flyguys.net

For those just starting out here’s a general overview on how to fly fish the productive trout still water lakes of the Okanagan & BC interior!

Upon Arriving at the Lake:

Tie on a searching pattern (leech/shrimp) and troll it slowly off the bottom while taking the time to have a good look around. Make note of locations and characteristics of structures like marl, weedy shoals, weed beds and drop offs. Look for insect activity such as hatches and note any feeding birds. Scan the shallows for cruising fish.

* for more great information on trolling flies checkout Randy ‘floon’ Paskel’s ” how to troll a fly ” article and Ron Newman’s “dragging a fly” post .

Observe Depth & Feeding Patterns:

Watch for signs of fish activity and when you find fish watch them for a while and try to determine what they are feeding on as well as their depth.  If fish are feeding with their noses in the mud with their body at an angle to the bottom then they might be digging around for shrimp or other staple foods. If fish are concentrated in a particular area and appear to be lazily feeding they might be taking ascending  pupa. Fish spotted sprinting to the surface of shallows displaying a splashy rise are probably taking adults on the surface – if you are lucky they may be taking adult caddis!

* a little more info on why fish feed the way they do … by Ron Newman.

Match The Hatch:

Watch for signs of insect activity. Many insects will leave a husk behind as evidence of a hatch. Besides having fun, matching the hatch and properly presenting the fly is the whole idea.

Diet charts, such as these by Philip Rowley, can also help by providing insight as to which insects you can expect to see during the different parts of the year:

Handling The Fish:

When you catch a fish and need to handle it, always make sure your hands are wet as this reduces the amount of slime that you remove from their skin.  The slime protects fish from infections. Never put your fingers into the gills as this could kill the fish. When the fish is calm remove the hook. If you need to take the fish out of the water be gentle. Make sure the net has been wetted and minimize the amount of time out of the water for both breathing and structural reasons.

If you are going to take a throat sample now is the time.

Using a Throat Pump:

Once a fish is hooked you can use a throat pump to extract some of the contents. This will help you to identify the type of feed they are on and you will be able to match what is happening very accurately. When the fish is calm insert your pump just to the back of the throat, squirt in a tiny bit of water, relax the bulb and remove.

Releasing the Fish:

At this point if the fish doesn’t burst out of your hands, gently move it forward and back in the water aerating the gills. The warmer the water, the longer this recovery may take.

OK that should get you started … for more information check out:

• Turn Over Made Easy … by Todd Oishi
• Fly Selection and Presentation, Fall Fly Fishing Strategies & Know Your Fish … all by Ron Newman and
• Rainbow Trout Strains of British Columbia … by the flyguys!

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But what if I don’t want to go fishing to just to harass fish & then release them?  What if I actually want to eat them?

No problem … we have some informative articles on how to care for, prepare and cook up your catch … check out:  how to clean a fish, how to fillet a fish and how to cook a fish!

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Want to learn the basics or fine tune what you already know? Here’s a few books to consider:

Introduction to Fly Fishing

Basic Fly Fishing

Fly Fishing: Lifetime Sport

The L.L. Bean Ultimate Book of Fly Fishing

A little more advanced? Then get these books (you won’t regret it!):

Morris & Chan on Fly Fishing Trout Lakes

Fly Patterns for Stillwater: A Study of Trout Etomology and Tying

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Tags: fly fishing, Fly Fishing in BC, How to Fly Fish, Still Water Fly Fishing, Trolling the Fly

This entry was posted on Monday, June 21st, 2010 at 8:56 am and is filed under Still Water Fly Fishing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.