Two or three flies

[jrsyboy]

How many flies are you allowed to fish from one rod in California while fly fishing? I've read conflicting reports and would really like to know. Want to try euro nymphing this year with a heavy point fly but don't want to know how many more I'm allowed on that rig.

thanks and tight lines~!
rob
jrsyboy

[cdevine]

How many flies are you allowed to fish from one rod in California while fly fishing? I've read conflicting reports and would really like to know. Want to try euro nymphing this year with a heavy point fly but don't want to know how many more I'm allowed on that rig.

thanks and tight lines~!
rob
jrsyboy

Rob,

I can tell you for sake of simplicity you might want to stick w/ 2. I'm messed around with 3 before on sierra streams walking/wading and it gets messy at times. (just my 2 cents) I do a decent amount of this style fishing and 2 is fine. I've floated the lower sac many times and have fished with 3 out of a drift boat which was a little easier because your flies are in the water longer as the boat does the work.

In terms of laws/rules I know in BC, CAN I could only use a single fly fishing. That was made very clear in the laws. I've never heard anybody on CA/NV waters state you can't fish with more than one and I've fished with a lot of people. (guides included).

I would make sure you pinch your barbs. That seems like a more common beginner mistake. I've heard of people getting fined for this but not 2 + flies.

Hopefully somebody else has some more fine print detail on the law? Or maybe a search on this site.

[JAWallace]

Limit is three hooks in CA.

[bigfly]

Unless the water has "special regs", which precedes general regulations......3 flies are legal.
My take on the classic "brace of flies" is statistical....more flies, more tangles.
Factor in the financial loss of three flies as well. And rigging time too....
I teach and fish two flies for the most part just to stream-line things. Whether euro or "merican" style tight-line nymphing....
But if you are smooth in action....one more fly means the probability of another fish.....
Although, I think a perfect drift is more important than numbers of flies.....

Jim

[cdevine]

Unless the water has "special regs", which precedes general regulations......3 flies are legal.
My take on the classic "brace of flies" is statistical....more flies, more tangles.
Factor in the financial loss of three flies as well. And rigging time too....
I teach and fish two flies for the most part just to stream-line things. Whether euro or "merican" style tight-line nymphing....
But if you are smooth in action....one more fly means the probability of another fish.....
Although, I think a perfect drift is more important than numbers of flies.....

Jim

Agree 100%. Less time in the water dealing with tangles means less fish. Good call on the $ side as well. I've taken some dips in the water searching for that expensive nymph lodged onto a stick/rock.

Now you got a bunch of different options. Do you tie the 2nd off the eye, bend, or tag end ? Lots of good diagrams, books ,and vids on this.

[jrsyboy]

Thanks all for the input. I only want to try this traditional euro thing to see what all the hype is about. I'm really a fan of Gallops split shot at the bottom with two flies off short (3") tags. I go through a lot of split shot but don't snag as much and it still keeps the bottom fly near enough to the bottom that the trout haven't objected yet.

You know how this goes. Read a couple articles online cause the Yuba is at Noah Flood stage. Buy a book on Dynamic Nymphing, start tying heavily weighted woven caddis larvae and tungsten jig flies cause most of Northern CA is still Noah Flood stage. Try it once or twice and go back to the sz 18/20 pheasant tail/hares ear combo because it still works really well and end up with lots of boxes off heavily weighted jig and Czech nymphs in the garage in a storage container. But it kept me from losing my mind while the rest of California washes out to the Pacific. And that's really all that matters.....

Again, thanks to all and tight lines~!
rob
jrsyboy

[bigfly]

We are hoping you know drop-shotting isn't legal in CA.....

I like all styles of fly fishing....but the guys I know that invest a solid couple of years...fish really hate.

Jim

[JAWallace]

California isn't too bad, but be careful in Oregon especially in fly fishing only waters. No lead there, other than what you can tie on the fly. Be especially careful if you have CA plates, because they like us so much . I've had my rig inspected twice when they didn't look at any one else's. Just the way it is there. Telling the wardens I was born and raised there didn't carry much weight either. Still home to me.

[Sheepdog8404]

Anytime I have more than one fly on the end of my line, I feel like I might as well be fishing a Sabiki rig... A dry dropper is about as extreme as I'll go. Beyond that, I like to stay away from the multi fly rigs. Too much time to rerig and a nightmare to untangle if you fumble a cast. Also, I've heard conflicting information regarding "Drop shotting". Not sure if that's what you're looking to do, but I'd talk to a Game Warden about that before you try it. I know Kelly Galloup loves Nymphing with a Drop Shot rig but I've heard that here in CA it's illegal to have a weight at the terminal end of your line with hooks suspended above them.

[bigfly]

It's not about using lead, just NOT suspending it below the lowest fly.....

And I can tell you it's not about a lot of weight, it's about becoming surgical with your lob cast.
If you can target seams effectively, it doesn't take much weight to get down through them, but that takes a bunch of practice.......
The Czech style was designed for water most fly guys neglect. Shallow riffles, and pocket water.
Euros are universal fishers too...they prefer to fish the "perfect glides" and pools just like fishers over here....
Since fish hate hooks, they might move to water less pressured.
When I suggest not fishing like the other guy, this is part of it.......
Very popular flies, fished in the same style, on very pressured water, don't always work.......no really.
My advise, tie your own flies and fish parts of the river that doesn't see as many fishers....
Treat'em nice.

Jim