What do 25" + trout eat

[Kingfisher 0]

QUOTE (WYKnot @ Oct 27 2004, 08:11 AM)

...I am a proud member of the 20/20 club and working hard to make the 22/22 mark next year. With the expansion of tiny hooks into the size 32 range....bring it on!

How can you even see a fly of that size on the surface film floating 20+ feet away?!? You must have the eyes of an eagle!

[WYKnot 0]

It's the wonder of modern optics and prescription eyewear. As my Dad was fond of saying, “Even a blind hog finds an acorn every now and then.”

[Kingfisher 0]

An acorn, I can see, but a size-32 midge on the water at distance, no way. A hook that small in a gold finish would be great to inlay on a rod.

[WYKnot 0]

Good Point Chris. Hmmm....I wonder if I could use an acorn as a strike indicator?

[fishnbanjo 0]

[springcreek 0]

QUOTE (Andrew @ Oct 25 2004, 09:18 AM)

After work on Friday, I shot over to Mossy Creek. Mossy is an extremely fertile and productive stream in central VA. I fished for about an hour only moving one 10" fish on an egg pattern. I continued with the egg and hooked into another 10" brown. As I was playing this fish to shore, a monster appeared out of the depths and pounced on my hooked trout. This monster was actually the largest trout I have ever seen on Mossy. I was at least 25 inches. When this fish had my fish in its mouth, I could not move my line. I was eventually able to free the caught trout. I was unable, however, to draw the monster into striking. My question what fly would you use for trout that eat and manhandle (oris that fishhandle) 10" trout? Andrew

I have fished mossy a few times a week for about 2 years and big trout like big meals. I throw large streamer patterns almost exclusively there and have landed 9 20+" fish with the largest at about 25"

 

Here is a pic of a fly that I have been using with some great success.

Hope this helps a little bit

 

Jason

[Graham 0]

 

Big trout eat fish, mice and bugs including small ones as well as other fish’s eggs. I think you need to figure out what the big ones in your area as accustomed to feeding on. I know guys who target monster browns in Sierra lakes who place a mouse-fly on a dried cow patty, let the wind take it out into the lake along the edges of steep rocky cliffs and pull the mouse off and twitch it all the way back. Some guy’s even fish live mice. I fish the East Walker river in the eastern Sierras and the big fish feed mostly on fish, including perch, small trout and Tui-chubs. Muddlers and streamers (black and white) work well especially at dawn and dusk. I do know that large trout eat do eat small bugs as well. When fish are spawning trout become opportunistic and gorge on eggs, helps them get bigger faster.

[Graham 0]

One more picture, the largest brown tout I ever caught. Took a size 8 green caddis pattern. This was a sea run brown trout caught in Tierra del Fuego and I have to say that sea run browns fight much-much-much harder than lake run browns.

 

[tidbit 0]

Hey Graham,

 

Love your flies.

 

How about a picture with your face showing---kinda want to put a "face " with all those big fish and beautiful flies.

 

tidbit

[Airhead 0]

Check this out tidbit!

 

The man!

 

 

[tidbit 0]

Aithead,

 

thanks a million for the link to Graham's pictures.

Now, can ya tell me how to get to the "General discussion" page. I think I'm getting to old for this.

 

And hey, I want in on trip with Graham next Fall--maybe even get some of his luck rubbed off---can't hurt.

 

thank,

 

tidbit

[Graham 0]

Hi Airhead and Tidbit,

 

I'm smilling, never thought of myself as "the man", just a guy who loves to fish and somehow seems to be in the right place at the right time. I have fished with many people and every once in a while you meet someone who is a fish magnet, who catches more fish, has confidence and it all seems to come naturally. Three such people come to mind, Jim Teeny who only fished his Teeny flies, and old friend Sandro DiPinto and Nick Pujic (the golden boy). I fished with Nick for bg browns in 03 and 04 and he caught more fish and bigger fish than I did, and he never mentioned this fact and we had a blast.

 

 

I caught this fish in Chile and I almost Sh*% my pants when I saw what had eaten my fly, took about 15 minutes to land on an 8wt.

 

 

I'd rather use photoshop to show a close up of the fish but I left my mug on this photo.

[tidbit 0]

Graham,

 

Yea, a green caddis in #8. What a fish.

 

Jim Teeny: does fish his own stuff. Gotta love a guy who promotes and uses what he sells. I think Jim proves that bigger fish are caught in the water coulum---not on the surface. Now, I love to dry fly fish and it is exciting, the fact remains---the pigs are in the water.

 

Also, I have been using the AST Streamer line. I find if I up load the rod by two line weight sizes I get the fly on the bottom much quicker. This line still lets you have some control ( i.e. you can still feel the fly). Have also talked with Bob Clouser about RIO's Clouser line---must be similiar to those heavy "chuck & duck" lines you spoke about. Let's ya cast those big heavy flies--not alot of control but it does get the fly "out there".

 

 

Lastly, any thoughts on those "multi-tip" lines . About everybody is offering them.

 

Well done,

 

tidbit

[Graham 0]

Hi Tidbit,

 

I used to make my own sinking lines with leadcore, especially for fishing the Bonita in King Harbor, Redondo Beach. Really stiff and unpleasant to cast. I switched over to full sink lines on my trip to Chile; Jim gave me a couple of lines to fish with including a mini-tip. To be honest, I'm not intimately familiar with all of the products on the market, especially new introductions. I try and avoid spending time in fly shops because I spent considerable sums in the past and believe I already have everything I need to catch fish. Sounds like there are a lot of good lines out there, Rio, Teeny, etc. Now that I think about it, the first sink-tip line I ever bought was a Rio, back in the mid 90's for a Skamania trip to the great lakes. I read an article in a magazine, bought the recommended stuff, and then upon calling local guides, decided it was too far to travel since the guides were less than optimistic at best. With respect to fishing the WNY tribs a floating line with shot is productive, but I have become hooked on bringing a variety of sinking lines. I do see the value of having an assortment of fly-lines to most effectively fish differing waters, and I find a mini-tip fun and effective for nymphing. To me it's all about having a great time.

 

Graham

[tidbit 0]

Graham,

 

Your are right: having a good time is the thing. I think you are having a truly GREAT time. Looks like you have traveled a bit and "been there--done that" stage of your life.

 

I too keep my butt out of fly shops: If go in I come out with less in my pocket. That is "ok" to an extent but NEWER and IMPROVED don't mean much to me. For years I hunted big game traveled a bit. However, a new firearm did not make me a better hunter. Neither does a new rod make a better caster. It takes time to learn. But every once in awhile a new product does help.

 

Don't want to bore you to tears here. I do think I have a couple of your flies: just too similiar to not be yours. Do you hail from California ? ? ? Don't need specifics here--just wondering. A few years ago I exchanged flies with a fellow out there and the tyes look like yours. The fly is that "bead bugger" that you used in South America. Maybe not.

 

Again: nice flies, nice fish,

 

tidbit