Friday Fly Day - Stillwater Staples
Scotty X wants to let you know just how fun stillwater fly fishing is, listen up.
"There is no doubt we all love the flowing water of a river and look forward to warmer days ahead, but why not head out to your local lakes? They are on fire and you may be in with a chance to land a larger fish. We are now in the middle of our lake fishing season so I would like to share with you some of my go to fly patterns and how to fish them.
Buggers and Bitches
Searching with wet flies is an effective way to land a fish in most of our lakes here in Australia and across the Tasman in NZ. When fishing buggers or bitches remember to change your retrieve rates, the fish may not always be taking flies on a fast strip, so mix it up from slow long draws and pauses (hangs) to even a roll and poll. Before recasting, redraw your fly to the surface, then pause before casting out again, this is called a dibble. Use different sinking lines to find out where the fish are feeding. Sometimes it will be near the surface sometimes mid water and never forget the bottom. By using sinking lines you will be able to explore the entire water column. Don’t forget to try using two flies; an attractor fly with a bit of bling and something natural, keeping your flies around 1.5m apart on a dropper tag or truck and trailer off the back of the top fly. My favourite flies to fish these methods are the Belinda's Bitch-Slap range.
Belinda's Bitch-Slaps
Static fishing
Most people hit a lake with a plan to fish Woolly Buggers all day long and if the fish are not on them, they don’t have a plan B. That plan B should be static fishing. It’s a simple method that accounts for many fish. Using a floating line, attach an indicator off a 9ft 3X leader, use two flies, one on a top dropper and the second on the point. The indicator is adjusted according to the depth you are fishing. When casting your indicator rig out, use the wind to move your flies, occasionally drawing the flies to the surface then stop to allow the flies to drop back down. During the peak of winter, best flies for this method include Muz's Stick Caddis and unweighted and lightly weighted flashy nymphs and midges.
Pheasant Tail Flashback & Hares Ear Flashback
Muz's Sticky Caddis, Rob's Redhead Midge & Rowley's Chironomid
Armed with a good bunch of lake flies and using these two techniques, the lake fish won’t know what is coming their way! So get out on the lakes and have a crack at this amazing fishery. Those big wintery browns are waiting for you. Oh, and don't leave your dry flies at home...."
Want to know more about Scott? Head over to Wilderness Fly Fishing