adapting to different tactics, i.e. fishing with something other than

[Kudu 0]

I have always fished but not on the fly. In my youth, I fished the farm ponds and streams of Central Kentucky where I grew up primarily for large and smallmouth bass. As I got older I fished almost exclusively the large reservoirs of the state. I now live in Southern Kentucky and picked up a fly rod four or five years ago. I quit fishing bass tournaments and quit fishing Lake Cumberland like I once did. To be honest, I wanted to get away from people while fishing. I sold my bass boat and bought an 18ft center console aluminum jet boat so that I could fish the tailwaters of the aforementioned lake in areas inaccesible to a lot of people as most people that fish the area wont go very many miles from the dam and there is virtually no wading access except at the very limited ramps.

 

This is a very large tailwater with a coldwater fishery around 60-80 miles in length. It can be extremely shallow or very deep in places and the flows can be extreme especially while the Corps of Engineers has been working on Wolf Creek dam. (The dam was built on a series of caves, karst topography, but that is a different story) However, the Corps has announced that the dam is nearing completion and that the lake will resume close to normal levels this summer. Hopefully, the flows from the dam will be more consistent and less extreme and the fishing will improve.

 

I want to vary my fishing techniques. I fish a white streamer almost exclusively. I do plan on fishing big streamers more on sinking lines this year but thought I would vary tactics as well. Nymphing and midge fishing are popular with the guides. This is something that I dont really do. I dont plan on wading but thought that I would if the water flows cooperate cast out a dropper rig with a midge attached and just float with the boat. Ive never read about this but to me it seems like it would work. Anyone experienced in this or have other suggestions.

 

Thanks in advance.

[Piker20 0]

Look to read as much as you can on loch style fishing. You set your boat so you are casting in to the shore, you use a drogue from the side to slow the drift. The rod is fishing 2,3 or 4 flies with a bushy wet nearest rod and lighter thinner wets or nymphs set at intervals to the point. All you are really doing is roll casting into the shore and retrieving back as you slowly drift along. Normally fish down a drift and drive/row back up and repeat 2or3 times before moving on to next area.

You need a boat that is stable side on for safety, or you could use an electric motor to control your drift speed.

[Kudu 0]

Ill do as you suggested. Would a drogue really help as the boat moves with the flow of the water which at times according to the generation schedule can be substantial. I do use a trolling motor to position the boat and at times to control the speed if the current is not too swift. The boat is very safe as it is very beamy and is equipped with a 110 jet 85 at the prop so if the Corps really gets cranking with the generation I can get back to the ramp.

[Piker20 0]

The drogues do make a surprising difference but if you are talking a generated flow from a dam etc then you will always struggle. The drogues tend to be used for wind related movement and undertow, upto 3 or 4 knots prob ok. They will still add a break to your flow but may not be enough.

[JSzymczyk 0]

You won't likely use a drogue in a river, unless the wind is blowing so hard UPSTREAM that you can't drift down. In that case, you most likely won't be fly fishing. Here in the US they are generally called a "Drift Sock". Used in lakes to slow down the drift of your boat when the wind is blowing, or to keep a steady orientation to the wind.

[Kudu 0]

Jsm

That was my point in the follow up exactly. I know what a drogue and drift sock are. I'm just trying to figure out different techniques while floating along

[RedBeardFF 0]

The easiest way to get started nymphing from a boat is to set up and indicator rig. This is where you have and indicator, suspender, bobber, float or whatever else you want to call it attached to your leader (usually 1.5 or 2 times the depth that you want your flies in the water column). Then it is pretty much cast the rig out and dead drift it. I would recommend that you talk to the guides you mentioned or stop in a fly shop but being a tailwater I bet you could do some damage with scuds, midges, and crays all dead drifted under an indicator. There are so many different nymphing techniques and nuances I suggest picking up a book on the subject.