How to use flies without fly fishing

[Volk]

I got some cool looking flies for Christmas that someone saw at a garage sale. I don't know how to fly fish, nor do I have the time and money to invest in learning. Are there ways I can still use the flies to go for trout without using fly fishing setups?

[A9]

Yes. Most like to use a clear bobber and a leader attached to your fly...

[kutthroatkilla]

Funny you bring this up cause I'm going to do this tomorrow and did it yesterday on Pine Lake. Here's what I do. Spool an Abu Garcia 6001C (or something along those lines cause you'll need it to hold this line) and spool it with leadcore fishing line. Pick some up from Cabelas (100 yards - 10 yards = 10 feet down)...So if you are out 3 colors, you're roughly down about 30' depending on trolling speeds. I usually find that it's about 80% of normal so that would put you down around 26 feet or so. Spool that reel with that leadcore line and then attach a long leader of about 30 feet off of the leadcore (4 pound test p-line) and then tie on your flies...get ready and have fun trolling around with nymphs and streamers. You'll get some major strikes. It works well for me when needed but I'm now investing in one nice Okuma reel with 4 spools of all sorts of sinking/floating line.

KTK

[leahcim_dahc]

Yes. Most like to use a clear bobber and a leader attached to your fly...

I have thought about doing that at a couple lakes I fish when they don't seem to be biting anything I am throwing. How well does this work? How do they fish them and how is the rig put together? I figure main line to swivel, bobber on the main line before the swivel, then about four foot of 4-6# fluorocarbon leader.

...get ready and have fun trolling around with nymphs and streamers.

I know everyone says "match the hatch", but I couldn't identify whatever is "hatching" if my life depended upon it. Any recommendations on a particular fly for still fishing or would the same apply?


Chad

[kutthroatkilla]

I know everyone says "match the hatch", but I couldn't identify whatever is "hatching" if my life depended upon it. Any recommendations on a particular fly for still fishing or would the same apply?

Chad

Depends. If you want to get into it hardcore with the dries then yes, match the hatch, which there are ample classes on reading the water. They're fun to take. As far as streamers and nymphs go (your submergers) -- buggers work amazingly well year round. I carry about 8 olives and 8 blacks in size 8 and 10. Can't go wrong with either one of those. I like the GB Size 10 Crystal Olive Carey Bugger -- they have em at Joe's and OE.

KTK

[lskiles]

Yes. Most like to use a clear bobber and a leader attached to your fly...

I have thought about doing that at a couple lakes I fish when they don't seem to be biting anything I am throwing. How well does this work? How do they fish them and how is the rig put together? I figure main line to swivel, bobber on the main line before the swivel, then about four foot of 4-6# fluorocarbon leader.

I know everyone says "match the hatch", but I couldn't identify whatever is "hatching" if my life depended upon it. Any recommendations on a particular fly for still fishing or would the same apply?


Chad

Hey Chad, I will preface this advice with the fact that I have only been fishing for two or three years, so I am still learning all the time.

The rig you describe is just what I was told to use. You thread a clear bobber on your line followed by a bead to protect the knot you tie your swivel on with and then, of course your swivel. What I do is I have four or five flies tied to leaders before I go out and you can store them any convenient way, but I use those round plastic holders that screw into one another to store mine. However you store them try to keep them tangle free. Tie a loop on the end of the leader then you can switch to different colors or patterns quickly. The middle "post" of the clear bobber slides out of the bobber and this will allow you to fill it with water. You have to experiment with how much water to fill it with]

[leahcim_dahc]

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Great information, I will have to try it out...maybe this weekend. Thank you!


Chad

[ja_lange]

Dido what KTK said about the lead core line. A buddy of mine tried that with wooly buggers early this season at Alice and knocked em dead. I have also used the bobber and fly method described with decent success in mountain lakes but rarely in lowland lakes. Some times using split shot and a long leader also works for wet flies. Personally I invested in a mediocre fly reel, a sinking line an inexpensive rod. I find this set up great for trolling. I did learn to fly cast, but not very well. I can manage about 30-40 ft on my best day. Trolling with the sinking line is the ticket.

[kutthroatkilla]

Trolling with the sinking line is the ticket.

That's it...spot on. You just can't beat that ticket. I like full sinking line for deep lakes like Langlois and floating lines for just after stocking on area lakes. Intermediate sink tip is good line, but fast sinking fly line is a bit better than full sinking line, but it depends on how deep the lake is you're fishing. Langlois is MAJOR deep and Rattlesnake is not too bad...so full sinking line works good here.

KTK

[Mossy]

I've trolled with flies before, plain old line with a weight. It's my go to setup when nothing else is working

[raffensg64]

When I'm able to drag my boys, ages 10 and 12, from the TV and video games, we simply troll wooly bugger and leech patterns from a john boat. No fly rods for them yet, they're not at that level. Nothing fancy, just a couple medium rods w/Mitchell reels, 8-lb test and lots of split shot. After a long cast of 60-70 feet, I allow it to sink for 20 seconds or so. I then engage the trolling motor on it's lowest forward setting and tell the boys to hold on tight, for those rainbows will take care of the rest! The trick is in keeping the speed down so the bugger stays DEEP.

There's another option that I'm convinced would work, though I've never tried it. Simply hanging a still water nymph, skip nymph or small leech pattern 10-12 feet under a small float would catch fish. At times, it's very effective when used with a floating fly line and strike indicator, when chironimid hatches are light or non-existent. I know it would work on a spin cast reel and rod. Heck, for that matter, an angler could very easily fish chironimids by way of a spin cast rod and reel!

[fishing collector]

I have used a fillable clear bobber and 6' of leader. I use the fillable bobber for weight. You can cast a country mile with one and when it hits the water it becomes somewhat neutral bouyant and the fly can be fished in the top few feet of water. If you want the fly to sink then use a lead weight. I used this technique for over 40 years. This works real well when fishing the high lakes. The Flies I use are a Muddler or Whooly Bugger. If you want the fly to sit on the surface then just fill the bobber part way and use a dry fly.

[leahcim_dahc]

As far as streamers and nymphs go (your submergers) -- buggers work amazingly well year round. I carry about 8 olives and 8 blacks in size 8 and 10. Can't go wrong with either one of those. I like the GB Size 10 Crystal Olive Carey Bugger -- they have em at Joe's and OE.

I picked up a couple black and olive colored wooly buggers (size 8), and a small assortment of nymphs today. I still want to check out the "matching the hatch" thing...sounds interesting if nothing else. I want to pick up a couple dry flies to experiment with, as well.

I have a light action spinning rod to use, but I want to put these teeny things on an ultra-light...sounds like fun to see what happens. Worse case scenario...I put the box in my desk and don't look at them anymore.


Chad