The Fisherman Posted August 3, 2009 Report Share Posted August 3, 2009 Nikoli's recent post about fussy feeders on the surface got me thinking about a similar experience I had this spring. We were fishing a tidal spot a bit inland that had stripers holding in current, feeding on station as trout would during a spinnerfall. This spot is a series of connected swampy ponds, and the presentation challenges were immense: you can't wade in many places because the sod banks drop off into nothing; there are many places that have fly-eating trees and/or overhead marsh grass; and to present you have to cast and then mend across several murderous currents. In this one particular hole, the stripers were holding in current A; current B was in front of it moving significantly slower; and current C extended from B to you, and was an eddy that was moving in the opposite direction from A & B. Sound like fun? Read on. :-) The first night they kicked my butt. Not even a tap. Fishing with a floating line and a three fly dropper rig of a GP, a clam worm, and a Ray's Fly. The only victories I took away were: I know there are actively feeding fish here; I know they are on tiny 1.5" grass shrimp; and I know I can theoretically catch them. Went back the next night and had more of the same. I could not figure out why I was not even getting a refusal. The third night I just went there and watched. And I came up with a plan. I figured I needed to have the right fly. I knew they were on small grass shrimp: why were they ignoring my GP? I remembered reading in Bergman's "Trout" that if you know a fish is on a certain fly and it won't take your artificial, try something smaller and sparser. Ken Abrames is a modern proponent of sparse and lifelike. I also knew my friend Jon had caught them on a sparse River Shrimp pattern tied by our friend Ed Simpson. So I went to my tying bench and came up with this: Hook: Mustad Atlantic Salmon #8 Thread: Grey Feelers: Sparse grey bucktail taken from the tip Eyes: Golden Pheasant tippet Body: Dun wet fly hackle, palmered It looked shrimpy enough, but what I was really going for was: match the profile of the bait, and act lifelike in the water. The next thing I did was to go to the spot in the daytime during the same tide I would be fishing that night to see how my presentation was. What an eye-opener. Current C had been, unbeknownst to me in the dark, completely cocking up my drift. Armed with this intel and a very positive attitude, I went back to have at them. I decided at the last minute to bring my 5-weight, as I felt this would help my presentation. Fishing a floating line and a shorter (about 7 feet long) brace of three flies (the dun GP, clam worm, dun GP). I was greeted by risers. I picked out a fish and began to cast. First cast...nothing. Second cast...nothing. Third cast...WHACK! I hooked three of them that night. And that's how I learned that sparse grass shrimp patterns are the bomb. ;-) "We fish for pleasure; I for Mine, you for yours."-- James Leisenring Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orca Posted August 3, 2009 Report Share Posted August 3, 2009 Good detective work. Always satisfying to solve "The Case of the Fussy Fish" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianBM Posted August 4, 2009 Report Share Posted August 4, 2009 Good title, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fisherman Posted August 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2009 With apologies to one of my favorite movies. ;-) "We fish for pleasure; I for Mine, you for yours."-- James Leisenring Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hey19 Posted August 4, 2009 Report Share Posted August 4, 2009 Were you fishing in florodated water? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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