Let's really get this started!

**AaronJasper** · 05-06-2008, 11:20 PM

Thanks to Loren I now have a new passion in fly fishing! This can be good and bad. Good for Aaron bad for the Girl!!!

We fished Skaneateles Lake today. What an experience. This is true hunting fish in every sense. The lake is 16 miles long and two miles wide. Its kid of large to say the least. We look for wind lanes and had a few takes. It really takes time to get this dialed in especially on a body of water this large. Being on a lake that large makes you feel small.

We fished midges (buzzers) on sinking lines from a type 5 (heavy) to a floating line. The best success was with a type 3 or an intermediate. We only landed a few fish but it was a blast. I let the team down today >

I totally blew two fish. It was fun being the one who didn't know much today. thanks to Loren I learned a ton!

We fished for many hours before landing one. To say were toughed it out would be an understatement. Lake fishing requires a whole entire new set of skills. When you hook a fish it really gives you a sense of accomplishment!

Thanks again Loren and I can't wait to go again. the wort part is that it won't be the same again! New day... new lake.

So I would say we used technique C

**LorenWilliams** · 05-07-2008, 06:23 AM

My pleasure Aaron and thanks for keeping this ever-obsessed, rigidly serious angler company!

If I had to admit what I feel is my weakest area with stillwater fishing it would be reading them! The larger they are the harder it becomes--especially when they are featureless (no strong points, bays or weed lines). If the fish are showing then I feel pretty confident. But as you recall we hit fish in 130 feet of water, 6 feet of water and various points between. That final flurry in the last 45 minutes though....that was neat. We hit 6 or 7 fish in that span. Was it the wind, the water temperature, the water depth, the fish themselves.....? So many factors. I love this stuff!

...and, I was using Aaron's success as a control as I matched his line and retrieve only adding a top attractor dropper in a Silver Invicta as opposed the the all nymph/buzzer cast he was using. I was hoping it would pull some fish in with the clear water-even if they ended up taking one of the two buzzers under it. But as Aaron had is fourth take in a short span to my one I was thinking maybe the flash was pushing them away. Then I landed a fish and it took the Silver Invicta.

Go figure.

Aaron, I talked with my buddy and he thinks that the steady wind is what turned the fish on. Maybe with the lack of wind for most of the day a far more static, vertical approach would have worked better. But as the wind built and stayed true, the fish got into a more horizontal presentation. He fishes dry/dropper much, much more than I do and he says his success with that seems best with calm conditions (and lots of patience--I need to practice that one).

**AaronJasper** · 05-07-2008, 07:07 AM

I am sure the wind was the biggest factor as the water near the bank was churned somewhat. The dry/dropper would take a ton of patience as you don't move it much... possibly do that and every once and a awhile give it a twitch? I would think with dry dropper you would have to be very confident that there are fish in the area. SO that might have been good in the spot where we saw the fish swirl twice. Would you try this in places with no surface activity? I know that a little commotion can lure fish to the flies. What about wets? You caught your fish on one. You can come some water with an active retrieve. you are right there is so much to learn and try and you can be in the right spot in the water column with the wrong flies and catch nothing as well. It's interesting to say the least how many different things there are to try.

**1fly** · 05-07-2008, 10:41 PM

There are a few things I can say about indicator fishing. When its on... it requires no patience. If its not on... its off! I try to use heavy nymphs uner my indicator to get down quick to avoid waiting for the nymphs to slowly fall to their position. MANY times I get takes as soon as the indicator tightens to the weight of the nymphs. I have been in the zone where I KNOW I am going to get a fish. I can count how long it will take the nymphs to get down and set the hook with confidence that a fish will be there. It can be deadly. From a boat, I will take my hemos and attach them to my hook to measure the water depth and then place my indicator about 6-8 closer to my flies. This starts my flies just off the bottom. If I have confidence that this technique will work (because it worked here yesterday, for example) then I will change depths quickly if I am not getting action. This has worked less than a foot from the surface.

It really is interesting how some times it is the only ticket in town. There have been many times I watched others use this technique and catch fish after fish while I stubbornly pulled. And sometimes on the other side of that scene!