fly choice, big or small, nymphs against lures

[wozzamozza]

I know, I dont think I've ever seen so many on a water before.

[Scrottocks]

Can't beat stripping a lure back at break neck spead and watching them bow wave after it then having the rod almost wrenched from your hand. It's one of the greatest sights in trout fishing

Back in the days when Hanningfield trout were free-rising, then during the evening a mate and I used put on a big muddler sedge with a floating line and strip back with the rod tucked under the arm. Watching the bow wave of the follows was almost enough to induce a heart attack!

 

 

Hmmmm, those were the days. The H. trout barely ever touch the surface nowadays. Anyone know why??

 

 

Scrottocks.

[flufflinger]

I went up to Walthamstow on Sunday and from the reports no one had been catching for the last few weeks. There were plenty of fish around but nothing taking.

 

I tried different depths, different retrieves, lures and buzzers. I ended up with 2 trout that fell to a tiny gold head pheasant-tail fished in the weeds and lost 3. it really was a case of, after trying different approaches out in front, observing the fish feeding close in on tiny insects, and going for them.

 

Marvellous. It’s great when it comes together.

 

wozzamozza

 

You said it!

The best flies to fish are the ones fish want on any given day! Sounds obvious I know but if you can watch the fish you learn a hell of a lot quickly. If they are smashing into fry fish a lure, if they are sipping buzzers then use buzzers.

 

The key thing is to put the fly where the fish want it, so on deep waters in very hot or very cold weather you may need a sinking line. You can still fish nymphs on a sunk line though!