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Angling Publications - Index

Angling Publications - may2008 - Index

JASON BORGER PHOTOS
under the surface film. We’ll go from the
fluffy Griffith’s gnat to another simple, but
effective, pattern, the sparkle pupa. This fly
has a tiny amount of added weight in its
construction (a wire rib), but is not designed
to go deep on its own. We’ll fish the fly in
the same water type as the gnat (smooth and
slow). And, we’ll still use that up-and-across
presentation, with a Puddle/Pile Mend. Even
as shallow as the drift will be, we are now
“nymphing,” using our earlier definition. So,
ready for the Q & A again?
How do we know that our pupa or nymph
is at the right level (from just under the surface
to perhaps six or eight inches down)? Well,
we can’t see it. That’s a problem, but one
solution is an age-old tactic known as the
“greased leader.” This tactic involved rubbing
the leader with a paste-type fly floatant, to a
point a few inches or so above the fly (depends
on the presentation situation). This keeps
the leader floating high but allows the small,
lightweight fly to drift just below the surface.
You know what that greased leader really is?
A nine-foot-long monofilament bobber. But,
let’s not think about bobbers here; instead
that nine-foot long “fly suspension device”
is actually a nine-foot long dry fly. If you’re
thinking, “Huh?,” follow the rest of the Q &
A and it will make sense.
We know that by using a greased leader,
the fly will be at the right level—problem
solved. But, how do we know that the fly is
behaving correctly (in this case dead-drift-
ing)? We can’t see it, but we can see the greased
leader. If the leader—which we are fishing as
if it’s a dry fly—drags, what is the nymph,
four inches away, likely doing? You got it,
dragging. Then what? Mend so that the dry
fly—that’s the leader—is not dragging. And
how do we know if a fish has taken our fly?
If the fly is shallow, perhaps we get lucky and
see a rolling back, or perhaps a little disturbance
of water just off the end of the leader.
But, if the fly is down a few inches, we have
to watch our monofilament “dry fly.” If that
it suddenly pulls under or darts upstream,
set the hook!
When you really get down to it, how
different was it fishing the high-riding dry
versus fishing the pupa? If you can fish the
“real” dry, you’ve got what it takes to fish the
sub-surface pupa.
Ready for more? Let’s go someplace where
we need to fish a bigger pupa or nymph,
perhaps in rougher water. Let’s also head
into the mid-waters, say in a riffle where the
fish are looking for drifting insects. The same
problem confronts us as before, but this time,
a greased leader isn’t going to cut it. The fly is
too heavy and the surface is too choppy. So,
we have to use a different “dry fly,” in this
case a fly suspension device in the form of a
yarn indicator (or big hopper, stimulator, etc.,
then you can have a “dropper system”). The
indicator should be just big enough to stay
afloat—we want it to telegraph information
easily. The delivery itself, though, will remain
as before, a classic up-andacross
presentation, with an
aerial Puddle/Pile Mend.
Okay, the Q & A: We know that by using
the yarn as a fly suspension device, that the
nymph will be at the right level—say, one-foot
down, give or take. But, how do we know
that the fly is behaving correctly and in the
right feeding lane? We can’t see it, but we can
see the yarn. If the yarn—or dry fly—starts to
drag and/or drifts through the wrong feeding
lane, then what is the nymph, suspended just
below it, likely doing? If there is a problem
with the presentation, mend so that the dry
fly—or yarn—is behaving correctly. And how
do we know if a fish has taken our nymph? If
that yarn or dry fly hesitates, pulls under, or
darts upstream, set the hook!
When you really get down to it, how
different was it fishing the high-riding gnat
versus fishing the mid-waters pupa? It was still
visual, and the cast was even the same, too. So,
if you can fish the “real” dry, you’ve got what
it takes to fish the mid-waters fly.
Now it’s time to take the level to the bottom.
We’re still not using any weight on the
leader, though, so we’ll need a fast-sinking fly,
coupled with a smart cast. Let’s first go for a
fish we can see, and then go for a fish that we
can’t see. The fish we can see is holding just
over the bottom in three feet of water, and
actively feeding.
If we can see the fish, we can have an experience
very much like dry-fly fishing proper.
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