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.