Pay attention and learn from the fish

[wwelz]

I got a lesson in presentation on the West Branch from a big brown .I had been fishing a good run for about ten minutes with no success when my line tangled around my reel. My flies were out in the water so I just let them dangle in the current while I untangled the line. From nowhere a big brown slashes across the current narrowly missing my anchor fly. I checked my anchor fly it was ok. I was fishing this fly in size 12. The fly is more red than this picture shows .



I surmised the fish was after Isonychia nymphs.The time of day was right . I had seen a few here a couple of days earlier.My fly looked a little like an Iso and it was moving erratically when the fish slashed at it. I got my act together and made a couple of across upstream presentations . I gave the beadheads a good jiggling motion with the rod tip and I did not allow the flies to sink very deep. On the third cast that Brown that missed my fly hit again and this time I was ready. I landed and released him as quickly as possible on 6x . I fished that run for about a half an hour the same way. I caught six fish all browns . The largest was over twenty inches the smallest around fourteen. I am a big chicken when it comes to imparting moment to my euro nymphing but sometimes it pays off big.

[Halliday]

I have hooked up and lost more fish when "I'm not ready" or "I wasn't expecting" such and such. It's all about the fish.

[northcountryman]

Happened to me many times as well; funny how soon we forget though and fail to employ that skittering/skating motion to our flies on occasion when it does work well.

[whheff]

I almost always do a little Leisingring lift on my nymphs. It is amazing how quickly they hit a moving fly.

WWELZ I really like that fly. Is it something special or just a regular frenchie? Would you mind sharing the materials with me?
Thanks,
Bill

[wwelz]

WHHEFF - The fly has a mink guard hair tail. UTC dark brown 70 denier thread abdomen ribbed with hot orange utc bright wire. Thorax mink under body fur. Collar mink guard hair. Hot spot- datum glo brite orange. Hook mustad 3906 size 12. This fly has been a producer for me all year. I have tied it from size ten to size 18. The hardest part of the fly is the collar it takes some practice. I use a lead under-body as well for the size 12 .020 lead wire.Coffin creek furs is the best source for mink. They are on the internet. I have to work on my lift . I must be doing something wrong. I lift my flies slowly at the end of my drift while euro nymphing but I have not succeeded. I know this is a deadly technique. I am executing it incorrectly. I would appreciate any tips you may have in this regard.

[whheff]

wwelz, thank you for the fly info. Here is some info on the Leisenring lift.

"The Leisenring Lift was developed by Jim Leisenring in the early 1940's. It utilizes the Dead Drift Presentation but incorporates lifting the rod tip as the nymph passes by in order to keep the amount of line within the water to a minimum. This will decrease the amount of drag. As the nymph approaches the presumed location of the trout, the rod tip is paused causing the nymph to lift, due to drag, as an emerging insect. Further lifting of the rod tip will speed up the lift rate of the fly. The technique works best within consistent flows of 2-3 feet in depth where the flyfisherman has direct control of the fly with a straight leader line.
The Leisenring Lift is also used within the Czech Nymphing technique. With the Czech technique you use three flies: the bottom fly is the lightest, ie wet fly ; the middle fly is the heaviest, ie beadhead stonefly; and the top fly is a medium weight fly, ie Czech nymph. The flies are attached to a 4' to 8' fluorocarbon leader with 4-5" tags. The distance from the middle fly to the fly line should be 1 1/2 times the depth you are fishing. During the Dead Drift Presentation, the middle fly sinks to the bottom forcing the lighter fly to trail along deep but higher than the beadhead. The three flies work together with the heaviest beadhead bouncing off the bottom, the lightest fly in the middle of the water column, and the medium weight nymph drifting through the upper portion. There is a quick lift of the rig at the end of the drift. Most nymphers will use this technique in about 3-4 feet of water and will work their way upstream covering the feeding zones. Czech nymphs are generally Caddis Larvae type patterns and can be used exclusively with the nymphing technique. But, the technique can also be applied to a number of other nymph patterns as well such as wet flies, pupa patterns, and stones."

I hope this helps you.

Bill

[whheff]

wwelz, I tied a few flies that are close to yours. I didn't have the wire or the mink, so I used mono cord and red squirrel but I wanted to take some with me tomorrow.
flies.jpg
The collar was the hardest part.
Thanks again.
Bill

[whheff]

wwelz, I tied a few flies that are close to yours. I didn't have the wire or the mink, so I used mono cord and red squirrel but I wanted to take some with me tomorrow.
flies.jpg
The collar was the hardest part.
Thanks again.
Bill

[wwelz]

Looks pretty good to me.Good Job. Good Luck.

[whheff]

wwelz,I finally got to fish those flies I tied and I caught a nice brown with it. He hit it like a linebacker. Thanks. It's a keeper.