on a number of occasions, and a well presented fly will then take a fish. Otherwise it is extremely rare to catch carp on surface flies.

 

I have never seen barbel "rising". Gudgeon occasionally will, as will many other fish, even eels. It depends on the food available at the time.

 

Some species of fish "rise" so rarely, that it it is very difficult indeed to take them on the surface.

 

For more or less consistent success, one needs to correctly present suitable lures at the correct depth.

 

In the meantime the term "flies" is used to cover a multitude of things, which may or may not represent insects.

 

Some fish, like trout, and indeed most salmonids, and also roach, pike, rudd, bream perch etc etc, will take practically anything with a bit of flash in it, presented at the right depth.

 

Even more success may be achieved if this particular thing resembles something they regularly feed on, or are indeed feeding on at the time, and as long as it behaves correctly! ( Very occasionally, fish may be persuaded to take something which is behaving wrongly, or looks completely outlandish, but this is relatively rare).

 

I have now caught a very large number of species on the fly. ( some even on purpose !) . It is a matter of suiting your lures and presentation to the quarry in question, and a lot of perseverance.

 

Some fish are relatively easy to catch on flies, others are so difficult, ( also depending on climate, accessibility, etc ), that it is not really a worthwhile proposition.

 

Many people consider it an achievement to catch some species on the fly, as indeed it can be.

 

Many others insist on fishing "flies" for every species under the sun, even when this is a very unlikely proposition indeed.

 

My personal view here, is that their is no more especial merit in catching a fish on a fly, than on a properly presented plug, spinner, or bait.

 

As long as you are catching, and enjoying it, and sometimes even when you are not catching and enjoying it! then I don´t think it matters how you go about it.

 

TL

MC

[Guest Nightwing]

Had a long reply all ready, then I read Mikes!

What he said.