  How
to: Fly Fishing......
Use
medium tippet, 4x to 6x, and long leader- 12 to 14 feet. Size of
tippet depends on light, volume of water flow and water clarity.
Light tippet is needed if there's no wind, sun is bright and you are fishing
over very spooky fish, which doesn't happen very often. Position
your boat above or to the side of the fish if you're fishing an eddie.
Click the rainbow to see a map that has some of my favorite boat positions.
There are a number of ways to fish for trout in these eddies. It really
depends on what they are doing. If they are midging on the surface- use
#12 to #16 size emergers, red or black, or
slightly weighted woolies and swing and strip them through the area where
they are holding. Cast at rising trout and strip fast and very short, stopping
every 5 strips. You will see the strike most of the time. If
the fly is worked slower and drops deeper, the strike may be subtle.
Lift the rod sharply but gently if using light tippet. Use beaded
nymphs under a strike indicator if they are
holding under the surface and appear to be feeding on bugs as they drift
by. Set the indicator alittle deeper than they appear- squirrel
tail, hares ear, pheasant tail, sow bugs, brassies- from #10 to #16.
A strike may be hard, taking the float all the way under or it may be suttle,
just barely moving the float. Set the hook hard and fast. Helpful
Hint: Keep an eye on the slack in the line. Mend the
line to get the longest and best dead drift. When setting the hook you
need all the slack out or you won't get a good hook set. Strip weighted
woolies and streamers through this area also. Use 3x to 5x
tippet and a long leader. Good colors are gray, olive, brown and
black in sizes #4's to #10. Cast out in the current and let it sink
and swing throw these fish. Double bunnies and leeches also are good for
bigger trout in the winter. Against the bluff bank is good for browns.
They tend to cruise this bank looking for small forage fish and bugs dropping
out fo the trees. Look for a very aggressive strike. Cast terrestrials
along
the bluff bank in the summer months anywhere there's an eddie or slow pocket.
It'll have to be a quick strike because the current will pull the dry out
of the pocket quickly. Hoppers, humpies, ants, elk hair caddis, cicadas
and adams- anything big and bulky.
Spin
Fishing...... Use 2- or 4-pound, green line. Throw jigs
either
with or without a strike indicator. With a float, use 1/80th or 1/100th
oz. jigs in ginger, olive, brown, black, black/yellow, white, pink or gray.
Why all the colors.... trout change their eating habits sometimes on an
hourly basis. Use this in the edge of the current line- throw upsteam
and let it float down in front of you, watching the float carefully.
When throwing a jig straight, use a 1/16 oz. and the same colors- white,
sulpin and black are the best colors. Work the jig from out in the swift
current back into the eddie, letting the jig drop as long as possible.
Trout tend to strike the jig as it falls and you may or may not feel the
strike. That's what makes jig fishing a challenge-- a finess style
that takes a lot of touch. Helpful Hint:
If the fish are striking short and you're missing a lot of hits, pinch
off the marabou tail making it shorter. Spoons
like
Cleos, Buoyants and Super Dupers worked slowly or with a jerky action can
be good. Also small to medium sized crank
baits worked irraticly close to the surface are good.
Best Conditions: Low light and a slight to medium wind.
Worse Conditions: Bright sun and no wind.
Copyright: 2003 Lilleys' Landing Resort, BIMS, Branson,
Missouri
Phil Lilley, Jim Turner
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