NWFloridian
08-04-2005, 09:53 AM
Fellow fly fishers,
I usually stick to the main board, but I had a little experience last weekend while hopper fishing that has me baffled. I found some very beautiful parachute hopper patterns at a local fly shop last week. I promptly went up to my local hopper hot spot to fish them, but after several missed strikes, I examined my fly, only to find a snarled mess at the terminal end.
It seems that while false casting, the fly 'propellers' through the air, twisting my leader and tippet beyond recognition. It also creates an 'accordian' effect with the fly, literally yanking it away from rising fish.
My setup was a five-weight DT floating line with a 7 1/2 foot tapered leader (down to 3lb), with about two additional feet of 2 lb tippet. Earlier in the day I was throwing everything from elk hair caddis to possebuggers without incident.
Any ideas on how to prevent line twist?
Oh yes... and since I know it's tradition to tell a story before posting on a new board, here's mine...
After growing up in Florida and fly fishing for everything from snook to largemouth bass, I moved to Oregon two years ago, anxious to try out the steelhead and trout fishing here in the NW. Through a stroke of good fortune, I found out about the North Fork of the Middle Fork of the Willamette near my home in Eugene. I'd had a number of memorable days up there, but last summer I took a work colleague up for an introduction to fly fishing. He did well, catching a number of smallish redsides and several small cuts.
After a while I wandered a bit upstream for him. The rise wasn't really happening, so I switched to my old faithful number eight possebugger with a strike indicator. I'd caught a number of fish in the 12-16 inch class on this stream with this setup, so I was confident that I'd catch a decent fish.
Well, I had no idea... After about a half hour with several fish ranging from six to 14 inches, my indicator slowly angled down in the current. Thinking I'd hung a rock, I lifted up, only to feel that 'live' feeling on the end of my line. I set the hook and felt more weight than I'd ever felt on the end of a flyline. Then I saw about 18 inches of red stripe, attached to another inch or two of head and tail on either end.
This fish wasn't really a runner, but he fought like a miniature salmon in the deep hole: lots of dogging and short runs. After about ten minutes, I slid my hand under the belly of a legitimate 20-inch male redside.
He was absolutely the most beautiful fish I've ever seen. The back was a light olive, almost beige color that faded into a silvery side with the most deep pinkish-red stripe I've ever seen. The spots were incredibly black and perfectly round. What a privilege to catch such a beautiful fish in such a perfectly lovely location.
He was also hooked perfectly in the snout. After admiring him for a quick second, I slipped the hook out of his snout, allowed him a moment to revive in the current, and sent him on his way.
To date, he is the largest trout I've yet taken on a fly. But, I'll be sure to continue to try to top that one.
Thanks in advance for the help, and tight lines!
NWFloridian
I usually stick to the main board, but I had a little experience last weekend while hopper fishing that has me baffled. I found some very beautiful parachute hopper patterns at a local fly shop last week. I promptly went up to my local hopper hot spot to fish them, but after several missed strikes, I examined my fly, only to find a snarled mess at the terminal end.
It seems that while false casting, the fly 'propellers' through the air, twisting my leader and tippet beyond recognition. It also creates an 'accordian' effect with the fly, literally yanking it away from rising fish.
My setup was a five-weight DT floating line with a 7 1/2 foot tapered leader (down to 3lb), with about two additional feet of 2 lb tippet. Earlier in the day I was throwing everything from elk hair caddis to possebuggers without incident.
Any ideas on how to prevent line twist?
Oh yes... and since I know it's tradition to tell a story before posting on a new board, here's mine...
After growing up in Florida and fly fishing for everything from snook to largemouth bass, I moved to Oregon two years ago, anxious to try out the steelhead and trout fishing here in the NW. Through a stroke of good fortune, I found out about the North Fork of the Middle Fork of the Willamette near my home in Eugene. I'd had a number of memorable days up there, but last summer I took a work colleague up for an introduction to fly fishing. He did well, catching a number of smallish redsides and several small cuts.
After a while I wandered a bit upstream for him. The rise wasn't really happening, so I switched to my old faithful number eight possebugger with a strike indicator. I'd caught a number of fish in the 12-16 inch class on this stream with this setup, so I was confident that I'd catch a decent fish.
Well, I had no idea... After about a half hour with several fish ranging from six to 14 inches, my indicator slowly angled down in the current. Thinking I'd hung a rock, I lifted up, only to feel that 'live' feeling on the end of my line. I set the hook and felt more weight than I'd ever felt on the end of a flyline. Then I saw about 18 inches of red stripe, attached to another inch or two of head and tail on either end.
This fish wasn't really a runner, but he fought like a miniature salmon in the deep hole: lots of dogging and short runs. After about ten minutes, I slid my hand under the belly of a legitimate 20-inch male redside.
He was absolutely the most beautiful fish I've ever seen. The back was a light olive, almost beige color that faded into a silvery side with the most deep pinkish-red stripe I've ever seen. The spots were incredibly black and perfectly round. What a privilege to catch such a beautiful fish in such a perfectly lovely location.
He was also hooked perfectly in the snout. After admiring him for a quick second, I slipped the hook out of his snout, allowed him a moment to revive in the current, and sent him on his way.
To date, he is the largest trout I've yet taken on a fly. But, I'll be sure to continue to try to top that one.
Thanks in advance for the help, and tight lines!
NWFloridian