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August 15, 2022 at 6:21 pm in reply to: Good spots for fishing without waders when it’s cold? #25178
Kenny Klimes
KeymasterJake,
Glad you found our forum and I am sure you will get a lot of suggestions to your answer. But first, I have to ask you why not join our fellowship!! We take fly fishing trips all over the United States and many in Missouri. Check out our website’s “Trips” page and you will see our fellowship fishes at least once a week. We have 220 members now with some all over the US (Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, Florida – just to name a few states). We also have many classes, events, discounts on gear, etc… To join let us know and we will send you all our info. Dues are just $30 for two years and you get many classes, trips and events for free as a member.
If interested please go to our menu on our Home page and select the About menu. At the bottom you will see the Contact Us page. Fill out the info and we will get right back to you. Now if you are truly interested in learning fly fishing we have a very comprehensive fly fishing class that will be starting up in October (every Tuesday). Our class is four 2-hour indoor classes, one 2-hour casting class and then a day one-on-one on the river with an instructor. This class is only $40 (similar class that Orvis charges $500 to attend). But there are only 12 slots available and it fills fast. Right now we only have three slots open. If interested we will send you info on the class but you have to be a member first.
We are not a “club” but a 501c3 non-profit organization that stresses brotherhood, charity and community service. So we do a lot more than just fishing. We are the largest fly fishing organization in Missouri. So as our motto says, “It isn’t just about the fly fishing” holds true (but we do fish a lot).
Reference your question and others may chime in too. Many of our guys this summer have been wet wading which means you can fish all the rivers in Missouri without waders but…. When the winter catch and release season arrives in November the waders do come on (of course with underwear underneath!). We do have many sponsors that give us a discount on gear so we may be able to guide you in a good direction for gear.
Hope to hear more from you and hope you decide to join our fellowship.
All our best to you,
Kenny Klimes, FATC – Chairman of the Board
KeymasterAl,
Obviously there are many options with all of this “Euro-Nymphing” and the leader types are constantly changing. The latest from the “pros” is to go thin – a very thin leader (called the micro-leader). A 10 – 12 feet leader of just 4x then a tippet ring to 6x – 7x tippet anywhere from 5 – 10 feet long depending on how deep you are fishing. (I find most guys tie too little tippet on thinking they are “on the bottom”). Then there are what Devin Olsen calls heavy leader and medium leader – check out his article on his website – Tactical Fly Fisher.
But I didn’t really answer your question. To start out with Euro-nymphing I agree with Jim Craig. Try floating line first to see it you “like” the Euro-style. Plus you can change easier if you want to switch flies and how you fish. The Euro fly line is basically a level line, i.e. the same diameter throughout – no taper. This can be difficult to throw dry flies or streamers if you change your techniques during your day of fishing. Using a taper fly line (weight forward) you can pull off your euro-leader and add a normal leader to your weight forward line and you are back in business.
KeymasterYes, I am the keeper of the rods. Just arrange with me a time to cast them. Also Woolybugger Fly Co is selling Snowbee rods that we can get hold of and receive a discount as members in the FATC.
KeymasterKen
Your FATC has many demo rods you can try and get for 20% off regular price. Let me know. Plus remember that instead of getting the “same” rod you might want to buy a slightly different rod like a 4wt, euro rod or a “different” 5wt rod like a medium action Vice a fast action. Those rods are different i.e. 5wt fast versus 5wt medium. Or you can pick up a “cheaper rod?? Before you buy always cast the rod.
KeymasterBob,
I love fishing soft hackles and it’s one of my go to flies when I see the trout rising to insects in the film layer. I will usually always fish them with a downstream cast with a 45 degree angle down stream allowing them to “swing”. I will even let them hang downstream for a few seconds before re-casting.
But your question is can you cast the soft hackle fly “upstream” and be effective. The answer is definitely YES! If I am throwing upstream I will do a few things a little differently. First, I will not throw my fly line upstream over the top of the feeding fish. Second, as your fly drifts towards you you will need to continually strip line in to keep your fly line fairly taut so you can set the hook. Third, the hook set is different. When fishing soft hackles downstream you barely set the hook – let the fish set the hook for you as the fish will pull the fly away from you or downstream. When fishing upstream keep your line taut and you will have to do a hook set to hook the fish. A definite hook set vice letting the fish set the hook when casting downstream. Tight lines.
KeymasterNagleJP,
I have used the New Zealand indicator system and it is very effective and extremely sensitive when dead drifting. It is not as effective if you are using heavy flies but one or two smaller flies it will hold them up well. I also “comb” the wool with floatant before using by using a velcro strip (the hooked part of velcro) glued to a tongue depressor or popsicle stick. I also carry a small scissors to trim the top of the yarn to the size I prefer for the flies I am using. Hope that helps.
KeymasterNorth Carolina has some awesome fly fishing. One of our long time FATC members lives in Blowing Rock, NC which is about an hour or so from where you will be fishing. Contact Dave Beerbower at [email protected]. Dave may be able to fish with you. He’s always looking for someone to fish with…..
KeymasterProbably the number one thing that guys don’t do properly when fly fishing thus preventing them from catching more fish is the drift. To get the perfect drift you have to mend as the current takes your flies and indicator downstream. As in life we definitely need to mend – as the currents continually change each location we decide to fish so to our life is continually changing just like the currents. A better mend in life will keep you on course when life gets tough.
Just my two cents.
KeymasterGreat observations!!
KeymasterStag,
My humble opinion. I use a curved barbed hook size 8-10 set 2 – 1 1/2 inches from the bead (learned in Alaska). I also have several made up ahead of time and I “wrap” them around a piece of foam 3″ x 3″ with slits cut at both ends.
But with that said I bought my beads from Troutbeads.com. I would recommend that you get the “Rocky Mountain Selection”. They are smaller beads that imitate the trout and sucker eggs which we have here. If you get about 5-6 guys together on this purchase and you buy the RM-01 selection then you will all have various colors and sizes to chose from. Contact Jim Craig who runs the FATC fly tying session for FATC and he may be able to find a few guys in the session that will go along with you. BTW his next session is about tying egg patterns.
K
KeymasterI use foam sheets. At Michaels you can get 9”x12” thick foam sheets (6mm thick) for $.99. I cut them into 3” x 3” squares and cut with a scissors 4 slits on the top and 4 slits on the bottom. You can hook your fly/hook into the foam and wrap your tippet around and around through the slits on each end. Giving you the ability to have each foam piece hold four setups. They then can fit easily into your vest pocket.
KeymasterThanks Mike,
We are hoping to fish Taneycomo then but we will see about the flows. I’ll put on our FATC calendar about the Sowbug Roundup in case anyone from here would like to go. I’ll have them contact you. I will be unable this year because I am leading the Taneycomo trip that weekend.
But we definitely need to meet up and fish Arkansas!!
Kenny
KeymasterDanstag
Actually it hurts to leave any hook/fly in a tree. If it didn’t you wouldn’t see me climbing halfway up it to fetch my fly. I believe barbless is the way to go. Just keep “tension” on the line and the fish won’t get away. Plus, they are easier to take out of the back of the head. I find that a good 60% of the time when the fish gets into the net – it’s then when he spits the hook. I like Firehole Sticks for hooks. I like the black color too – seems to be “more invisible” under water. Just sayin
KeymasterDanstag
Actually it hurts to leave any hook/fly in a tree. If it didn’t you wouldn’t see me climbing halfway up it to fetch my fly. I believe barbless is the way to go. Just keep “tension” on the line and the fish won’t get away. Plus, they are easier to take out of the back of the head. I find that a good 60% of the time when the fish gets into the net – it’s then when he spits the hook. I like Firehole Sticks for hooks. I like the black color too – seems to be “more invisible” under water. Just sayin
KeymasterDanstag
Actually it hurts to leave any hook/fly in a tree. If it didn’t you wouldn’t see me climbing halfway up it to fetch my fly. I believe barbless is the way to go. Just keep “tension” on the line and the fish won’t get away. Plus, they are easier to take out of the back of the head. I find that a good 60% of the time when the fish gets into the net – it’s then when he spits the hook. I like Firehole Sticks for hooks. I like the black color too – seems to be “more invisible” under water. Just sayin
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