The fish care less than we do-

[DFoster 0]

Here's a fish story. Yesterday I was catching a few decent sized fallfish from the bottom of a deep hole.  A couple of hours of afterwork fly fishing just for fun on a small nearby stream, certainly not what I would call "serious" fishing.  Every few drifts though I was hanging up on whatever was down there and losing my nymphs. I didn't want to waste anymore of my very carefully crafted trout nymphs on fallfish who in these parts will generally take anything, especially in the summer months.  Digging in my nymph box I found a really badly tied Hydropsyche.  This fly has been that box for years, going all the way back to my first or second year of tying.  One of many early failed attempts at tying the Oliver Edwards version, it looked like a 3 year old tied it.  As my tying skills improved it got passed over year after year in favor of "better" Hydropsyche flies.  It's awfulness made it the  perfect fly to use in this high risk area. I tied it on, cast it out and thought to myself "that thing is so bad even the fallfish won't take it, why am I wasting my time? On the bright side, I give it 2 or 3 drifts before it will snag and never be seen aga...." when BAM, my leader and line start running out straight upstream.  I knew I had a reasonable fish but I was really shocked when it turned out to be this Rainbow. 

 

A couple cast later in the same hole and this Brown grabbed that same fly. 

All this made me remember that a few years ago Norm had tag as part of his signature that said "The fish care less than we do".   There is some wisdom in those words. 

 

[Steeldrifter 0]

Nice trout 👍👍

Just like the old saying goes...some flies are tied to catch fish, and some are tied to catch anglers. I remember years ago reading in a book somewhere how a well known guide would always take his clients brand new nymphs from them and scuff them up in the bottom of the boat to make them rougher looking before he let them start fishing. Every since then I do the same thing with my nymphs by rubbing them up a bit to get them "bug-ier" looking before I fish them.

[chugbug27 0]

👍👍 nice surprise

[niveker 0]

Nice couple of fish DF.

Good lesson to remember for those of us who are always concerned about the proper material, proportions, and what not.  

[DFoster 0]

14 minutes ago, niveker said:

Nice couple of fish DF.

Good lesson to remember for those of us who are always concerned about the proper material, proportions, and what not.  

Fran Betters made a name for himself tying ugly flies.  Those fish were a reminder to me to try and keep "fishing flies" and "art flies" separated even if it's only in my mind.