ok have a dumb question here but how do you fish a wooly bugger, and a clouser?

i would think kind of like a roadrunner or grub or any other minnow lure type thing but when bringing in line you just pull it in with your line hand right? it feels like when im pulling it in i cant keep it moving at a consistent speed like i would with a reel so do i just twitch it in? what exactly do people who have some idea of what there doing do? haha. will it hurt anything if i use it like a conventional rod? the three things i can think of are 1. youll have to re-strip out your line every time 2. your drag has to be set high or you have to have cat-like reflexes to grab your line as soon as the fish strikes to set the hook 3. being able to detect subtle strikes.

man i hope that made sense to anybody else haha
any help is greatly appreciated!

Bob5600, it is called "stripping". After you make the cast, slip the line loosely under one your rod hand's fingers. Pull the line with your line hand holding the line BEHIND your rod hand. If a fish hits when your line hand is not holding the line, you can can tighten your grip with your rod hand to hold the line.

While it is difficult to maintain a steady retrieve rate, you can have long strips of the line or short strips, you can also have fast or slow strip rates. Experiment to determine what type of retrieve the fish want that day.

Have fun,
Rex

Also you can hold the rod under the arm and strip with both hands. Handy for a fast steady retrieve.

Beginner fly angler, I've been fishing top water flies almost exclusively, mainly because I can see the fly, and there is a visual cue when a fish strikes ... how do you know when a fish is striking on a sub surface fly? Do you feel it, or is the trick to strip as continuously as possible until you feel tension (hhoping to get lucky, in effect).

I'm shore fishing with a 7wt setup ... is a lighter weight rod more sensitive to smaller strikes (and hence easier to detect?)

J.

you ought to, but won't always, feel a bump or tap. Might just see the line go off in an "it ought not to be doing that manner".

Thanks for the advice ... Is it easier to detect the bump on a lighter rod than a heavier one?

Another question - is there any likelihood I am catching less fish by stubbornly sticking to poppers?

Last one: any instances where toppers are usually better than droppers? Or vice versa?

Many thanks,

Jose.

No, you'll almost always detect the strike by feel or observation of the line and not through the rod.



Yes, you are. Subsurface flies will usually out-fish surface flies, but topwater is a lot of fun to do.



Of course there are, but it is dependant on the location, time of day, and the mood of the fish that day.

Have fun,
Rex

Rex,

Good feedback, thanks for sharing. I will try subsurface flies next time. I guess I like watching the popper. I like catching fish more however...

J.

The way I remember what I "should" be using is to keep in mind that fish don't have eyelids. That triggers me to remember that the only way they can regulate the amount of light entering their eyes is to either change depth or seek cover that offers shade.

If it is cloudy, or you've found a tree hanging over the water that makes a good shady spot, then topwater flies may be the way to go. If it's bright and sunny, chances are you're going to have to go deeper to find the fish.

Of course there are exceptions to every rule. Two of my biggest fish on the fly rod were caught on a hopper and a popper in bright sunlight and no appreciable cover. Fish don't always read the rulebook.

Awesome feedback. I caught around 8 bream in about an hour and a half on a tiny popper last night - right around dusk, when the sun on the way down. Nice change after weeks of catching nothing at all. Now I know why - it was late in the day, sun was low and dropping.

Help me wrap my head around subsurface flies: A lot of the lakes and ponds I fish seem to have murky water ... I have a few subsurface flies- a lot of them look to be dark-colored ... can the fish see a olive drab fly in brown water? Should I be fishing "bright" flies in murky water? Or do fish detect subsurface flies by feel or sound as much as sight?

Thanks in advance. I swear I learn something priceless twice a week here.

J.

makes the previous struggle worthwhile does it not?!

They can see better than one might think.

McFly, lure color selection is almost the opposite of what you would think based on the way our eyes work. If it's dark out, or the water is dark or stained, go with darker, drab colors. Bright skies and clear water, go with bright flies. I'll leave explaining the why fors to someone smarter, I just know that's how it works.

Rrhyne56 - It -almost- started to feel easy for awhile, catching those bream ... but then again, I hear sunfish will strike just about anything!

Inept - dark water/dark flies. Clear Water/ bright flies. Got it. Thank you.

You should have some of each. If not call me.

Jerry,

I have a nice collection going now, 1/2 of which are the flies you shared with me - thanks again, I appreciate it!

J.

What is the recommended weight for specifically targeting Hybrids at LLELA? I was figuring about a 7#, how far off?

Thanks!
Dave

That would work. It would let you toss larger flies for sure.

Thanks! I was thinking that a 5# was a little light.

Dave

Great post. I agree with everything you said with one additional note. I am a firm believer in spending money on a good rod...and a better fly line. That pushes the cost a bit higher than you show above. But in the end you will have an easier time casting the flies. And at the end of the day your wrist might not be as tired. A good rod will cast a good fly line and make you look like a pro. A good rod will catch(set the hook) for you if held correctly. Finally the 'good rod' will allow you to see the bottom of a river or lake like a blind uses his cane...feel.

This is just my opinion. I have never spent over $400.00 for a complete setup to give some bearings to my statement.
I also tie my own flies because I feed the trees and bushes about every other cast there in Texas.

John

great write up...little less worried about my pending entry into the fly fishing world

I've noticed a few questions about detecting the bite as well as setting the hook. Remember, slack ain't yer buddy. Hold that rod tip down close to the water. If you have too much slack, Mohammed Ali Ali and Joe Frazier could re-fight the "Thrilla from Manilla" on your fly and you wouldn't know it.
Most fly lines these days have a braided dacron core. Braided dacron does not stretch. Keep your rod tip down and pointed toward your fly when possible. You should feel the bite then give your line a brisk tug for hard gummed critters like bass as you raise your rod tip... Fly rods are not designed to set the hook like a bass rod. We get a large part of our hook set from the no-stretch dacron in our fly line...fish on!

Ok. I just read all 4 pages of this post. I have been wanting to try out fly fishing for 2 years now but haven't gathered the courage to start from scratch. My family and I just got PCSed to Germany a couple of months ago, so my first question is: Should I get a fly rod/reel setup here since what I'm mainly interested in fly fishing for to begin with is to catch my beloved panfish in my beloved Hill Country? Also: What is the best weight rod to catch bream with the rouge 3lb bass taking my offering too? Also: Will fly tackle extend my cast reach? For comparison I use a 6' one piece graphite L and a 7'6" two piece graphite UL almost split down the middle. I also use a 7'6" two piece fiberglass UL for my mini topwaters, crankcaits and the like. And, to go along with that question: Does the lenght of the rod affect the lenght of the cast like conventional tackle? ie, longer rod; longer casts. Thank you for all the feedback in advance.

I'd guess that tackle that works well for trout ought to also do well for bream and bass. A five or six weight would be nice start. Mainly from learning point of view. As you get better you can go to even lighter tackle for even more sport.

Nope. More like bowhunting vs. gun hunting; two very similar but very different activities.

Rod length; don't put a lot of attention on that until you get some experience casting and have a baseline to work from. There can be differences but at the start it is not a big deal IMO.

Adding to what Robin had to say, if you're used to UL fishing, a 3 wt would be good for perch back home and those funny browns in the streams over there, would probably be more in kind to your UL fishing, and a shorter 3 wt would also be good for smaller streams.

What weight fly rod is best? This is relevant or just a mater of opinion but the biggest Bass caught on the lightest rod offers the best Sport. A five pound Bass on a one weight rod with a fine tippet is great sport IF you can pull it off. However in the Texas summer heat it is best for the fish (if you intend to release it) to use at least a 5 weight ( or up) with a proper tippet and not play the fish too long. Not all fish released live.... something to keep in mind.