Bill Kiene semi-retired
09-15-2016, 09:41 PM
Top Nor Cal guide Fred Gordon fishes really light rods himself in Nor Cal streams like the Sage SPL 282, 8'2" #2 weight.
With those light, flexible rods and small diameter fly lines plus his skill level, Fred said he mostly fishes 6x on dry flies.
That said, if you have one of those new fast action 9' #5 line 4 pc rods you will need 5x to keep from breaking off the big ones.
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I always fish the heaviest tippet that the fish will bite, which might be 6x or maybe 0x?
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Top fly fisher Jeff Putnam told me once he never goes under 6x tippet.
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I do know that on spring creeks many use 7x tippet with small flies and very light softer rods.
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Veteran fly fisher Bob Giannoni once should me on the Silver Fork of the American River that in the evening he could catch trout consistently on a #10 Elk Hair Caddis if he fished it in the bumpy riffle water.
I was fishing the smoother water as the fly came out of the riffle on to the smooth water of the pool. I was using a #14 Elk Hair Caddis with 5x tippet.
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On smooth water if it is tough I usually go to some #16 paradun and 6x tippet with a soft 4 weight rod and a click-n-pawl reel.
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I would guess that only about 25% of fly fishers "match the hatch" on smooth moving water today.
Many are indicator fishing or steamer fishing in water with smooth surfaces.
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If you are fishing a big dry like a giant salmon fly, October Caddis or Hexagenia Mayfly you might use a heavier tippet like 3x or 4x. I would use the heaviest tippet that the fish will bite so when I get that fish of a lifetime I might have a chance to land it.
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In the 1970s our Cortland Line Rep, Joe Patterson, took use to central Oregon to learn how to fish those famous lakes like Crane Prairie, Hosmer, Diamond and Davis.
Down here we were fishing 6x tippet on top with #16 Callibaetis mayfly imitations on small lakes like Solano and McCumber for normal size trout up to around 16 inches.
The further north you go the bigger the Callibaetis are. In Nor Cal they are around a #16, in Oregon they can be a #14 and in BC they are a #12. I think Callibaetis mayflies get smaller by the week as the summer progresses too.
On Davis Lake in Oregon we were catching trout over 5 pounds on a Callibaetis mayfly hatch so our 6x just did not get it. We had to go to 4x tippet to hold those fish and we were using soft 5 weight glass rods and smooth Hardy reels.
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Dry fly fishing with two of my good friends.
David Armocido is the best small stream dry fly fisherman I know. Fred Gordon is also a top angler and veteran guide.
One day I was so lucky to fish with them both on Stoney Creek, just north up Interstate 5 a ways and to the West. This one spring it was on fire. We all fished a small #3 weight fly rod and only dry flies.
Too bad we did not have Mikey Weir there to video us. It was a day to remember. I think we were all fishing some kind of #14 dry fly, which is the most popular average size now. All wild fish and all very hot but mostly small and mostly under 12 inches.
We all took turns casting to the top of each pool where the riffle came in. It was crazy...lots of laughter.
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I have fished 100% barbless for everything sense 1975 when Bob Giannoni and Neil Bohannon both got to me.
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Spring and Fall is the good day time big dry fly season.
In the summer it is more like morning and evening fishing with smaller dries.
On moving water the biggest flies are the big #4 and #6 salmon flies in the spring in the warm afternoons, next is the #8 Green Drake mayflies in the start of summer, the big #6 Hex mayflies in the mid-summer at sunset and the big #8 October Caddis in the Fall.
On stillwater you have big #6 Hex in the summer in the evening plus #6 Traveling Sedge (big caddis) late too. The #12 Siphlonurus mayfly is another cool lake mayfly, Terry Thomas educated me about that bug.
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I read an article about dry fly basics by a Montana guide. He said to pick up the fly off the water, turn it over and see how long or what size the under belly is and what color it is.
__________________________________________________ _________
Tippet sizes for dries?
2x-3x for big dries in low light or heavy water.#4/6
4x for big dries on smoother water. #6/8/10
5x for most dry fly fishing with #12/14/16
6x for small flies on smooth water. #14/16/18
7x for real small flies on smooth water on spring creeks.#16/18/20
Dry fly tippet length is about 18" to 4 feet depending on how spooking the fish are and the lighting conditions.
To get you tippet length right for casting you tie on a longer tippet then cast the fly and trim the tippet back until it turns over well.
Leader length for dry fly fishing can be as short as the length of your rod and as long as 15 feet on smooth water in the day time.
__________________________________________________ ____
What ideas do you have about fishing dry flies?
.
With those light, flexible rods and small diameter fly lines plus his skill level, Fred said he mostly fishes 6x on dry flies.
That said, if you have one of those new fast action 9' #5 line 4 pc rods you will need 5x to keep from breaking off the big ones.
_____________________________________________
I always fish the heaviest tippet that the fish will bite, which might be 6x or maybe 0x?
_____________________________________________
Top fly fisher Jeff Putnam told me once he never goes under 6x tippet.
______________________________________________
I do know that on spring creeks many use 7x tippet with small flies and very light softer rods.
______________________________________________
Veteran fly fisher Bob Giannoni once should me on the Silver Fork of the American River that in the evening he could catch trout consistently on a #10 Elk Hair Caddis if he fished it in the bumpy riffle water.
I was fishing the smoother water as the fly came out of the riffle on to the smooth water of the pool. I was using a #14 Elk Hair Caddis with 5x tippet.
________________________________________________
On smooth water if it is tough I usually go to some #16 paradun and 6x tippet with a soft 4 weight rod and a click-n-pawl reel.
_________________________________________________
I would guess that only about 25% of fly fishers "match the hatch" on smooth moving water today.
Many are indicator fishing or steamer fishing in water with smooth surfaces.
________________________________________________
If you are fishing a big dry like a giant salmon fly, October Caddis or Hexagenia Mayfly you might use a heavier tippet like 3x or 4x. I would use the heaviest tippet that the fish will bite so when I get that fish of a lifetime I might have a chance to land it.
_________________________________________________
In the 1970s our Cortland Line Rep, Joe Patterson, took use to central Oregon to learn how to fish those famous lakes like Crane Prairie, Hosmer, Diamond and Davis.
Down here we were fishing 6x tippet on top with #16 Callibaetis mayfly imitations on small lakes like Solano and McCumber for normal size trout up to around 16 inches.
The further north you go the bigger the Callibaetis are. In Nor Cal they are around a #16, in Oregon they can be a #14 and in BC they are a #12. I think Callibaetis mayflies get smaller by the week as the summer progresses too.
On Davis Lake in Oregon we were catching trout over 5 pounds on a Callibaetis mayfly hatch so our 6x just did not get it. We had to go to 4x tippet to hold those fish and we were using soft 5 weight glass rods and smooth Hardy reels.
_______________________________________________
Dry fly fishing with two of my good friends.
David Armocido is the best small stream dry fly fisherman I know. Fred Gordon is also a top angler and veteran guide.
One day I was so lucky to fish with them both on Stoney Creek, just north up Interstate 5 a ways and to the West. This one spring it was on fire. We all fished a small #3 weight fly rod and only dry flies.
Too bad we did not have Mikey Weir there to video us. It was a day to remember. I think we were all fishing some kind of #14 dry fly, which is the most popular average size now. All wild fish and all very hot but mostly small and mostly under 12 inches.
We all took turns casting to the top of each pool where the riffle came in. It was crazy...lots of laughter.
__________________________________________________
I have fished 100% barbless for everything sense 1975 when Bob Giannoni and Neil Bohannon both got to me.
__________________________________________________
Spring and Fall is the good day time big dry fly season.
In the summer it is more like morning and evening fishing with smaller dries.
On moving water the biggest flies are the big #4 and #6 salmon flies in the spring in the warm afternoons, next is the #8 Green Drake mayflies in the start of summer, the big #6 Hex mayflies in the mid-summer at sunset and the big #8 October Caddis in the Fall.
On stillwater you have big #6 Hex in the summer in the evening plus #6 Traveling Sedge (big caddis) late too. The #12 Siphlonurus mayfly is another cool lake mayfly, Terry Thomas educated me about that bug.
__________________________________________________ ________
I read an article about dry fly basics by a Montana guide. He said to pick up the fly off the water, turn it over and see how long or what size the under belly is and what color it is.
__________________________________________________ _________
Tippet sizes for dries?
2x-3x for big dries in low light or heavy water.#4/6
4x for big dries on smoother water. #6/8/10
5x for most dry fly fishing with #12/14/16
6x for small flies on smooth water. #14/16/18
7x for real small flies on smooth water on spring creeks.#16/18/20
Dry fly tippet length is about 18" to 4 feet depending on how spooking the fish are and the lighting conditions.
To get you tippet length right for casting you tie on a longer tippet then cast the fly and trim the tippet back until it turns over well.
Leader length for dry fly fishing can be as short as the length of your rod and as long as 15 feet on smooth water in the day time.
__________________________________________________ ____
What ideas do you have about fishing dry flies?
.