flies for chub & dace

[fantasticfisherman]

in addition to the flies for rivers topic, does anyone know what flies work well for summer chub and dace? and whether wet or dry flies are better?

[Dan G]

I've caught chunb (admittedly unintentionally!) on muddler minnows (wet), Dady long legs (dry) and Mayfly (dry). Never caught a dace, although I imagine a black Gnat would do it... more to the poit, why the hell do you want to catch a dace on fly?!!! :-)

[fantasticfisherman]

i just heard that dace can provide some fun sport on the fly instead of using float tactics all of the time.

[Guest PhilB]

There are some dace flies in the spring 2005 edition of "Fly Dresser", the quarterly magazine of the "Fly Dressers' Guild". They are mainly tiny nymphs in sizes 18-20 with small gold bead heads and dubbed fur or peacock herl bodies. For dace, think small, for chub, think big! The magazine is not generally available to non-members but anyone can join. Have a look at; http://www.the-fdg.org/index.htm and good luck with your quest.

[fantasticfisherman]

thanks for that info franticfisherman2, but what sort of breaking strain leader should i look at using for chub?

[Dan G]

I guess it depends on the chub size and the bankside cover. I always use around 6lb 'Orvis super strength' it is called - really fine diameter, not much stretch but this is made up for by absorption by rod and fly line. Comes in 30m spools I think.

[Tony U]

For Chub I use bushy patterns such as Bibios Zulus or Soldier Palmers fished semi dry i.e. I dont worry if they sink tipping them with a maggot also seems to help.

Dace I've only ever caught small ones by accident with small dries and nymphs; I think you would be better off with a stick float for them.

[Dan G]

Tipping with a maggot.... I don't think so... why not add a stick float and a couple of no.8's too... Only kidding! ;-)

[Gwilym Hughes]

Dan G

 

I love fishing for all 'cyprinids' with flies and wonder why you ask, why should anyone want to fish for Dace with a fly ?

 

Gwilym Hughes

[Paul Boote]

Gwilym Hughes:

Dan G

 

I love fishing for all 'cyprinids' with flies and wonder why you ask, why should anyone want to fish for Dace with a fly ?

 

Gwilym Hughes

Hear hear, Gwilym.

 

I'd go so far as to say that if you can catch the lightning-fast-taking dace with light leader tippets and tiny flies (which dace require you to use many more times than lordly trout), then a lot of your flyfishing is already sorted...

 

Chub flies? Nymphs, beadheads, streamers (lures representing fry / minnows - excellent in the very early season - mid-june - when chub are still in the shallows) and American Hopper (grasshopper) patterns do well. The rubber-legged foam-bodied 'Chernobyl Ant' - a wild thing of a hopper pattern - can greatly excercize the minds of chub in high summer, too. In the early part of the season so can a 'fly' made from white foam or styrene. Any similarity to breadflake or crust is entirely coincidental! Away for a week or so, now -- off rough-stream spottie-chasing.