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 #3: September, 2000.
A few tips and bits I guarantee will get you more big fall fish - no guff!

Fall.
Big smallmouth bass, big steelhead, big salmon and big headaches if you are not well prepared before you venture onto the river. Trust me!

Check All Nail Knots.
Before you read any further go and get all the fly reels you are planning to use this fall. Now check the nail knot between the backing and the fly line. When was the last time you took a peak at those little beauties? When you see the backing disappearing into the great beyond, the nail know is your best friend. In fact, the nail know might be your only friend when a big nasty salmon is setting about trying to smash up your new eight weight. So you don't need to check because you are only fishing smallies. Wrong! The mighty carp is very active at this time of the year and they are hanging out with the smallies. Who is going to grab that size 6 Outcast Crayfish? Who knows? But you probably don't want to take the chance.

Clean Your Reel.
Same as above. If you don't fancy greasing up the inside of your reel, take it into the local tackle shop and let the lads have a go at it. When a fish starts running, your best hope is to hang on and pray it all works according to plan - any plan. Sand, grit and gunk inside the reel housing will turn your slim chance of success into a guaranteed disaster. Don't say you ain't being warned. If you are doing it yourself, use the proper grease to lubricate the shaft and the inside gears. There are lots of these on the market and most of them work just great. And remember never to store a reel with the drag "on."

Flies.
Keep them as simple as humanly possible. At this time of the year, you need to drift the fly right in front of the fishes' nose. So you are going to bust off more than a few when you are fishing them. Wigglers, Woolly Buggers, Sculpines and Muddlers will always turn a fish or two.

Getting Down!
I have always been a big fan of split shot. Now however, with all the poisoned birds I feel guilty about using the stuff. So I went out and tried some of those lead free pastes and was I surprised to find they work! Not only that, they get the fly down faster, they are easier to cast, and they don't seem to get hung up as much. Are they worth trying? ABSOLUTELY. Most of the new pastes are reusable so the initial cost is well worth it. Colin McKeown, the host of the soon to be on air "The New Fly Fisher Fishing Show" put me onto a little trick. Take a small blob of the putty and stick it to the top of the rod handle. Then when you need it, you don't have to go digging around in your vest to find the stuff. Make sure you wet your fingers before you start playing with the stuff. It is very, very sticky. Having said that, wrap a bit of tape around the handle before you stick the putty on it. At the end of the day, remove the tape and the cork remains clean.

Low Water.
I wish I could say a few things about fishing low water, but most the rivers here in Southern Ontario have been flooded out for much of the season. However a clear fly line is without question 'the way to go' when fishing low water. Last year, I was fishing bass in gin clear water with a colored line. They were getting spooked by the line, and it was eight feet above them when I was false casting. I switched to a clear line, and they did not mind the line moving over their heads, even when I lowered my forward false cast to about three feet abouve the water surface. I increased my steelhead "takes" by 20%, simply by switching to a clear line when the water is clear. Clear lines are a must have item when fishing the edges of the Great Lakes for steelhead and salmon.