Trout Ho !

S-Kippy · Apr 3, 2011

I should be thinking tench but I'm afraid this time of year my thoughts turn to trout. I love early season trouting on the reservoirs when the buzzers are hatching. Had me first trip yesterday evening....horrible scuddy wind but still managed 5 spanking rainbows.

Its time to get the fly rods out gentlemen ! You know you want to !

Wobbly Face (As Per Ed) · Apr 3, 2011

Already doing it S-Kippy and busy fly tying. Black & silver buzzers and black gnats doing the business, on 16 hooks. Small for this time of year, normally on 12s or 14s min.

Neil Maidment · Apr 3, 2011

Absolutely! Not a ressie, but my first trip of the year to Avington.. stalked a nice double figure rainbow for about two hours but was then mugged by a 7lber racing in from the sidelines!

Mugged.mp4 video by Stourman - Photobucket

S-Kippy · Apr 3, 2011

Nice one ! Normally this time of year I'm fishing bloodworms and buzzers deep but yesterday they were up in the surface gorging on hatching buzzers and the ever reliable red diawl bach was what they wanted. The problem was getting the presentation right in the wind.

I'd forgotten quite how hard a fit rainbow fights in clear water.

Wobbly Face (As Per Ed) · Apr 3, 2011

Was out Friday, ended up against the wind but manage 6, 3 lost with one taking the buzzer on the point with it. Other takes missed. Some fish close in due to windy conditions. Only used floating line, black gnat on the dropper fished on top or just under, buzzer was standard, no weight. Not many fish showing but took my flies from the surface to maybe a foot down. Weather was much colder than forecast. by about 7 degrees.

stikflote · Apr 3, 2011

another dead fish glad i stopped fly fishing,also glad i dont fish in germany i would have packed up all together

Neil Maidment · Apr 3, 2011

stikflote said:
another dead fish glad i stopped fly fishing,also glad i dont fish in germany i would have packed up all together

Yep! Bred, fed and stocked for that purpose. Currently residing in a cold smoker awaiting consumption at a later date!

S-Kippy · Apr 4, 2011

I fish a C&R water so the only dead fish are those who died of shame because I outwitted them. I could take one but I dont.

flightliner · Apr 4, 2011

Had a lovely afternoon on a north nottinghamshire water friday last. A howling wind had the majority of fish very close to the windward bank. In all I had seven rainbows on a montana fished on a floating line with a fairly short leader. they ware all clean bright fish in the two/two and a half bracket but at the end of one retrieve a fish of around six or seven pounds shied away at the last split second.
Allways a terrific break away from the norm for me at this time of year, I will have a few more trips between painting and decorating, Pennine fishery is on the radar in a week or so. A friend of mine had a twenty six pound trout off the place a year or so back. Cant think of anyone in the country who could come near his tally of big trout. Amazing trout man.

Peter Jacobs · Apr 4, 2011

S-Kippy said:

Its time to get the fly rods out gentlemen ! You know you want to !

Click to expand...

Duringthe Close Season on the rivers S-Kippy it is the only fishing that I do; I don't even fish those stillwaters that allow the posibility of Coarse fishing.

I had a couple of hours on Avon Springs at the weekend as it is only 3 minutes in the car from my house; really lovely clean and bright fish there too.

matthew barter · Apr 4, 2011

I'm back on the trout as well. I've just joined a syndicate. I've been out three times already since the first!

I do have a question. The lake is spring fed and crystal clear. I've had fish on woolley buggers, montanas and buzzers. The fish are feeding on the buzzers in the surface film. Classic head and tail rises. As I said I have caught some on suspender buzzers but I'm not happy with my presentation. Fortunately being north norfolk and not far from the coast there is always a ripple. However I have been experimenting with floiro carbons on the end of my tippet.

It doesn't seem to sink as well as I thought it would and I'm concerned about my knots (I attach it using a water knot). I haven't been broken but my fishing buddy has, I assume he's using the same knot. I have only used flouro before as a hooklink in high diameter tied to a swivel.

Is this knot okay and is it worth using flouros any way?

Thanks Matthew.

Wobbly Face (As Per Ed) · Apr 4, 2011

Nothing wrong with the water knot Matthew, I've used 2 turn withot problem, 3 turn for comfort though.. Even fluro can float and worth applying leader sink to it.

matthew barter · Apr 4, 2011

Thanks, I just needed the confidence boost. I'll try the leader sink.

S-Kippy · Apr 4, 2011

3 turn water knot on fluoro works for me too. If they are in the surface its worth trying two daiwl bachs on a short-ish [8-10 ft] leader.Dead drift across the wind and hold on tight !

Neil Maidment · Apr 4, 2011

Three turn water knot is fine. I only use Kryston Incognito and that sinks very well indeed. Mind you I'm usually using heavily weighted bugs/buzzers when stalking so it would sink wouldn't it!

But I also use it when fishing unweighted buzzers fished at varying depths from just under the surface to several feet down. It's good stuff but took me a long time to gain confidence in it's use. I've had some very big double figure rainbows on it (and the knot) as well as some decent barbel and carp so I like it as a hook link/leader material.

S-Kippy · Apr 4, 2011

Incognito is now my fluoro of choice and I've tried a few believe me. A tad on the thick side but awesome strength and the trout dont seem to mind. I carry 5 and 7 but to be honest the 5 lb seems perfectly good enough for where I fish. I've had trout to over 10lb without problem...never been broken yet. I also like Seaguar though it is a bit pricey.Of the "cheaper" ones I liked Wychwood but once I tried Incognito there was no going back.

matthew barter · Apr 4, 2011

I'm glad to hear that flouro is probably the way to go and my knots are alright. I tried it last time out because I could see the fish turning away at the last moment. Some even opened their mouths but never got round to closing them on my fly. Very exciting and after three or four hours I realise I'm aching like hell from being so tensed all the time. If it didn't get dark I doubt I'd ever leave. I don't get hungry, thirsty or even smoke until someone breaks my concentration.

S-Kippy · Apr 4, 2011

The only time I ever use standard mono for trouting now is when they are right in the surface when the tendency mono has to float helps hold the fly right up in the film...but I often get too excited & forget to change in any case. I still catch plenty.

Oh and when I'm sea trouting at night simply because if I hook a lump I want a leader in which I have 100% confidence plus a safety margin and that [for me] is Pro Gold in 10lb bs. Fly fishing at night is no time to be worrying about whether your leader material is up to it.

To be honest I'm not entirely convinced about flouro's alleged invisibility in water...I like it because it sinks easily and because generally its thinner in diameter than mono for a given bs. Not always...but generally. If it knots well too [Incognito does...some dont] then I'll use it.

matthew barter · Apr 4, 2011

Skippy, it sounds like you use flouro for the whole cast? I've been using tapered casts with about two foot of flouro. Years ago I used to make my own tapered casts from different monos, mainly because that's what the adults (must be better anglers) did,now I'm not sure my turn over is improved or not. I just don't think my casting is consistent enough. I can understand the principle but I'm not sure of the evidence with my own eyes.

Neil Maidment · Apr 4, 2011

When everything is equal, a tapered leader will help produce a nice clean roll over of the fly. But how often does that occur? My casting is not the worlds best but its not the worst either and I usually nab a few trout on lake, ressie or river, even if the whole lot lands in a great heap!

When it all does click then its a great feeling (but not necessarily resulting in a fish).

I've seen plenty of fish shy away from fluoro and nylon but also had "cagey" fish take once I've changed from one to the other (either way), so who knows. I've definitely seen fluoro flash in the water under bright conditions but I do like incognito for its stiffness and reliability.

Similar to Brian, If I've got a big double figure rainbow on the end I don't want to be worrying about my leader! It's all about confidence with me.

Trout Ho !

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