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.