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While killing time last evening I searched, thumbing through several fly fishing catalogs that show up at our place in droves this time of year; nice light
reading... Anyway while looking through various fly sections I was amazed at the number of flies with names I never heard of before, or seen either... lots
made from "stuff" that in some fly fishing only river sections would not pass as flies, but rather lures - if flies and
lures are different by the virtue of feathers and fur... What ever happened to the Adams, Leadwing Coachman, Mickey Finn??? Are we American businesses so
driven by profits we constantly turn out new products - needed or not, and are we consumers so driven by the latest and greatest we thirst for "new and
different" - needed or not?
Sorry about the rage, but who knew - not me...
Ed
Last Edited By: Eperous 01/22/2010 08:59.
Edited 1 time.
Agreed....I have seen some pretty crazy new "flies" out there in recent catalogs. Seems like most of the really odd stuff is coming from the West. A
catalog I received yesterday from a large fly shop in California even featured a "pellet fly", apparently to imitate the pellets hatchery trout are
fed before their release. If it takes a pellet fly to catch a trout, I don't want to fish.
Only thing I'd add is that the "new" part should be in quotes too.... the cover of the most recent fly tyer had "super hero" flies on
it 2 of the 3 are clearly basically prince nymphs with different materials...... Lots of "new" for new's sake IMHO....... fashions like flies
change and a huge number of occasional fishermen feel the need to have the latest and greatest flies to make up for lack of experience or skill.... There are
magazines to sell as well as materials and tackle..... same machine that drives super fast graphite rods for people that can't/ won't take the time to
actually learn how to cast.....
of course bamboo rod's, old reels, silk lines, using far more pearsall's than nylon...... probably make most of us hopeless cranks in the eyes of
publishers and company owner's anyway...... I like to experiment and try variations of materials in flies to find what's best for my fish.... but a
parachute adams with paler dubing and furnace hackle like my fish prefer is still a parachute adams
henrysdad wrote:
Agreed....I have seen some pretty crazy new "flies" out there in recent catalogs. Seems like most of the really odd stuff is coming from the West.
A catalog I received yesterday from a large fly shop in California even featured a "pellet fly", apparently to imitate the pellets hatchery trout
are fed before their release. If it takes a pellet fly to catch a trout, I don't want to fish.
One of the same catalogs I looked through, I just didn't want to point fingers at any section of this great country... and my exact same
feelings on the "pellet fly"... very sad to think folks might never experience the places and beauty of wild fish, yet think they are trout
fishing...
I can't estimate the number of times that I've told friends that: "Each year, I see that the catalogs come out with dozens of new flies, but I
don't remember ever reading that the good Lord has invented dozens of new insects" .... and, "I tie and fish lots of the old UK
dressings figuring that these flies have been catching Brown trout in Europe for centuries, so I figure they'll also catch the transplanted - US Browns
too."
IMHBO [in my humble (?) Bohemian opinion], most of it is marketing and attempts to increase profits by selling the "new and better" (?) approach to
the unsuspecting! That being said, I've also "modified" (slightly, I like to believe) a few of the old dressings and most of them have worked
well.
henrysdad wrote:
Agreed....I have seen some pretty crazy new "flies" out there in recent catalogs. Seems like most of the really odd stuff is coming from the
West. A catalog I received yesterday from a large fly shop in California even featured a "pellet fly", apparently to imitate the pellets hatchery
trout are fed before their release. If it takes a pellet fly to catch a trout, I don't want to fish.
One of the same catalogs I looked through, I just didn't want to point fingers at any section of this great country... and my exact same
feelings on the "pellet fly"... very sad to think folks might never experience the places and beauty of wild fish, yet think they are trout
fishing...
EP, I fully agree with you. I have seen the pellet flies, have tied some and caught trouts with them. I read on several boards that I go to where
some of the folks get so excited about fishin for the pellet pigs I wonder if they have ever fished for a wild trout.
My fishin partner who is older than I am wants me to get a special permit so we can fish PP water so far I have denied his request because I really don't
get a big thrill from catchin those big fish. He has fished for wild trout for many years and really likes fishin for them. He also likes to fish for stockers
soon after they are released. A few weeks ago the water was high an he told me he got over confident and went for a swim so for his sake I will in all likely
hood get the permit. This is the same fella that has a Payne and won't fish it but he is a good guy.
On the other hand several years ago I took my nephew to a PP stream and watch him catch a couple of large trout, now that did excite me. So I guess there is a
place for them.
As my Father used to say about the new lures and flies that appeared every year, "Most of these are made to catch fishermen, not fish". How true.
The pellet fly is just perfect. Put it on a plastic rod, go to an enclosed place where fish are stocked every day and fed pellets, and you have an instant
trout "fisherman" who can brag to his buddies about catching a real bunch of trout, and how easy it is. Kind of like shooting a "trophy"
buck on a fenced in ranch down in Texas. All it takes is money.
gofish
henrysdad wrote:
Agreed....I have seen some pretty crazy new "flies" out there in recent catalogs. Seems like most of the really odd stuff is coming from the
West. A catalog I received yesterday from a large fly shop in California even featured a "pellet fly", apparently to imitate the pellets
hatchery trout are fed before their release. If it takes a pellet fly to catch a trout, I don't want to fish.
One of the same catalogs I looked through, I just didn't want to point fingers at any section of this great country... and my exact same
feelings on the "pellet fly"... very sad to think folks might never experience the places and beauty of wild fish, yet think they are trout
fishing...
EP, I fully agree with you. I have seen the pellet flies, have tied some and caught trouts with them. I read on several boards that I go to
where some of the folks get so excited about fishin for the pellet pigs I wonder if they have ever fished for a wild trout.
My fishin partner who is older than I am wants me to get a special permit so we can fish PP water so far I have denied his request because I really don't
get a big thrill from catchin those big fish. He has fished for wild trout for many years and really likes fishin for them. He also likes to fish for
stockers soon after they are released. A few weeks ago the water was high an he told me he got over confident and went for a swim so for his sake I will in
all likely hood get the permit. This is the same fella that has a Payne and won't fish it but he is a good guy, and just not because he gave me an Orvis
rod.
On the other hand several years ago I took my nephew to a PP stream and watch him catch a couple of large trout, now that did excite me. So I guess there is
a place for them.
I'm not into stocked trout myself --- yet, I don't oppose stocking streams, at least those where wild reproduction is very limited, but I don't
chase hatchery trucks. That said, I think stocked trout are great for kids, folks just getting into fishing, and folks who can no longer fish those "wild
places."
I also had my eyes opened on this subject last June. My wife and I spent about a week in Allenberry, PA sight seeing, vacationing, and of course, a little bit
of fishing/exploring PA's legendary limestone streams, a first for me. The Yellow Breeches is a classic creek - nice hatches, gorgeous scenery, and clear,
cold water. But I noticed lots of sand bottom, and maybe some limited spawning activity - one can't learn/know all there is about a place like this in
five days. This stream is apparently stocked heavily, and perhaps needs it due to lots of angling pressure and limited reproduction. That said, I fished it a
couple times very early and late at the book ends of our days, have fond images of the creek, but enjoyed the other limestone streams with more challenging
wild trout much more.
I always enjoy looking through the catalogs to see the "new" flies. Some look silly, some appeal to me, some make me scratch my head and wonder. Its
all fun. Cheers.
I'm not into stocked trout myself --- yet, I don't oppose stocking streams, at least those where wild reproduction is very limited, but I don't
chase hatchery trucks. That said, I think stocked trout are great for kids, folks just getting into fishing, and folks who can no longer fish those
"wild places."
I also had my eyes opened on this subject last June. My wife and I spent about a week in Allenberry, PA sight seeing, vacationing, and of course, a little
bit of fishing/exploring PA's legendary limestone streams, a first for me. The Yellow Breeches is a classic creek - nice hatches, gorgeous scenery, and
clear, cold water. But I noticed lots of sand bottom, and maybe some limited spawning activity - one can't learn/know all there is about a place like
this in five days. This stream is apparently stocked heavily, and perhaps needs it due to lots of angling pressure and limited reproduction. That said, I
fished it a couple times very early and late at the book ends of our days, have fond images of the creek, but enjoyed the other limestone streams with more
challenging wild trout much more.
Ed
The YB is not the stream it once was and you are correct it is stocked heavily. The have the YB Sportsman assoc. that have their own hatchery and
they put alot of fish in the stream. I was there in June and was in the YB fly Shop and heard the folks talking about the stream and how disappointed they
were in it's condition. These were local folks with some visitors that had fished it in years past as I had. Because of their comments I did not buy a Lic
and just moved on.
As is with most streams the floods of a few years ago took a tool on many of Pa's streams and they have not fully recovered.
So far as stocking programs go, I agree that, where necessary, they are appropriate. Many of the streams in my area are stocked a little to supplement the
resident trout population, and I do catch a mix of wild and stocked fish on most outings. The scary situations are those where stockings are allowed to
actually destroy a stream. Case in point, a beautiful little spring-fed stream named Rush Creek, in SE Minnesota. All of about 15-20' wide at the most, and
much narrower in most spots, running through pastures, but with steep limestone cliffs and dense woods on the opposite side.. I lived near there this stream
for several years, and I spent many an evening on its banks as a bachelor. Only took me about 15 minutes from my front door to my first cast.
So, this stream ran through the property of several farmers. The farmers were open to allowing fishing, if you asked respectfully, but access sites were never
published by the DNR. I routinely caught 12-14" Browns on dry flies, and plenty of them, as well as my largest Brown to-date, a 22" from a deep pool
on a streamer. Then, the DNR must have made a deal with the farmers, and the next year, the DNR included the access sites to this stream in its listings of
trout streams. Everything went downhill from there...quantity and size of fish decreased drastically, white styrofoam worm boxes, empty beer cans, empty Mepps
spinner blister packs littered the bank, ran into guys baitfishing on the bank, sitting on big white plastic buckets which they used to bring home their limit.
Now, one might have hoped that, since the fishing quality drastically reduced, fishing pressure would also naturally diminish, allowing the Browns to recover
and repopulate. Instead, the DNR had an idea....stock the stream with Rainbows!
Long story short, last I fished Rush Creek, the stupid hatchery Rainbows had entirely taken over the stream. Couldn't find a Brown to save my life, and by
the end of that outing, I was so bored with the ease of catching these Rainbows, the game became to see just how badly I could fish and still catch one. After
I dragged a ridiculously large Royal Wulff against a strong current so badly that it left a wake, and still got a fish, I gave up.
Sort of off the original topic, but not. IMHO, let things be, (with the exception of things like physical improvements to a stream) and everything will be ok.
We don't need day-glo dry flies with strike indicators rubber-banded on them to catch a fish, and these flies shouldn't work anyway. And unless a
stream is entirely barren of naturally reproducing wild trout, leave it alone.
There's also the not so new flies that have been around for a while, that really work well, but for some reason weren't made on a large scale. When I
received the 2010 Orvis catalog a little more than a week ago, I was surprised to see that they finally added the CDC & Elk that Hans Weillenmann came up
with years ago on page 50. I sent him a PM about it, and again, was surprised when it was news to him. They used to give you a fly rod, or at least mention
your name along with the pattern when they started selling it. Times have really changed these day's.
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