A foggy spring morning on the St. Joe River,
steelhead fishing
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Started fly fishing –
1971
Started fly tying –
1974
Favorite fly patterns to tie –
Nymphs
Favorite style of fishing –
Nymphing
Favorite fish to catch –
Brown trout
If I had only one fly to fish –
Teeny Nymph
Favorite fly rod / reel / line combination –
R.L. Winston Boron IIX (5 weight,
8-1/2 foot), Orvis Battenkill
Mid-Arbor III, Rio Grand WF
Favorite water to fish –
St. Joe River
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Living in Northwest Indiana, I am still enjoying the opportunities to fish and tie fly patterns for vary of species … bluegills, crappies, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, brown trout, rainbow trout, steelhead, chinook, and crap. I am very fortunate to have a loving wife, who understands and supports my passion for fishing. But without a doubt, the most enjoyable times on the water is fishing with and watching my grandchildren as they develop as anglers.
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Andy's Fly Fishing Tidbits
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> The Importance’s of wearing Polarized Sunglasses
Polarized sunglasses are an essential for an angler’s eye protection from physical objects (a fly, lure or another angler’s rod tip) and the sun’s ultra violet rays.
Glare reduces your ability to see underwater structures and spot fish. It also causes eye strain and fatigue. None of which will make your day on the water more productive or enjoyable. A good quality polarized lenses are designed to eliminate almost all reflective glare and protect against harmful Ultra Violet rays.
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> Sunglasses ... Lens Tints
Gray … is an excellent for day to day use. Gray lenses transmit all colors of the spectrum so there is little distortion. Ideal for bright sunny days and open water fishing.
Copper … is a very high contrast lens that is smoothing to the eyes. It absorbs blue light which heightens visual acuity and boosting contrast, making this lens the best choice for sight fishing.
Brown … is an all-round tint for fishing which provides good contrast and true color perception. An excellent color for fishing shallow water on those bright sunny days.
Amber … is an excellent choice for low light conditions such as first and last light or for overcast days. |
> “CPR” … Catch, Photograph, and Release
- Always wet your hands before touching the fish.
- Handle the fish gently and quickly. Keep it in the water as much as possible. Do not put your fingers in the gill slits. Do not squeeze the fish or cause the loss of scales.
- Remove the hook carefully. If the hook cannot be removed easily, cut the line or leader and leave the hook in the fish. Eventually, the hook will dissolve.
- Gently hold the fish in the water move it back and forth until it begins to swim away.
- Remember to land, photograph, and release the fish as quickly as possible.
- Never release live bait into a fishing area. Never move fish from one body of water to another. Stocking fish into water requires a permit. The release of an undesirable or exotic species can contaminate a body of water.
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> Fly Selection & Presentation ...
With fly fishing, your target is “Match the Hatch”. But the key is a good presentation. When there isn’t a hatch to match, it becomes about triggers within the fly you are presenting and the aspects of the fly that catches the fish’s attention.
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> Scum lines are over-looked by many anglers fishing for largemouth bass. Bass utilizing this cover are usually in a positive feeding mood … providing them with an ambush point to attack prey. Scum lines holding bass can extend out from the shoreline a couple of feet to several yards. The prime holding locations within the scum line will offer bass direct access to deeper water. When fishing scum lines, you must always be prepare to set the hook … strikes are quick and aggressive. I like using bright color surface flies that creates some commotion (popping sound or a wake) … using a slow steady stripping retrieve, moving the fly 4 to 6 inches on each strip. |
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> Northwest Indiana Creeks, first wave of the fall steelhead run is on … a couple considerations for spotting and hooking-up with a trophy fish.
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Knowing where to look is the key to spotting and fishing for steelheads in the creeks ... look for seams and changes in the water conditions (structure, depth, etc.).
The more you wade, the odds of spooking that steelhead increases ... if you can, cast from the bank. Also, the deeper you wade decreases the angle (ability) to see the fish.
Make that first cast count. To optimize that first cast ... visualize the drift, pin-point your casting target, gauge the distance, and consider shadows (don't false cast over the fish and never line a fish ... the fish should only see the tippet and the fly).
After a couple of drifts where the steelhead see your fly and doesn't take ... switch to a different fly (pattern, color, or size). |
> Whether fishing the creeks in Northwest Indiana or Saint Joe River in Indiana and Michigan … the Black Stonefly Nymph has been a solid producer for early fall Steelhead, Coho and Chinook. Look for and target fishing holding lies … soft water, offering the relief from the current such as rock piles, submerged islands, and fallen timber. My presentation is dead drifting with the fly down stream and bouncing along the bottom. You will hang-up and lose a few flies … but the reward of hooking-up, battling and landing that Steelhead out-weighs the cost of tying up several Black Stonefly Nymphs. |
Hot off the Vise ... Beadhead Stonefy
(size 12 shown) |
Hook – 3XL curved shaft (TMC 200R)
Sizes – 6 to 12
Thread – Black
Beadhead – Gold
Weight – Lead wire
Tail – Black turkey biots
Rib – Black V-Rib
Abdomen – Black dubbing
(Life Cycle’s Nymph Dubbing)
Legs – Black round rubber, medium
Wingcase – Turkey tail tied in three sections
(treated with Fleximent)
Thorax – Black dubbing
(Life Cycle’s Nymph Dubbing)
Antennae – Black turkey biots |
> With the start of cooler weather in northwest Indiana, we need to adjust our fishing to continue catching smallmouth and largemouth bass. Bass will migrate to the shallows as the water cools. They will target baitfish until the water temperature drop into the 40’s. As with any other time of the year, they are photo-sensitive, relate to structure and position themselves at ambush points. Large streamers that imitate the prevalent species will work well … as their metabolism lowers, a large meal offers the best “Energy Gained against Energy Expended”. Frog, mice and crayfish imitations are also productive fly patterns for that trophy bass. |
Messinger Frog |
The Mouse |
Soft Hackle Crayfish Bugger |
> Rivers is probably the best type of habitat for trout. This is because they have a great deal of oxygen in the water that is evenly distributed from the top to the bottom. The water temperature in rivers is a bit more moderate than lakes … cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Water temperature that is too warm and lacking in oxygen, trout will start to become stressed.
When you’re fishing for trout in rivers, you’ll want to work the fly close to the current but out of the direct flow. Look for breaks in the current such as rocks, stumps or logs … these are often the areas where you’ll find trout hovering in schools.
River bars are also good places to fish for trout. Don’t overlook river bends as another option ... trout seem to enjoy these peaceful areas. |
> An important consideration when wading ... the senses of feeling and hearing in a trout are almost one and the same. Trout feel and hear the vibration of movement and sound in the water. Each sound will have a different type of pitch that sends vibrations through the water. Trout are able to become familiar with particular sounds and pitches so that they are able to detect even the slightest movement in the water. The feeling and hearing senses in a trout act almost as a built in radar. |
> Some anglers think fly fishing on those hot and windy days can be a hassle but in reality, the wind is an asset. |
Wind will shake larvae from the vegetation, weeds and grass. This is prime food for
baitfish and baitfish is prime food for bass ... target fishing the vegetation, weeds and
grass with streamers.
Wind will reduce light penetration and limits the fish's visibilty to see outside the water
(i.e. you, fly line and leader).
Wind will creates waves that hit the shore and produce muddy water. Bass will use this
muddy water as an ambush point ... target the edge of the muddy water.
Wind creates oxygen in the water ... an increase of wind (oxygen) can turn-on the bass
activity and the bite. |
> About 80% of a trout diet consists of aquatic insects; they do so at three distinct places in the water. The majority of the time fish are eating what the current has brought them along the bottom. During a hatch, fish can be feeding on the emerger that rising to the surface or in the surface film, or adults on top of the surface. |
> When faced with run-off conditions after a heavy rainfall (rising, fast and murky water) … use large flies with strong colors such as black, white or yellow to get the attention of the fish. Look for and target potential fish holding lies along the shoreline. |
> Spring is a great time to catch bluegills because they congregate in the shallows to spawn. They are very aggressive and primed to smack a fly. Spawning activity begins when the water temperature reaches 68 degrees F. Look for and target their spawning nests – saucer-shaped depressions in water from 2 to 6 feet deep along the shoreline. |
> When fly fishing for largemouth bass, I will look for and focus my efforts on ambush points. Bass have an explosive body design and built (muscle type) that uses ambush points to attack prey. Examples of ambush points are weed lines, small rock piles, pile of brush half submerged and submerged logs.
Moving a fly in front of or through an ambush point is one presentation. Another very productive presentation is having the fly hit the water and just sit there for several seconds (as if it dead or confused), then a twitch or two and then followed-up by two or three long strips. |
> Trout have a very short memory span. The first grasshoppers of the season are often ignored because they are new to the trout. After about a week, trout can’t get enough and will aggressively strike an imitation. Matching the size of the natural that the trout are seeing and feeding on is critical ... grasshopper patterns will range from size 6 to 12.
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> When fishing an area that been productive in the past, make sure that you’re fishing as thoroughly as possible. If you are not having any success ... consider changing the fly, angle of the cast / retrieve, speed of the retrieve or just returning later in the day. |
> Once you have identify the insect that the trout are feeding on, there are three characteristics to consider ... Size, Profile and Color. |
Size is the most important characteristic. If the natural insect is between the sizes that
you have in your fly box - definitely go with the smaller size.
Profile is matching the stage of the natural insect - whether on or in water. For example,
a trout cand determine whether a mayfly is a dun or a spinner by the insect's wings
position (up-right or laid flat).
Color is usually being "close enough" to the natural insect will work. When having to
choose between a lighter or darker ... definitely, go with the darker color.
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> Three considerations before heading off for a day of fishing. |
Wearing a hat and polarized glasses ... the hat will reduce the amount of glare and the
polarized glasses allows you to see into the water to spot structure or a fish.
Wearing neutrals color clothing to blend into the background ... wearing red, yellow, black
or white can attract gnats, black flies and mosquitoes.
Your fishing vest or bag should have the flies, leaders tippets and items you require for
that fishing outing ... along with being organized so that you are not fumbling around
looking for something when you need it. |
> Want to increase your “Strike to Hook-Up Ratio”. Then you must get into the habit of watching and reacting to what your line is telling you. Line watching and reacting is especially necessary when you nymphing – a trout can inhale and exhale your fly without you feeling the take. If the line twitches, changes direction or stop moving – lift your rod tip, setting the hook into the jaw of the trout. |
> Several studies have shown that trout can learn to navigate a maze and will remember the pattern for approximately nine months. So what does this mean to the angler, trout in streams that are heavily fished can quickly learn that movement on certain paths of pools are an indication of danger. Trout could be easily spooked – knowing the pattern of an approaching angler. Avoid approaching a pool repeatedly from the same direction – locate different angles to approach that area. |
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> As anglers, we all have one of those days on the water ... you’re casting your favorite fly into an area loaded with fish and you can’t manage to get their attention – let alone, draw a strike. Here are three options to consider and a few general guidelines.
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Change to a different color fly.
Bright day - Bright color flies
Dark day - Dark color flies
Clear water conditions - Light color flies
Muddy water conditions - Dark color flies
Tannic water conditions - Fluorescent color flies
Change to a different size fly. Fish are affected by the size of the fly drifting into their view.
Sunny day with calm condition - Smaller flies
Overcast day - Larger flies
Clear water conditions - Smaller flies
Muddy water conditions - Larger flies
Change the fishing depth of your fly. Fish will locate at a specific level in the water
column that meets their needs and requirements for oxygen level, food, rest, etc.
Always work from top to bottom.
Sunny day - Fish closer to the bottom
For rivers - Fish often hold below current layers
For lakes - Fish often hold in temperature layers |
> If you’re consistently catching small bass on a variety of flies … it usually indicates that the bass are numerous, very competitive and you will likely continue catching small bass. Large bass are wily, hesitant and territorial. For larger bass … first change the location, then the technique or the fly. |
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