Preference: dries or nymphs?

[Spydeyrch]

So, this coming saturday looks to be squaring up and might actually be a nice day!! :clap: I was worried that it was going to be nasty and would have to cancel a trip to a sweet little trout stream that I had been planning since season close last year. So I am hoping to get some decent to great weather ... hoping!!! ray:

Anywho, I was thinking, due to the recent rain, the stream might be a little higher than normal. I would typically use nymphs to fish it as they are quite productive when fished properly. But this stream is a GREAT :dance: dry fly stream. It isn't too big and doesn't get too deep. So my thought was this:

What would you fish if the water was higher than normal? Nymphs or dries?

Let's say that you will catch fish on either one .... but you won't catch as many fish on dries, due to the high water, as you would with nymphs.

Which would you choose? Dries because when a fish does strike, it is awesome and worth the wait in between each fish? Or nymphs because you want to catch fish as often as you can and make it the most productive trip it can be?

What are your thoughts?

Thanks guys!!

-Spydey

 

[OnTheDrop]

Streamers :lol: I bet it's a subsurface day...

 

[Spydeyrch]

Streamers :lol: I bet it's a subsurface day...

I don't know if streamers would work well on this stream. It is small and there aren't many long runs. Lot's of pocket water. I have given thought before, to using streamers on this stream but have always been wary as it is very small, not very wide. There are some spots where I can do a running jump and jump over the whole thing!!

What do you think? Would streamers still be a viable option?

-Spydey

 

[GungasUncle]

1. High water = woolly bugger. Woolly buggers (and other streamers) will fish well in small streams as they do in big rivers or still waters. Pocket water streamer fishing can be pretty fun. I wouldnt' necessarily start off with a size 4 or 6 streamer - but anything from a 12 to an 8 would be fine.

2. Dry & dropper setup - pick your favorite high-floating dry fly, attache 18-30 inches of tippet to it, and tie on your favorite nymph. Best of both worlds!

3. Soft hackle wets. Fish up and across, swing them on a tight line, or fish them like a nymph

 

[brandon4455]

two nymphs and a strike indicator all the way. my buddy fished a bugger when we fished the other day and didn't get a fish,nymphs were the ticket. dead drift and swing at the end of the drift

 

[steelhead_slayer]

i like the dry dropper idea. best of both world

 

[mlw]

I am with brandon, two nymphs and a strike indicator.

 

[brandon4455]

I am with brandon, two nymphs and a strike indicator.

size 8-12 possie and a size 14-18 pheasant tail..never fails!

 

[benkearney]

I'd rather catch 1 fish on a dry than 3 on a nymph. I love the challenge and activity that goes with either drifting or skating a dry. I feel so much more connected to what I'm doing. Besides, if you're just after productivity, why not just use powerbait?

[Not to say I don't use nymphs. The alternative to my equation above is that I'd rather catch 3 on a nymph than ZERO on a dry. Some days, the dries just won't work.]

 

[hobster]

I've been on the river at least once or twice a week the last couple of months and haven't seen hardly any fish rising. I don't think dries would work very well (at least around here) yet, although they are by far my favorite. I love casting dry flies, its so much easier than w/ nymphs. I'd go with the 2 nymphs and strike indicator also, it seems like 90% of the hits have been on the swing lately. Bring some soft hackle wet flies too!

 

[OpaBob]

A caddis dry and a pt nymph are still pretty easy to cast. That has worked for me with high water in the Spring.

 

[LCoonrod]

Hatches sporadic right now

Hatches sporadic right now

I live on a coastal stream, so I can tell you that hatch activity has been minimal the last few days. If the weather remains cool nymphs will probably be more effective.

I'd favor a dry and a small dropper nymph.

 

[steelhead_slayer]

there has been times when i caught plenty of fish on dries, and i didn't see a single fish rising besides the ones for my fliy

 

[hobster]

there has been times when i caught plenty of fish on dries, and i didn't see a single fish rising besides the ones for my fliy

True but this time of year i'd go with a nymph, besides, 80% of their insect diet are taken under the surface. There is still nothing like seeing them rise to your dry fly!

 

[ICamel49]

I prefer a dry if the fish are rising. I prefer a nymph if the fish are not rising. The fish usually prefer it that way also.

 

[FlyBum]

WORMS!! :lol:

 

[brandon4455]

WORMS!! :lol:

:shock:

 

[steelhead_slayer]

WORMS!! :lol:

Now we know your "secret fly"

 

[FlyBum]

Now we know your "secret fly"

Ya smothered in "Smelly Jelly" :lol:

 

[brandon4455]

Ya smothered in "Smelly Jelly" :lol:

do you fish your worm on a dropper hook off a dry fly? :lol: