Last Day above Parks Bar 08/31/11

I made it out on the lower Yuba River for the last day before the season closes for 3 months above the Parks Bar Bridge. Frank Rinella and his wife Karen joined me. It was a calm warm day with just a slight breeze. We made it out early and had the boat in the water by about 8:00. OK, 8:00 isn't really that early, but we had willing fish coming up checking out our hopper offerings in the subdued morning light before the heat and brightness really came on.

We found that as the day progressed and it got brighter and hotter, the fish were not aggressively taking the fly. It was sort of like they would dash up and say, "Boy, it's bright up here" and then dash back down. As the day progressed there were many last minute refusals and nips at the flies. We also noticed that there were many smaller fish, 6 to 8 inches or so, coming up and trying to inhale our hopper patterns. This all amounted to many missed fish. It was definitely a day where you had to have patience and let the fish take the fly, count to 1 or 2, and then set, or wait for a bigger fish.

I took a turn fishing and had a hopper floating about 4 feet off the bank as Frank was rowing, and a nice size head came out of the water on my fly. What did I do, I yanked it right out of its mouth. That's what. I had another one come up not 30 feet further and what did I do, I yanked it right out of its mouth too. I recast immediately and it came up for a second time. I counted to 2, set, and hooked it. Goes to show I can sit in my rowers seat watching my buddies quick set and laugh at them and then when I get the chance, I do the same thing. We laughed about that!

In general, we have been fishing dries instead of nymphs under indicator and the fish have been pretty cooperative for the last three weeks or so. The fish have been looking up for dries since the flows leveled off at 3,ooo cfs in July. I was in Montana when the best action on top was happening.



I did notice lots of stonefly cases at the water's edge. These had the look of ones that had hatched pretty recently. I ran into Keith Kaneko and he said he'd been having luck with rubberlegs. Think there's a connection?

An interesting thing about fishing the river for the last 10 days or so, is watching the river and what happens when the flows are being dropped about 200 cfs a day. The powers that be started the fall reduction on about August 21st. The river had been running pretty consistent at about 3,000 cfs for quite a while, from back in mid July. Before the start of the reduction of flows, the fish were comfortable in their holding areas and fishing was about as good as it gets fishing hoppers and hopper droppers. Things have been a changing.

I checked the flows this evening and by about 1:00 this afternoon it was lowered to 1000 cfs. The river has been in a process of lowering for about 10 days now. So in the last 10 days it has dropped about 2000 cfs. How has this affected the river and the fishing? I fished the river on the day they started lowering the flows and didn't notice much difference until about a week ago. Many of the areas that were holding fish were noticeably shallower and the light penetrated all the way to the bottom. I'm of the opinion that the fish have been moving around and are basically uncomfortable with the change of flows and the resulting change of their habitat and the world they live in. When they're in this mood they tend to move to their sanctuary water, sulk and hide out. That doesn't mean that they are uncatchable, they just are more wary. You have to go to stealth mode, especially as the water levels continue to drop.

The fish will adjust to this and the everyone fishing the river will need to start digging into their bag of tricks for the fall. The river will be low and clear from this point on until the storms start moving through. The salmon are now starting up the river and the fish will change their tactics as well. Eggs!

I'm looking forward to seeing the salmon in the river as it's always fun to float the river amongst them and look for steelhead and trout hanging out below them. So as the season moves forward, towards the real fall, beware of the salmon redds and the spawning areas. Keep out of the buckets and redds. In general be conscious about what you're doing and you and the fish will be fine.

Slip or Quick Release Indicators

One of the preferred tactics of many stillwater experts is the use of a slow almost painful retrieve especially when using chironomid patterns. This technique is often done "Naked", which is without and indicator. In order to fool the largest and most challenging fish you must sometimes retrieve the fly at a maddening creeping pace. This pace is often referred to as static. Sort of like watching paint dry.

When targeting greater depths, 10' to 20' many of these anglers have used indicators. The technique evolved using corkie indicators set to depth and fixed in place with a toothpick to enable the angler to present flies right on the bottom where they need to be. In the past toothpicks have been the most popular method of pegging the indicator to the appropriate depth. The only problem was that when a fish was hooked, the anglers risked loosing the fish by having to grab the line during the battle, using their teeth to remove the toothpick. The indicator slid free for the balance of the fight. With the newer evolution of "Slip" or "Quick Release" indicators, the battle of removing the toothpick is now over.

What has come to be the technique of choice for fishing water over 10 feet and up to 20 feet is the use of "Slip" or "Quick Release" Indicators. The Slip Indicator uses a concept so simple it makes you wonder "What took so long". The system uses an over sized peg that the leader is fed through and then pegged to the "Corkie" style indicator. The Slip Indicator system allows a fly fisher to fish deeper waters with confidence.

In actual practice, to rigg the indicator you thread the indicator and peg onto your leader, gather and pinch the leader and then push the leader against itself to create a loop of approximately 1" in diameter, just slightly shorter than the peg sticking out of the indicator. The peg wants to be pointed to the fly not the fly line. Push the peg with firmly but not too tight into the indicator.

When the strike comes, lift the rod and the tension between the angler and fish releases the loop and the indicator is free to slide. The cumbersome method of removing a tooth pick is gone.

Slip Indicator Tips

• When fishing with slip indicators the technique is almost static. It is primarily "Heave it and Leave It".

• If the choice is to move the indicator at all, use a pinch strip, holding your hands together and moving the indicator an inch at a time, very slowly.

• You can use use a 6" to 12" strip with a steady and very slow motion.

• OK, how slow is slow? When fishing indicators, imagine you are sitting on a keg of dynamite. When retrieving, if you see any ripple of water moving at the indicator or from the floating line, you blow yourself up. That slow!

• When fishing leeches under indicator, try casting straight up wind and hand twist retrieve it as the wind pushes it back towards you. You are really just gathering line not trying to move the flies.

• Use wind drifting to fish the indicator rigg.

(a) Anchor with fore and aft anchors parallel to the wind.
(b) Cast across wind at a 90 degree angle to your anchored position
(c) Let the wind move your indicator along with the wind

• Remember insects can't swim against the wind they drift with the current.

• Start with your flies 1' to 2' off the bottom. Then work up the water column until you find willing fish. 6" can make a difference especially with rainbow trout.
  

• Focus on water that is less than 20' deep

How do you Determine Depth

How do you determine the depth of the water you're fishing in. You can get a rough idea from using your electronics, fish finder with a depth sounder, to get a ball park. But to get it right, you need to test the depth. Anchor your boat fore and aft and test the depth where you plan to fish.

(a) Set your indicator to the approximate depth as determined by your depth finder
(b) Attach weight to your point fly (bottom fly).
(c) You can attach your hemostats to the fly or a weighted sinker
(d) Lower the fly with the weight slowly until it gently hits the bottom.
(e) Check to see how far the indicator is under the surface of the water.
(f) This will be the depth of your point fly off the bottom when you remove the hemostats or weight.
(g) Adjust the indicator accordingly to the desired depth to be fished. You want to start at 1' to 2' off the bottom or the weeds.

Use "Balanced Flies"

Try using balanced flies. Tie up some balanced flies, like a "Balanced Leech". This style of tying incorporates a tungsten bead mounted on a common straight pin that extends from the hook shank in front of the eye. The tungsten beads work best as their dense mass maintains an overall compact fly. The horizontal balanced flies take on the natural path and profile of most aquatic food sources. Their pitching and jigging action is tough for fish to resist. Try tying up a balanced leech or scud and see how they work.

You can get tying instructions for "Balanced Leeches" at Phil Rowley's www.flycraftangling.com. His site is full of stillwater fishing tips and techniques. Check it out!

The "Balanced Leech" photo is courtesy of Fly Craft Angling.


How do you Rigg your Leader for Slip Indicators

• Start with tying a stiff piece of 24" monofilament to the fly line with a nail knot.

• Tie on a tapered leader, 9' to 15', 3x or 4x with a blood knot. If the budget allows fluorocarbon leaders are ideal. Especially when targeting water about 10' deep.
  

• With the butt section and leader in place simply add fluorocarbon tippet to reach the overall finished leader length.

• Add a swivel or tippet ring at the end of your extended tippet to insure you won't lose the peg from your indicator in the case of a break off.

• Install the swivel 18" to 24" above the 1st fly.

• You can tie a dropper right off the swivel or tippet ring.

How do you determine the length of the tippet?

A simple rule of thumb to follow is the overall leader length should be 25% longer than the water is deep. For example, working a chironomid pupa in 15 feet of water would require a 19-foot leader.

How to you Rigg the actual Slip Indicator

• Slip indicators come in various sizes, colors and shapes. Carry many options.
  

• The common denominator is that they all have a peg to fix the indicator in place.

• This peg comes loose when a fish takes your fly and tightens the line. The peg and the indicator drops to a swivel or tippet ring placed above your flies.

• Carry swivels and/or tippet rings to keep from losing your indicator and mainly the peg. The indicator would float to the surface if you broke off, the peg won't

• When installing the indicator the peg faces the flies.

• You can tie a dropper off the swivel or the tippet ring as an option.

• Use a dropper tags to attach the droppers. Keep them shorter than 10".

• Maintain a spacing of about 3 feet between your flies.
  

Casting Indicators

• Keep casts short, 30' to 35' is ideal

• Use a roll cast combined with roll cast pickup to recast your rigg.

• Use small indicators to keep yourself honest and keep the indicators close enough (30' to 35".

• When casting, open up your loops, break your wrist slightly. Apply smooth power. Don't punch your casts.

• Make sure your backcasts lay out behind your completely.

• Try integrating a "Belgian Cast".

• Shoot your line to the target.

• Watch for distinct plops of your indicator and the flies laying out to make sure you're not tangled.

Summary

Add "Slip" or "Quick Release" Indicators to your stillwater strategies and you will take your stillwater game to a new level.

You can purchase Phil Rowley's Slip Indicators at his website, www.flycraftangling.com

Double Anchoring Your Pontoon Boat

I had the unfortunate experience of fishing an Idaho Lake a few weeks ago when the wind started blowing and gusting like crazy. I was fishing in my pontoon boat and I was soon swinging and swaying with the wind. Trying to cast and present my flies where I wanted to was downright impossible. I essentially gave up. There were some other people fishing out of double anchored boats and they were fishing comfortably and having no problem at all. They were catching fish and I was trying to just stay in one place. Luckily the wind died down and I was able to continue fishing. I've learned my lesson.

My older "Water Skeeter" pontoon boat and most other pontoon boats come with a rear anchor system which is helpful with controlling stillwater presentations. Until the wind really starts blowing that is! I've found that whether you are fishing out of a pontoon boat, float tube or boat, line control during the retrieve is critical. When the wind starts blowing rear anchored pontoon boats spin and sway around the rear anchor, which really challenge your presentation control and for me, my patience.

To solve this problem I purchased a "Scotty" Anchor cleat with an additional rail mount accessory. By adding a second anchor cleat to the front frame of my pontoon boat, it has really helped the spinning and and swaying when the wind comes up. I had to fuzz with my rail mount a bit, but it works really well. I mounted my forward anchor on the left frame rail, just before the right angle turn for the foot peg. My theory was that as a right handed caster this placement keeps my fly line away from the anchor cleat. So far this has worked out well.
I am using a 5 lb. pyramid anchor that I had laying around and it seems to hold well enough. It definitely has kept the swaying around down. I've found that if I first set rear anchor I can then lower the front anchor and I'm good to go. My frustration with the wind has literally blown away. I can now concentrate on the fishing.

The sad part is that I'd already purchased the "Scotty" Anchor cleat before I'd gone fishing on that lake in Idaho, I just hadn't mounted it yet.

Lesson Learned!

10 Tips for Stillwater Success

Becoming a knowledgeable and proficient fly fisher on stillwater lakes means spending the time to learn how these ecosystems function. This includes;

• Learning the structure of the lake

• What food sources are present

• The preferred habitat of the trout and other game fish species

• Knowing the best times of the year to catch these fish.

Lakes are much more mysterious in offering hints as to where the trout are going to be found as compared to rivers and streams. In rivers and streams there are currents to dictate where fish can live or that determine prime aquatic invertebrate habitat. For these and other reasons, many fly fishers lack the confidence when fishing lakes and many times just never even get started.

Understanding lakes can be like a riddle, where we solve small portions of the riddle and eventually have the complete picture. Here are 10 tips, from Brian Chan, a professional fisheries biologist, to help solve the riddles of productive stillwaters found anywhere and will give you the tools to be successful. You can find many more articles of his at www.chironomid.com

Tip #1 - Know Where the Trout Live

Know the zones!

Lakes can be broken down into 3 distinct areas or habitat zones. The shoal or littoral zone is the shallow water area of the lake, the water from the shoreline out to about the 25 ft depth zone. This also coincides with the depth of maximum sunlight penetration which is a key factor in determining overall lake productivity.

• Habitat Zone #1 - The shoal is where the vegetation grows and where the majority of aquatic food sources are found. The shoal is the grocery store and the trout come onto the shoal for food. It is the most important area of the lake when it comes to catching trout.

• Habitat Zone #2 - The drop-off zone is where the edge of the shoal zone transitions to the deeper parts of the lake. The slope of the drop-off can be gradual or quite steep. Drop-offs are also the maximum point of green plant growth so are also a perfect fish feeding area as well as offering refuge from the warmer shallow waters during the hot summer months. This habitat zone is relatively short or narrow as the water quickly deepens to the deep-water zone of a water body.

• Habitat Zone #3 - The deep-water zone supports the least amount of macro invertebrate (insects and other larger food sources) habitat. However, in many lakes the deep-water or mid-lake zone supports fairly prolific chironomid populations and subsequent emergences.

Tip #2 - Watch the Birds

Aquatic insect hatches can often be confined to certain shoals or specific locations within a lake. Often, on larger water bodies, a certain color chironomid can be emerging in one bay and a totally different size and color pupa emerging in another bay. Birds, such as swallows, terns, gulls, and night hawks, find emerging chironomids, mayflies, caddisflies as well as other hatching insects much more quickly that we can. Binoculars are valuable in seeing bird activity and especially when fishing larger lakes.

Tip #3 - Look On and Into the Water

Carry a small aquarium net to capture pupae, nymphs, emergers and adult insects so you can match fly patterns to size and color. Place the specimens in a vial or white dish to get a better idea of color and to watch the actual emergence process. Surface and sub-surface feeding trout leave distinct riseforms that provide clues to the angler as to what insect stage they are selecting. Trout feeding on minnows often show chasing/slashing rises as they work through the school of baitfish. And finally, polarized sunglasses allow you to see better beneath the surface to spot shoals, drop-offs, spring areas, and bugs.

Tip #4 -Know Your Insects and Other Food Sources


Learn to recognize the major aquatic invertebrate food sources that make up a large percentage of the diet of trout in many stillwaters such as;

• Chironomids (midges),

• Mayflies

• Caddisflies

• Damselflies

• Dragonflies

• Waterboatman

• Backswimmers

• Scuds

• Leeches

• Snails

• Forage fish.

Equally important, have a sound understanding of their individual life cycles and habitat requirements. Getting to know a particular lake or group of lakes translates into learning which food sources are present and knowing the emergence sequences peculiar to those individual waters. Many good reference books cover identification, life history and distribution of the most common stillwater invertebrates. These insects' life cycles and emergence patterns are similar regardless of where a lake is geographically located.

Tip #5 - Water Temperature

Water temperature influences the hatches, and each insect order has preferred temperature ranges for development and emergence. Insect hatches follow a seasonal sequence that typically begins with midges, followed by mayflies, then damselflies, caddisflies and lastly dragonflies. The most intense emergences typically occur when surface water temperatures range between 50° F and 65° F. It is possible to see multiple insect orders and species emerging at the same time which can be confusing to both angler and fish. Anglers must rely on their knowledge of individual insect emergence strategies and be prepared to present all options to those feeding fish.



Tip #6 - Carry a Basic Selection of Fly lines

Stillwater anglers should be prepared to present flies from the surface to depths of over 40 feet. An understanding of individual insect order life cycles will dictate what depth zones may be fished when that particular food source is emerging or is readily available. Floating fly lines cover the shoal zone, water between 2 to 20 feet in depth, and are ideal for presenting floating, emerging, pupal, and nymphal imitations. A slow or intermediate sinking is a good line for fishing the deeper parts of the shoal such as water between 10 and 20 feet deep. This line allows slow presentation of pupal and nymphal patterns while ascending at a gradual angle towards the surface. A fast or extra fast sinking line provides good coverage of the 20 to 40 foot depth range and is useful for fishing dragonfly nymphs, leeches and shrimp along the deeper edges of drop-offs or retrieving flies up the face of the drop-off.


Tip # 7 - Fly Selections


Do some homework to learn what insects and other food sources are in the stillwaters you will be fishing. Local fly shops, fly fishing clubs, and regional fishing guidebooks are good sources for this information. The ideal fly box will have both generic imitations of food sources plus some refined patterns that more closely imitate the various life stages of insects found specifically in those waters. There are many good commercially tied fly patterns covering all the important food sources of trout and char in lakes. It is no longer a disadvantage to not being a fly tier. Basic sub-surface patterns that should be in your stillwater fly box include:

• Leeches in black, maroon and dark green and with and without beadheads

• Dragonfly and damselfly nymphs in light and dark olive body colors

• Shrimp or scud patterns in light olive to dark olive

• Mayfly nymphs in dark brown to tan

• Caddis pupae in medium green to brown body colours

• Chironomid pupa: chironomid pupal pattern colours include black, brown, green and maroon with abdominal ribbings of copper, red-copper, silver or gold wire

• Dry flies to imitate the adult caddis, adult mayflies, and the adult chironomid

Tip #8 - Proper Boat Setup

• Flat Bottom Boat or Pram - A stable flat-bottomed boat or pram is often the most effective way to fish the smaller trout lakes. The biggest advantage to a hard-bottomed craft is that one can stand up and look out over and into the water. This is a particular advantage when fishing clear water lakes as individual fish or schools of fish can be spotted and observed as to feeding behaviour and movement patterns.
  

• Pontoon Boats - Pontoon boats are another good choice as the angler sits high enough in these craft to see into the water. Some pontoon boat manufacturers are now offering standing platforms. Both boats and pontoon boats can be moved from area to area much faster than a float tube. This can be critical when trying to locate specific insect emergences when fishing a larger water body. Hatches can occur at one end or bay of a lake and be non-existent in another location.
  

• Depth Sounder or Fish Finder - Another essential tool for the stillwater fly fisher is a depth sounder or fish finder. We need to know the depth we are fishing so that flies can be presented in the right depth zone. Depth sounders are relatively inexpensive yet highly sensitive instruments. Things to look for in a sounder include the transducer cone angle which should be at least 50° wide or wider. This allows greater coverage of the bottom structure under the boat and thus increases the chance of marking fish. Remember the majority of fly fishing done in productive lakes is in water less than about 8 meters in depth and often in less than 5 meters. Consider the power source of the sounder as some units can go through smaller sized batteries at a very fast rate. Many sounder units come wired to run off a large 12-volt battery such as the one used to power your electric motor.
  

• Noise Suppression - Fishing out of a boat can be noisy, particularly if it is made out of aluminum. Reduce the chances of scaring fish by fitting outdoor carpeting over the floor of the boat. Always keep in mind sound travels fast in water and trout have sensitive hearing systems.
  

Tip # 9 - Double Anchoring

When fishing out of a boat it is critical to have anchors out both bow and stern. This is especially important if there are 2 people fishing out of the same craft. Double anchoring prevents the boat from swinging back and forth when the wind is constantly changing direction. A stationary boat allows the best control of fly lines and retrieves. It is important to have as straight a line connection between the fly rod, fly line, leader and fly as possible so that even the softest bite can be detected. Simple anchor control pulley systems make lifting, storing and re-setting anchors easy while at the same time requiring little movement within the boat.


Tip #10 - Learn about Preferred Food Sources

Trout that become focused on a few dominant food sources in a lake can often become difficult to catch. Small nutrient rich lakes often support immense chironomid and scud populations. Anglers that have consistent success in these waters have learned the details of the life cycles and habitat preferences of these preferred food sources. For instance, when chironomid pupae suspend just inches off the lake bottom, often for several days, as they complete the transition from the larval to pupal stage, there can be great fishing even though there is no sign of any emergence at the surface.

When searching out a new lake, slowly troll or drift and cast around the basin while getting a good look at shoals, drop-offs, weed beds and perhaps sunken islands. Dragonfly nymphs and leeches are always good searching patterns. Both invertebrates are common inhabitants of lakes and both are big food items. Don't be afraid to try flashy or bright patterns like bead headed woolly buggers and be prepared to vary speed and direction frequently when either trolling or retrieving a cast fly.

Credits
These tips have been taken from articles written by "Brian Chan" a professional fisheries biologist. You can find lots of stillwater essays and tips at the website www.chironomid.com

Fishing Report Lower Yuba River 08-15-11

I fished the Lower Yuba River after returning from my time in Montana with friends and family. As it turned out when I left in mid July the Lower Yuba was running at over 6,000 cfs and wasn't really fishable and while I was gone it finally came into shape. I heard reports from my local friends of having big days casting hoppers to the banks. This seems to happen every year that I'm in Montana. Darn it!

I took a new friend, John Davis, down the river to give him some pointers on rowing a drift boat. John was here on a backpacking trip to Yosemite and we hooked up right before he headed home. He has a friend who is a guide on a steelhead river on a tributary to one of the Great Lakes up north. He rowed his friends boat once for about 20 minutes and decided he wanted to get a better handle on drift boat rowing techniques. Good idea. For those of you that have friends that are guides, learning to be proficient on the oars will get you a phone call whenever the guide has a day off and wants to go fishing. Guides spent all their time on rivers, rowing their clients and like everyone, they want to fish sometimes too. If that isn't a hint, I don't know what is.

We found the river running at about 3,000 cfs and in great shape. The water has good clarity and with that much water the deeper slots and runs have a deep blue color. It was a bright clear day and not overly hot.

We sort of took turns with practicing rowing techniques and fishing. So I'd say that 50 percent of our time was spent practicing how to do basic rowing strokes, pivot turns, ferrying and moving around obstacles. The other 50% was spent fishing. We started off rigging with a Fat Albert to imitate the grasshoppers that are all along the river and trailed a Red Headed Step-child or other attractor nymphs on a dropper below it. We found hungry fish quickly along the deeper banks and lines of willows. When I say hungry, I guess I should say maybe starving fish. Most every fish we caught were very thin and "Snaky".

My feelings are that the bug population has been decimated by the continuous periods of high flows. On almost very run you can see long tongues of bright fresh gravel laid on top of the river bottom. I believe that this has basically buried the bugs where they live. This could mean for some tough fishing in 2012, but time will tell. Bugs are remarkably resilient. The fish move around and the river will evolve.

Usually at this time of year you will see the beginnings of the salmon run with a few salmon here and there but we didn't see any. As far a bugs go, I saw a couple of PMD's and that was it. No hatches what so ever. I can tell you one thing for sure, when the salmon do show up the trout will be gobbling up eggs like their lives depend upon it, and they probably do!



We found that when fishing the willow lined banks, the fish where holding in water that was from 2 to 4 feet deep where they could find a bigger rock to hide out and watch for an opportune item to come floating by, aka our Fat Albert. They also were hanging in deeper water in the runs among larger boulders and you could actually see them coming up from the deep to aggressively take the dry. This is exciting fishing. The fish also took the trailing nymph once in awhile. We also spent a little time fishlng under indicator, but when fish are coming up to a dry like they were, what would you choose to do? You got it, keep banging the dries!



We had a great day. John got a good head start on his rowing skills. The only thing he needs to do now is to beg, borrow, or steal a pontoon boat, get out on a body of water and practice the techniques and he'll be good to go. We caught fish too!

A pretty good welcome home I'd say!

Indicator Options for Stillwater

When fishing stillwaters either in the shallows or weed pockets, in depths over 10 feet and up to 25 feet integrating indicator tactics can pay big dividends. Phil Rowley showed me the many benefits of using indicators at his Stillwater School. Here's some Stillwater Indicator tips.

By integrating Indicators into your stillwater strategy you will be able to:

• Avoids snags and fouling

• Work shallow water depths

• Work weed pockets and above debris and weeds

• They will give you the ability to surgically control depth and retrieve speed.
  

Indicator Versatility

Using indicators for fishing stillwaters is not just for chironomid fishing.

• Of course one of the best uses for "Slip Indicators" is for presenting chironomid larva and pupa patterns near the bottom. It is probably the most effective method.

But you can also use indicators for;

• Water boatman, scuds, leeches and smolts

When are he best times to to use indicators

• For presenting Chironomid patterns close to the bottom

• Use when fish are sensitive to depth and holding at a particular level.
  

• Ideal for fishing shallow water depths above or between the weeds.
  

• You can use "Slip" or "Quick Release" indicators to fish to depths of 20 feet.
  

• Allows you to surgically fish right above weed beds and into weed pockets.

• Great for kids or inexperienced anglers.

• Good for fishing alone and using two rods when legal.

Types and Uses of Different Types of Indicators for Stillwaters

Yarn Indicators

Yarn indicators are best when the indicator is set at 12' or less. A yarn indicator is set in a fixed position, so the 12 foot depth is based upon how far you can reach to land the fish in your landing net standing in a boat, probably not more than 12 feet. If fishing from a pontoon boat or a float tube you must set your yarn indicator shorter. They are good for crystal clear water. In crystal clear water use a white indicator.




Dry Fly as Indicator


If you're a stream fisherman you're probably well aware of using Dry Dropper techniques. This can also pay off when fishing stillwaters. You can imitate two stages of an insect. Using a dry fly as an indicator is excellent when trout are in the top third of the water column. In the wind the larger the waves the larger the fly. You'll want to keep the fly spacing in stillwaters 3' to 5' apart depending where the fish are feeding.

As a note, I was fishing a crystal clear lake in Montana a few weeks ago and I was sight fishing to big cruising rainbows. They were not interested in my sinking line presentations. I rigged up with a size 16 Parachute Adams and trailed a black and red Chironomid pupa 4 feet below it. I was able to fool a number of finicky rainbows with the dry dropper rigg. It works!

To rigg a Dry Dropper leader, use a 9' to 12' tapered leader with an added 2' to 3' of tippet. Keep your tippet a minimum of 2' long. If it get's shorter clip it off and tie another 3' tippet on.

Corkies

Corkies are available in solid or bi-color and are typically held in place by toothpicks. The Bi-color ones are great for signaling tangles. They are an old standard but still effective.

Quick Release Indicators or Slip Indicators

Probably the most versatile and popular indicators for stillwaters are "Slip" or "Quick Release" indicators. They allows the stillwater angler to probe deep water up to 20 and even 25 feet deep. The indicators are available in many sizes and shapes. They use a peg that releases when you have a fish on and when the indicator reaches your rod tip the peg pops loose and the indicator and peg slides towards the fish. You'll want to use a swivel or tippet ring to make sure you don't lose the peg if the fly breaks off. A swivel will hold everything safely in place.

Indicator Leaders

• Hybrid leader - Use a standard tapered leader.

• Or even better try a tapered "Rio Indicator Leader". This is an excellent leader for chironomid fishing or whenever you need the flies to sink fast. The 10 ft tapered leader has a short orange butt section for fishing "Naked". It's Level tippet does not slow down the sink rate. The heavy butt section makes casting the indicator easy

• Add a 24" butt section to your fly line using .025 or .030 material with a nail knit. Use a Fast-Tie Tool.

• Add a 10 foot Rio tapered Indicator leader using a blood knot, 3x or 4x

• Add Fluorocarbon tippet to complete leader with a Triple Surgeon's knot

General Indicator Notes

• Carry all types in your "Stillwater Kit Bag".
  

• Carry different colors - People see colors differently

• The mood of the fish may dictate size, type and color

• When fish are being sensitive, use a tapered or a small round indicator

• Use a fly line like a Rio Indicator Line or a Rio Grande Line

Summary

Add a collection of indicators to your stillwater kit bag and you will take your stillwater game to another level

Checking Water Temperatures to Locate Stillwater Trout

I spend a lot of my fishing time out of a drift boat on a Northern California tailwater. I don't really pay much attention to water temperatures. The water being released from a dam stays pretty consistent. It's more about the flows. With stillwaters its a whole different story. It's all about water temperatures

By checking water temperatures we can eliminate non productive water. All fish have a preferred temperature range where they are most active. For most lakes that have rainbow trout, it is recommended to use a scale of 55F to 65F. When temperatures are in this range the trout’s metabolism will be at its peak and it should be feeding. Keep in mind that as water temperature increase, the trout's ability to hold oxygen decreases. As a result trout avoid high temperatures in excess of their comfort zone and will move to areas of the lake that have cooler temperatures, typically deeper or areas that have springs or inlet streams


With this information we may deduct that one of the most valuable tools in a stillwater kit bag is a thermometer. When this is attached to a cord you can probe and test water temperatures in different areas of a lake and different depths.This will help you locate trout.

You should start testing water temperatures in the shallow food rich areas around 10 feet deep. Lower the thermometer into the water and note the surface temperature. If it falls within the trout’s comfort zone chances are trout will be in the shallower littoral zone. Should the temperature exceed the range the shallow reaches will probably be avoided. Move out to deeper water between 10 and 20 feet and lower the thermometer into the depths. Allow it to adjust and then quickly raise it to determine the temperature. Continue eliminating high temperature water to find trout.

Rainbow Trout prefer temperatures in the range of 55 to 60 degrees F. Although they will tolerate temperatures as high as 65 degrees F.





Brown Trout can be found in water with much warmer temperatures in the range of 60 to 70 degrees F.



Brook Trout prefer cooler temperatures in the range of 52 to 56 degrees F.




Cutthroat Trout prefer temperatures in the range of 55 to 65 degrees F.




During the heat of summer the combination of bright light and high water temperatures usually drives trout into the deeper reaches, often over 15 feet deep.

When fishing in waters where the water temperatures are in the upper comfort zone zone for the trout species caught, be aware that if you hook up and play a trout hard it may be hard for it to recover as a result of lactic acid build up and the reduced dissolved oxygen. This may likely be a lethal for the trout.

When temperatures get this high it may be best to go fish a tailwater instead.

Countdown Chart for Sinking Lines

It's a good idea to make up a "Countdown Chart" for fishing your sinking lines. This was brought to my attention at Phil Rowley's Stillwater School. We all are probably guilty of not counting down our sinking lines properly. We cast them, let them sit for a bit and start retrieving. We need to be more disciplined if we are targeting and want to work a specific depth of the water column. Especially for chiromomids and leeches.

I made up a chart with my the different types of sinking lines across the top of the chart and with depths running vertically along the left side. I did my chart in one foot intervals of depth from 1 foot to 20 feet.

The lines were broken down as;

• Standard Intermediate at 1 1/2" per second
• Cortland Clear Camo at 2" per second.
• Type III at 3" per second
• Type IV at 4" per second
• Type V at 5" per second
• Type VI at 6" per second
• Type VII at 7" per second

I'm going to laminate this chart and carry it in my kit bag and have it readily available. I'll use my watch to count down the lines to the desired depths. This may seem a little extreme, but I'll use it until I get more comfortable with my different lines and their associated sink times.

Count down your lines properly, use your watch and you will cover the full range of the water column properly and hopefully hook up more often.

Stillwater Kit Bag

When fly fishing there are some things we can control and some things we can not. We have no control over our weather or our physical environment such as water temperature, barometric pressure and wind. Our fly fishing equipment is controllable. If we as fly fishers focus on what can be controlled, we will be better prepared for what we cannot. If our equipment is in order and we have everything we need, we will be consistently more successful.

On any given day it's what you have in your arsenal as opposed to what you left at home that can make a big difference. A well stocked and organized kit bag can make this difference. A kit bag is your stillwater nerve center that should be ready to go at a moments notice.

The Stillwater Kit Bag

Let's take a look at the kit bag itself and what you should consider when getting one. It must be portable and have enough compartments, pockets and sections to house a wide array of gear. This allows you to sort and store equipment in a logical and easy to find fashion. You must develop a system and have discipline to make sure items are put back in their place. Take the time to put everything back in its place after each day of fishing. This is not always easy. I'm often tired at the end of a day's fishing and just want to get on the road and home as soon as possible. Its a case of "just do it".

Look for a bag with good strong zipper systems. Be wary of bags that have pockets that zip around 90 degree corners. Look for weatherproof kit bags with lots of compartments. A shoulder strap is another handy feature. Water resistance is paramount, especially if the kit bag is also home to camera equipment. Most quality gear bags are waterproof or some come with waterproof covers in the event of a damp day.

A very good bag is the Sage DXL. It is large enough to contain most everything that a stillwater angler should carry. This is especially true if you are fishing out of a boat or pram. Fishpond also makes some great bags as well as Cabelas.

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The Sage DXL Bag

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Pocket Bags For Pontoon Boats

I have a pontoon boat that I fish from. If you are a pontoon boat guy or gal, Outcast makes large pontoon boat pocket bags that can hold most if not everything you will need on a day's outing. You may need to be a little more selective with the amount of extra spools and lines you carry, but you can usually rig a storage box on the rack behind the seat to carry extra items.

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The Outcast XL Splashproof Pocket Bag

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The Items you Need to Carry

There are six main categories to consider when outfitting a gear bag;

(1) Reel Spools & Lines
(2) Leaders and Tippet
(3) Accessories
(4) Fly Boxes
(5) Safety and Comfort
(6) Miscellaneous Items.

Category #1 - Fly Rods, Reels, and Lines

It is recommended to carry a minimum of two fly rods, so you will need at least two good quality reels that will be rigged and ready to go. I usually have one rigged with a floating line and one with a clear camo. The number of extra spools and lines you need to carry in your kit bag depends upon time of the year, the physical make up of the lake, and the number of fly rods you intend to carry. In a boat you can carry more. In a float tube or pontoon boat typically two.

The lines you should carry or have available are;

(1) A Weight Forward Floating Line
(2) A Clear Camo Intermediate Line
(3) An Additional WF Floating Line. A second floating line can be particularly handy during a chironomid emergence. Where regulations allow, an angler can work two floating lines, one with and indicator and one without.
(4) A Traditional Intermediate Line. Depending upon the manufacture these sink slower than most clear intermediates which tend to sink at a type 2 rate. Intermediates are the perfect choice for creeping scuds, leeches or damsel nymphs over shoals or along shorelines.
(5) A Clear Tip Line - The Clear Tip Line is also an excellent addition. This line is ideal for deep, long leader nymphing, as well as working flies through the shallows. Clear tip lines offer a different retrieve angle that can sometimes make all the difference.
(6) A Type 3 Full Sinking Line. - The Type III line will cover most of your deeper presentations
(7) A Type 6 Full Sinking Line - The type 6 line is ideal for working deep reaches, stripping leeches and dragon patterns over the shoals or crawling buoyant flies over sunken weeds and debris.

Category #2 - Leaders and Tippet

Never leave home without a good selection of leaders and tippet. Leaders and tippet are the critical connection between the fly and the angler and are sometimes overlooked. Depending upon leader set up preference, carry butt material for long leader setups or braided loops. You will use both types of leader connections depending on the line and presentation. For example, for a floating line, long leader system begin with 2-3 feet of .025"to .030" butt section and add a tapered leader and tippet for length.

Always keep your kit bag stocked with a good selection of tapered leaders from 9 to 15 feet. These are items that can get overlooked. Who wants to get to the lake and then find out they forgot to restock their leaders. Make it a habit to restock.



Tippet sizes should vary from 3X down through 6X depending upon conditions. As a general rule the clearer the water the finer the leader and tippet. Stock your kit bag with tippet spools that match leader strength in both fluorocarbon and co-polymer. Use fluorocarbon for clear conditions and sunk flies. Co-polymer tippet is fine for stained waters and dry fly presentations as it does not drag flies beneath the surface. Fluorocarbon will sink which is not a good idea for dry fly presentations.

Category #3 - Accessories

There are many accessories that a well stocked kit bag should have inside.

• Thermometers are a critical tool as water temperature dictates fish activity and feeding as well as insect emergence's. Knowing the preferred temperature range of rainbow trout (55F-65F) allows fly fishers to eliminate non productive water. Using a traditional thermometer on a string, anglers can vertically probe the water and locate fish.

• Nippers. When it comes to nippers have good pair or even better two. Purchase a key floaty and attach your nippers to it. This helps when they accidentally flip over the side in the water. It's also a good idea to place your nippers on a retractor and attaching them on the shirt or jacket.

• Hemostats or forceps are necessary to crimp barbs, remove hooks from fish and friends, or even set indicator depth. If possible look for a pair with cutters.

• Bell Sinker - A bell sinker works for fine tuning indicator depth. Attach a beg sinker to your deepest fly, attach your slip indicator to the approximate depth and slowly lower the bell sinker until it hits bottom. Check the depth of the slip indicator under the surface which will tell you how deep your flies will be floating and adjust accordingly.

• Clothes Peg/Clip - To transfer a fly line using a clothes peg, reel the leader back to the reel. Clamp on the forceps between the stripping guide and the reel preventing the leader from snaking back through the guides. Cut the leader and replace the spool. Reattach the leader to the new line and you are ready to go. No more adventures standing in a boat feeding line through rod guides.

• Knot Tying Tool - Knot tyers for forming nail knots are handy if attaching leaders or butt sections to a fly line is a preferred set up.

• Indictors - Carry a good selection of sizes, types and colors. It is recommended to carry, slip Indicators, corkies and yarn indictors. Yarn indicators cast easily and work well in shallow clear waters where the splat and look of a corky may spook wary trout.

• Shot - When using floating lines in windy conditions weight is often needed to aid presentation. Include a selection of split shot or non-toxic putty.

• Swivels - Barrel swivels are another option. A small bag of #12-#16 swivels should suffice.

• Floatant, Sinkant, Line Cleaner - Include floatant, leader sinkant and line cleaner. Use both paste and powder floatant. Apply paste floatant prior to casting. Dry fly powders are a desiccant that quickly dry sunk or trout slobbered flies. Sinkant degreases leaders and tippet, a necessary step when fishing dry flies on calm clear days.

• Throat Pump - Throat pumps are a valuable accessory but should only be used on fish larger than 14 inches and if the angler is comfortable doing so.

• Vials or White tray - This allows for clear inspection of the contents guiding fly selection and determining feeding depth. Bottom dwelling contents would suggest presenting patterns just above the weeds. Conversely, emergers and adults would indicate fish are cruising near the surface.

Category #4 - Fly Boxes

Fly Boxes - After years of experimenting I prefer smaller fly boxes that store easily in the kit bag. Use a label maker to identify the contents so time isn’t wasted looking for a favorite pattern. Clear compartmentalized boxes are ideal for dry flies as they tend not to squash hackle. Choose a sorting system that makes sense, group them by food type; chironomids, caddis and mayflies, leeches, dragons and damsels, scuds, boatman and backswimmers and dry flies.


Category #5 - Safety and Comfort Items

Safety and comfort items typically have nothing directly to do with fishing but everything with an enjoyable day on the water.

• Sunglasses - In addition to providing eye protection from errant flies polarized sunglasses are critical to penetrating the sun’s glare and seeing into the water. Underwater obstructions, weed beds, drop offs, migrating invertebrates and cruising fish are easily seen. Keep the glasses in a protective case when not in use and make a regular habit of cleaning the lens.

• Sunscreen and lip balm are recommended kit bag additions, especially for the fair skinned.

• Band-Aids manage small nicks and cuts as well as providing fore finger relief from line burns caused by fleeing trout.

• A small bottle of Aspirin, Advil or Tylenol handles any dehydration headaches that pop up.

• A roll of toilet paper in a Ziploc bag is a welcome sight for obvious reasons.

• Keep a small towel in the bag for wiping wet hands. On cool days letting hands dry through evaporation leads to frigid digits in short order.

Category #6 - Miscellaneous Items

• Camera - Never leave the shore without a camera. A DSLR or small point and shoot system adds to the experience providing lasting memories.

• Include a pen and note pad in a plastic bag to record detailed notes of the day’s experiences and observations. This habit reduces the learning curve as important items are not forgotten. Keep track of everything, including weather patterns, diet analysis, hatches, successful patterns, structure types, leader set ups, presentation techniques and any general observations. This information is key to a fly fishers growth and development.

• Fishing license.

Summary

Having confidence that you have everything you need when your are going fishing is very important especially when a fly shop is hours away. having what you need lets you concentrate on what you've journeyed for, fishing..

A well thought out and stocked kit bag plays a pivotal role in becoming a successful stillwater angler. This often goes as an unrecognized role fly fishing stillwaters. Knowing your kit bag it is complete and stocked allows you to focus on the other variables on the stillwaters. There are enough uncontrollable aspects to a day’s fishing. Get organized, and get out there ad have some fun!