Streamer Savagery

Användbara tips från Irland och Sean Cassidy, Loop Team member

Introduction: Beneath the surface of our streams and lakes lies a voracious predator in wait of another protein packed meal, far removed from its usual perception of gently sipping delicate duns from the waters film, the brown trout. These spotted delights are ferocious hunters in their own right and at times can get as greedy as pike, indeed I myself have caught trout barely approaching the teens of inches with other unfortunate finned creatures of 3-4” rammed down their gullets and still hungry for more! So how do we go about specifically targeting trout in their aggressive state? Enter… the streamer!

Steamer fishing is often a very under rated method for trout, considered ‘cheating’ or ‘lure fishing’ by purists and frowned upon. This is a major mistake as the streamers we fish imitate natural food for the trout such as sculpins and minnows which large and not so large trout regularly feed on, what could be more natural than imitating a prevalent food source? They can also be used to induce an aggressive response from fish that are unwilling to take conventional patterns and not just brown trout; sea-trout and salmon are also on the cards when using this deadly tactic. Although Standard River fare of nymphs and dries work well in most circumstances there are times and places where this is not a suitable line of attack, this is when we turn to streamer fishing. We would generally use this method to search out large areas of water or places where no other methods are suitable due to the current speed or depth such as areas of flat, sluggish water. Flood conditions may no longer send you scampering back to the warmth of your house as we are able to present a large profile to fish that suggest a worthwhile meal in the turbid water, triggering an attack and leading to a bent rod and happy angler.

Tackle: The rods we use are usually between 9-10’ in length for a line rating of #5-7 with a fast action to cast heavy flies and lines with ease when needed, an ideal tool would be a 9’ rod rated for a #6 line. It is a good idea to invest in a quality large arbour fly reel with a decent drag to keep line memory to a minimum and assist when playing large fish in heavy current. Fly lines vary depending on the current strength and depth of water to be fished and it is necessary to have a range of floating and sinking lines to combat the conditions although you can get away with a floater, intermediate and Di3 or sink-tip for most conditions.

Leader set up: The leader does not take much consideration, simply a straight through length of high quality fluorocarbon in 4x-5x (5.5lb-6.6lb) is sufficient although this may be increased if the venue to be fished has a reputation for large fish. Length depends on depth and current, with a fast sinking line a short leader is used to get the fly straight down to the fish and maintain direct contact. A dropper can also be added further up the leader to fish two flies, with the point position taken up by a sombre coloured pattern and a brighter ‘teaser’ on the dropper being a very effective combination.

Method: Approach the water with a low profile and make stealthy casts close to the near bank as many fish will lie here, especially where an undercut bank is present. Only after this water has been thoroughly searched casts are made into the remaining water. It is often not necessary to enter the river as long casts enable us to cover the majority of the area and entering flat water will only alert the trout which is not a good idea. As with all our other methods we treat the river with an imaginary grid system and systematically cover the area before moving on to the next square. Casts can be made at any angle to the current and it is important to vary the angle to see which presentation the fish prefer, and keep in mind that square or upstream casts provide more positive hook-ups as you are pulling the hook into rather than away from the fish’s mouth. We tend to favour slower currents for this method as not much else can be used in these areas and water can be covered very quickly, although it can also be very effective if casts are made into the heads and tails of pools and runs to provoke a response from trout looking for an easy meal. It is necessary to search every inch of water in front of you and not only does this mean surface area but also through the water column so it is a good idea to employ the ‘countdown method’ of counting down in five second intervals until the riverbed is reached or contact is made. Retrieves vary greatly depending on the conditions and it is wise to go through different retrieves until the most successful is found, from a slow and steady figure of eight to a fast paced strip or roly-poly.

Flies: Mobile flies with suggestive profiles are without doubt the most consistent fish takers such as variants on woolly buggers, minkys, and synthetic streamers. Generally the bigger the fly the bigger the fish is the case with streamers and I have been known to use flies of 3-4” in length for the real pigs but in retrospect, these larger flies sometimes put off all but the bravest of average trout so if numbers is your game, flies around the 1-2” size tend to work more consistently. Colour is an important consideration and without doubt black is the best in all conditions, from a bank high flood to low clear water with various olives and sombre colours following as well as white being particularly effective in bright conditions. Flash can also be important but try not to overdo it; it’s supposed to mimic an injured prey fish not a disco ball! Disturbance is important in coloured water as it is easier for the fish to pick up on than sight so muddler heads and rubber legs provide welcome addition and action to the fly. Cone heads and beads can be added to give the fly extra weight and to impart a ducking and diving action as well as extra attraction.

Top tips: 1. Push the rod tip beneath the surface of the water to help achieve maximum depth and contact with the fly as it fishes.

2. Throw some mends left and right as the cast goes out to ‘snake’ the fly back and offer the fish a different presentation.

3. If fish are just following and hitting the fly try dropping down in size or stopping and then starting the retrieve so that the fish finds itself all over the fly, this can provoke a quality hook up.

4. in flooded rivers concentrate on the slower stretches and places where the current is more sheltered such as the inside of bends, close to the bank and the slack water at the edge of currents. This is where the trout will be lying to escape the full force of the current.

5. When contact with a fish is made do not strike in the conventional manner, strip strike by pulling the fly line hard to set the hook. This keeps the fly close by for another attack if the fish is missed the first time.

Fransk Nymphteknik

Av Sean Cassidy, Loop Team Member, Irland

In recent years French nymphing has surpassed the now well-known and widely practiced style of short line or Czech nymphing. As the name suggests, the art of French nymphing was developed by the outstanding French anglers, born out of a need to present small flies on long leaders to wary trout in their crystal clear streams. Recently it has been utilized by many other nations in international competitions to deadly effect and it has become mine, and many others, favorite nymphing technique due to the advantages it possesses over other styles and its adaptability. Czech nymphing can be hugely effective in certain circumstances but it has limitations when faced with low, clear water and spooky trout, a situation many of us experience on a daily basis.

The disturbance caused by the routine lobbing of a team of nymphs along with a thick fly line can easily spook fish in low, clear water and in a competition every fish counts – there are often no second chances. Many people faced with this situation would turn to dry flies, even if there is no hatch or rise present, and the reason for this is due to the lack of an alternative, effective method. This is where French nymphing comes into play. The logic behind the madness is the fact that no fly line is used, it is obsolete, everything is done just using the leader set up. This reduces line splash and disturbance and increases sensitivity to takes by about 30%, which means a hell of a lot more fish in the net.

Leader set-up: The most important aspect of French nymphing is the leader. It consists of an extremely long tapered leader, up to 9 metres. The butt section has a very large diameter, with a breaking strain of about 50lb, gradually tapering down to around 6 lb. You can make these up yourself or alternatively they are available commercially, specifically designed for the purpose. The reasoning behind the long leader is that no fly line is used in the fishing process; casting is carried out using only the leader, the tapering helping  turnover. To the point of this tapered leader a strike indicator of between 6-10” is attached, this can be made from a variety of materials, such as fluorescent braided backing or fluorescent monofilament like the stuff used by sea anglers.

There are many different variations on the indicator used, another beneficial version is one made of coiled monofilament which springs open when a fish takes, useful on slower stretches of river or ultra shy fish due to its extreme sensitivity.  Our tippet material is then attached to this section of indicator by means of a loop-to-loop or micro-ring. The length of this depends on the situation obviously due to depth and flow but something around 3-4ft to the first dropper, or even longer if you are using just a single fly is a good starting point. Keep in mind that the further the distance between the flies the more independent they will be of each other and hence act more naturally. It’s a good idea to use a soft and thin diameter fluorocarbon or copolymer such as Loop Crystal Dense or Loop nylon tippet as the suppleness of the material aids the natural movement of the nymphs through the water which is very important and the thin diameter also allows the nymphs to sink much faster. Usually 6X – 8X is sufficient although you may need to decrease in diameter if the fish are proving difficult or increase it if you are dealing with large fish.

Sticks and reels: It is important to have a long rod with a light line rating for sensitivity and to deal with casting just the leader and fighting big fish on light tippets. The Loop Opti Peak 11’ #3 is the mother of all in this respect with its sensitive tip action increasing take-detection and reducing breakages. Its light weight also helps you put more hours in on the water as holding a heavy rod at arm’s length for an extended period can get uncomfortable, so it is also important to have a reel which balances the rod correctly, has a sensitive drag to protect tippets, and has a large arbour to keep memory coils in the leader to a minimum, a Loop Opti Dryfly or Runner fits in here perfectly, it doesn’t hurt that it looks great too!

Items to go: Nymphs between the sizes of 14-20 are used most often here on Irish rivers but you can use whatever works well for you. Nearly all my nymphs are tied using tungsten beads as they are twice as dense as lead and allow the nymphs to gain depth quickly, keeping a slim profile on the nymphs also helps this. Some of my favourite nymphs are variations on pheasant tails, hares ears and stripped quills.

Method: Stealth is vitally important while French nymphing, or for any other method, so approach the water keeping a low profile, generally on your knees or behind cover and fish the margins of the river along the bank before entering the water while still keeping a low profile. The flies are flicked upstream or into pockets and depressions with a very positive forward cast, stopping the rod tip high to allow the nymphs to drop in first and gain depth. The movement should be minimal, just a flick of the wrist. The high rod tip and outstretched arm is maintained allowing just the indicator to touch the water’s surface and tracked downstream, watching the indicator carefully for takes, and  keeping your index finger on the butt of the rod blank as this increases sensitivity to takes, especially when jigging the nymphs through slack water. When the end of the drift is reached allow the nymphs to continue their journey downstream while dropping the rod tip in sync with the flow, a lot of takes will come as the nymphs lift up imitating hatching insects so be prepared. Always make a flick of the rod tip to strike while lifting your flies from the water in one controlled movement as a fish may have taken and you might not have noticed, you’d be surprised how often this happens.

Treat the water in front of you like an imaginary grid and systematically cover all of the water before moving on as fish will lie in all parts of a river, although don’t waste your time in unproductive sections, you will know when it’s time to move on. Don’t let the wool be pulled over your eyes though, this method is very effective even in heavy, deep water, just adjust to suit with a longer leader and/or heavier flies. In essence, get optimised!

Loop The Story

Havsöring i höst

Vintern närmar sig, men än finns det fina möjligheter till härligt fiske. På Stora Karlsö utanför Gotlands västkust kan silvertorpederna jagas tillsammans med erfarna guider i en fantastisk miljö.

http://www.fishyourdream.com

Mörrum Grand Tour 2010

Mellan den 15:e och 19:e september har vi i samarbetet Magnus Hammarström och Flugfiskeguiden Mörrumsån en riktig kanon upplägg för dig som vill fånga ditt livs öring! Vill man bara fiska tre dagar går det också bra. För mer info och hur du bokar gräddfilen till din drömöring, klicka på bilden nedan!