Fly
fishing Tips You Can Use:
Fly fishing advice from one of the top Grand River fly fishing guides
in Ontario. Fly fishing tricks and fly fishing tips which you will
use, not only on the Grand River in Ontario, but across Canada.
This is the original fly fishing Tips and Tricks Page on the Internet.
Don't be fooled by imitations.
Here Are the Fishing Tips:
Archive #5: June,
2001.
"Wear a hat and lots of sun block."
Nets.
Is a landing net an essential part of fly fishing? Well, yes and
no. For most anglers it is a mark of tribal identification. Even
at a distance, a land net hanging from the back of a fishing vest
is a surefire way to identify another member of the pack without
having to ask them to produce a membership card. I have never been
a fan of nets. I usually reach in with a pair of needle nose pliers,
grab the fly and pull it free from the fish without lifting the
fish from the water. Some folk however, need to have the fish secured
in a net to remove the fly. It's a matter of choice. If you are
fishing from a boat, a net is essential as reaching over the side
to grab a fish will send you swimming at some point. Generally speaking
if you are fishing barbless for species incapable of taking a chunk
out of your flesh, you might want to think about going on the river
without a net.
Water.
Now the summer has hit southern Ontario, 92 degrees in the shade,
it is downright stupid to venture out for a day of fly fishing without
taking a bottle of water with you. Nine times out of ten, there
is not a lot of shade in the middle of the river and dehydration
can quickly become a problem. If you are passed out on the bank,
due to overheating, your fishing will suffer drastically. A small
pack or two of raisins - or a few chunks of fruit - can go a long
way in making your day fun and enjoyable. Chocolate bars are not
a good idea, as they have a tendency to melt. Also don't forget
to take a break and have a seat in the shade now and again. Watching
the river might tell you where the fish are hiding, and you might
be lucky to see some wildlife you have been missing.
Also, you might want to consider leaving the neoprene
at home and wet wade in shorts. Naturally, if you have to walk through
poison ivy, poison oak or swampy areas holding 'small poisonous
beasties which like to bite,' shorts might not be such a good idea.
Scumbags.
Tiz the summer and once again the scumbags are busting into parked
cars and stealing fly fishing gear. When one chap is on the bridge
watching you fishing*his buddy is transferring your extra rod from
your car to his. Keep all your stuff in the trunk, locked out of
sight. Remember if they can't see it, they won't want to steal it.
If you have to leave an empty rod tube in the car, make sure they
can see it is open and empty.
Flies and leaders.
Caddis nymphs, pheasant tails and small crayfish patterns are pretty
much universal flies for subsurface summertime use. Elk hair caddis,
the Klinkhammer Special or a Parachute Adams will work all summer
long on the surface. Once again, if a fish follows, or rises to
a fly but turns away, you have the right pattern but it is one size
too big. These flies will work for bass, trout, mooneye, rainbow,
carp and redhorse. In Ontario they take a lot of fish in the Thames
River and Grand River.
My leader system.
I have had a ton of requests for the leader
system I use.
Here it is - simple, easy to set-up and it gets fish:
1.Tie an overhand knot - a Granny knot - in the
end of your fly line.
2. Get about 10 ft of 6 lb mono for the leader.
3. Tie the end of the mono around the back of the overhand knot
and form an
improved clinch knot in the 6-lb mono. Trim the tag from the knot.
4. (the overhand knot substitutes for the hook eye).
5. Tie the fly to the other end of the 6-lb mono using a palomer
knot.
6. Go fishing.
If you need to step down to a thinner thickness
of mono at the fly, use a blood knot for the connection.
I came up with this system in 1979 and it has been working quite
well since then. Depending on the brand of mono you are using, you
might need to use a five or a six turn clinch knot rather than the
improved clinch knot. This system has landed Chinook salmon to 45
lb and pike to 25 lb. The only big disadvantage is that when you
are playing a fish, you can't let the overhand knot in the fly line
get inside the guides. It will stick and you will be toast. The
big advantage to this system is that the overhand knot can be "greased
up" and fished as a bobber . . . I mean a float . . . I mean a strike
indicator. Sorry about that, it's hard to keep up with all these
new fly fishing gadgets and terminology.
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