As noted in the report from a few weeks back, the ninja and I have taken on some rising/sipping fish at the Little Lehigh with only modest success. These fish are really active --- rising multiple times a minute --- and appear to be barely gurgling tiny midges in the surface film. And yet, the only thing we've managed to trick them with is a comparatively huge caddis (size 16, if I recall correctly).
Well, according to recently email, Mike plans to come with a new ninja trick this week. Time permitting, he'll have an arsenal of these beauties. I sure hope time permits.
Oh, and if you haven't yet, be sure to watch the video at that last link. It's been posted here before, but it's worth posting again. It is a terrific look at a tiny life.
Well, according to recently email, Mike plans to come with a new ninja trick this week. Time permitting, he'll have an arsenal of these beauties. I sure hope time permits.
Oh, and if you haven't yet, be sure to watch the video at that last link. It's been posted here before, but it's worth posting again. It is a terrific look at a tiny life.
Labels: bug learnin', little lehigh, midges
Fishing a spinner fall can be ecstasy or agony, depending on what is happening on and in the water, and what you've tied to the space aged string you are flinging about.
Tricos can be maddening, until you learn to sink your spinner. Mahogany spinners coat the surface film of the BeaMoc in various sizes throughout the spring and summer and can offer alot of top water action.
But what about the ubiqitious BWO? Ever fished a BWO spinner fall? I'm pretty sure I haven't been on the river, noticed something in the water and said "A Ha! I will now switch to a BWO spinner pattern and commence with hauling trout to my net!"
But I may start tying on patterns to imitate the actual behavior of BWO spinners. BWO spinners are ovipositors, meaning they trap air between their upright wings and walk along the stream bed to deposit future generations. Some spinners are dislodged from the stream bed during their journey, and being resigned to their fate, gently float and rise in the water column becoming an easy meal for the efficient trout.
This air bubble is of obvious interest to any fisherman who knows that emerging mayflies typically have a similiar trapped gas that helps them to the surface, and that trout key on this sparkling bubble. BWO spinners offer a similar attraction, and any successful pattern with incorporate this. But the pattern is only one piece to the puzzle.
The presentation must be with weight not in the fly itself, but placed above it on the leader, or in a weighted nymph above BWO spinner pattern in a multiple fly rig, to illicit the upward floatation by trapped gases shown by the natural. A small PT with a small poly wing post(rubbed with Frog's Fanny) poking through the wingcase will probably due the trick.
The above is courtesy of a fantastic little book called Fish Food, by Ralph Cutter. Highly recommended.
Tricos can be maddening, until you learn to sink your spinner. Mahogany spinners coat the surface film of the BeaMoc in various sizes throughout the spring and summer and can offer alot of top water action.
But what about the ubiqitious BWO? Ever fished a BWO spinner fall? I'm pretty sure I haven't been on the river, noticed something in the water and said "A Ha! I will now switch to a BWO spinner pattern and commence with hauling trout to my net!"
But I may start tying on patterns to imitate the actual behavior of BWO spinners. BWO spinners are ovipositors, meaning they trap air between their upright wings and walk along the stream bed to deposit future generations. Some spinners are dislodged from the stream bed during their journey, and being resigned to their fate, gently float and rise in the water column becoming an easy meal for the efficient trout.
This air bubble is of obvious interest to any fisherman who knows that emerging mayflies typically have a similiar trapped gas that helps them to the surface, and that trout key on this sparkling bubble. BWO spinners offer a similar attraction, and any successful pattern with incorporate this. But the pattern is only one piece to the puzzle.
The presentation must be with weight not in the fly itself, but placed above it on the leader, or in a weighted nymph above BWO spinner pattern in a multiple fly rig, to illicit the upward floatation by trapped gases shown by the natural. A small PT with a small poly wing post(rubbed with Frog's Fanny) poking through the wingcase will probably due the trick.
The above is courtesy of a fantastic little book called Fish Food, by Ralph Cutter. Highly recommended.
Labels: bug learnin', BWO Spinner
Fly Fisherman presents a video on the midge life-cycle.
Labels: bug learnin'