Robert Burton
Fly Fishing Zombie
Eventually all things merge into one, and a river runs through it.
Posts: 4,744
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Post by Robert Burton on Jun 17, 2013 14:20:52 GMT -6
Gig on Friday so I hit the ditch. A few hits in random spots but once I got on the reef midway up the south side, things heated up. 1 goldeye and many fights with carp. Whether fair or foul hooked I do not know but they were thick on there. Some clearly on pre-spawn others clearly feeding. I went there because a boat angler took a few cats in a row on livers and I wanted to see of was the location or the chicken. I have an aboriginal day gig this Friday so it might be fish the ditch Mondays again. Maybe I'll try the less popular north side.
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Post by free2fish on Jun 17, 2013 16:37:49 GMT -6
Caught a ton of goldeye on the north side right after you left. Nothing big, the largest was 13 1/2". Also caught a cat about 2 ft. long.
There was an interesting lesson. I was fishing a a #6 yellow stone with a #12 pheasant soft hackle on a dropper. Earlier in the afternoon maybe 80% of the fish were caught on the stone and all of a sudden they switched to the dropper...again likely about 80% until I left around 4:30.
Tried flies on the bottom but caught nothing. A couple of guys fishing bait were getting drum and cats way out.
Harry
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Post by brucerap on Jun 18, 2013 19:28:06 GMT -6
They do keep you guessing, don't they. The only consistency I've found in the Red this year is the inconsistency. That, and nymphs tied on fine-wire dry fly hooks are no match for cats and carp.
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Post by sedgehammer on Jun 19, 2013 7:30:10 GMT -6
They do keep you guessing, don't they. The only consistency I've found in the Red this year is the inconsistency. That, and nymphs tied on fine-wire dry fly hooks are no match for cats and carp. Yep I've had that problem with those hooks this year too. But when the fish are hitting small flies there isn't much of a choice.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jun 19, 2013 8:06:57 GMT -6
How do you guys present those small flies for cats? I've always subscribed to the "chuck a bulky wolly bugger, swing it, then strip it in" method for lockport. But it hasn't been terribly productive for cats the last couple years. I'm interested in trying some smaller flies.
-Brent.
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Robert Burton
Fly Fishing Zombie
Eventually all things merge into one, and a river runs through it.
Posts: 4,744
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Post by Robert Burton on Jun 19, 2013 8:56:49 GMT -6
and nymphs tied on fine-wire dry fly hooks are no match for cats and carp. 2 words Salmon Iron
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Post by sedgehammer on Jun 19, 2013 9:40:03 GMT -6
How do you guys present those small flies for cats? I've always subscribed to the "chuck a bulky wolly bugger, swing it, then strip it in" method for lockport. But it hasn't been terribly productive for cats the last couple years. I'm interested in trying some smaller flies. -Brent. I've been fishing the floodway recently. There isn't any current at the moment. The same as you would for fishing a lake, vary depth, vary retrieve until something works. I had luck on cats one evening, but this last week they have been elusive. Maybe the dying off the current in the floodway pushed 'em out? Had luck fishing in the top of the water column, with a fast erratic retrieve.
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Post by sedgehammer on Jun 19, 2013 9:44:06 GMT -6
but that was just 'one of those days' when you get lucky
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Post by free2fish on Jun 19, 2013 9:45:03 GMT -6
Went back to the same spot with my wife yesterday and the action was very spotty, nothing like the day before. Worm dunking worked way out but flies only produced a 1/2 dozen goldeye and one drum.
All my Red River streamers are tied on either salmon hooks or saltwater hooks. No worries there. I tried tying up some of Bruce's green caddis flies on bent shank hooks and although I got lots of strikes, I didn't manage one hookup. Maybe if I added a bit of offset into the point?
Harry
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Post by brucerap on Jun 19, 2013 15:52:48 GMT -6
Hey Harry - the hook I use for that fly is a Tiemco 2457 from WS(just bought a pack last night, so I happen to know the number). It's a 2x wide gape (probably helps with hook-ups), and 2x heavy caddis/scud hook. The PT emerger nymphs I was using recently were tied for goldeye - hence the fine-wire hooks. The big fish liked them, but they just weren't up to the challenge. Only emerger patterns I had with me though... Hundreds of flies in my boxes and never quite the right one. I like Rob's suggestion for using salt iron. Think I might try some out.
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Post by free2fish on Jun 19, 2013 17:38:51 GMT -6
Thanks Bruce, will give them a try next time out that way.I obviously need more flies since I don't catch enough fish.
The only scud hooks I had were size #6 and #12 so I tied small flies on the #6 hooks. The fish liked them but the hooks rejected the fish. I may still try to bend a little offset into the points or increase the gap to see if that increases hooking.
When we decided to leave I put a short piece of rubber band on my wife's bobber setup and got as many bites as on worms. You had to set the hook really fast to get them though since they spit it out immediately. Who knew goldeye were so discerning?
Harry
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Post by brucerap on Jun 19, 2013 17:56:38 GMT -6
Oh great, now I have to tie some rubber band flies.
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Post by free2fish on Jun 19, 2013 17:59:23 GMT -6
I can tie 40 an hour. LOL!
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Post by kilgortrout on Jun 21, 2013 15:43:06 GMT -6
I spotted a fellow in float tube FFing in the flodway "lake" about 2 weekends age, looked right fun I was thinking of going this weekend in the morning. Cheers Ron
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Post by sedgehammer on Sept 23, 2013 14:09:27 GMT -6
Haha Kilgortrout. That was probably me.
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