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BoSmith

Stillwater Trout - Fly and Tactics

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Happy Canada Day! and an early Happy 4th of July!

 

I'm sure this fly pattern and technique will not be new to some of you, but in the case that some may not have seen or tried this I will share my latest blog post.

 

https://tieflycast.wordpress.com/2016/06/29/hang-the-backswimmers-out-to-dry/

 

Something to get into the boxes for the fall when these things really become a targeted food source. Fishing them like this is a blast as everything is visual.

 

I'm sure a lot of you out there can tie a much nicer looking floating backswimmer pattern. Would like to see some.

 

As always, criticism is appreciated.

 

Thanks

Shane

 

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Nope never tied that fly. Most all our trout fishing here on the Cape is ponds , lakes , still water. In the fall Chrionamids rule in the ponds and where there are outfalls to the ocean then baby herring rule there all fall long along shore near the outlet of those lakes. The herring come by in clouds in the water and the trout are on them. Big bass in Sept and big browns right into Nov are on what are on the herring LOL !

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Dave, Cape legend Tony Stetzko used to take big browns in those ponds on the booby fly at night. Especially around October when the browns are in close to spawn... break out some bigger topwater flies or the articulated stuff

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Neat little bug, Bo. The "back swimmer" ... same thing as "whirly gigs"?

I see large swarms of whirly-gigs on the surface ... never seen a fish attack them. But, I am sure that fly you've tied would be taken as any kind of small terrestrial beetle.

 

Either way ... neat, simple little fly.

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They are similar to the 'whirly gigs' but they do not stay on the surface. They mate out of water and return to the water to lay their eggs. It's late fall when they begin to crash the surface of the lake trying to break through before a fish eats them. That's the time when you want to have them. More exciting then choronomid fishing any day.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notonectidae

 

Maybe they are not in your area?

 

Either way, they do have a nasty bite so don't play with on too long.

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Oh ... I looked them up. Much larger than "Whirly-gigs". Water Boatman ... I know what those look like. I didn't recognize the name "back swimmer" ... but now I know.

And yes, they have a very painful bite. I had one get caught under the leg of my shorts. Got me on the inside of my thigh and left a welt that lasted for almost a year. Felt like a burn, like touching a hot exhaust pipe.

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Dave, Cape legend Tony Stetzko used to take big browns in those ponds on the booby fly at night. Especially around October when the browns are in close to spawn... break out some bigger topwater flies or the articulated stuff

I'll have to look that fly up. I've had some great luck at first light of the day in late October with big honking olive Woolly Buggers and big browns have nailed them right when they hit the water, they haven't even sunk yet. So makes sense.

 

A guy got a 4+lb brown on a midge with 7x tippet here in the fall. I've caught 4lb browns but not on midges. I've gotten 20" rainbows on midges and 6x many times here. More typical is 15-16 " though.

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Dave, Cape legend Tony Stetzko used to take big browns in those ponds on the booby fly at night. Especially around October when the browns are in close to spawn... break out some bigger topwater flies or the articulated stuff

I'll have to look that fly up. I've had some great luck at first light of the day in late October with big honking olive Woolly Buggers and big browns have nailed them right when they hit the water, they haven't even sunk yet. So makes sense.

 

A guy got a 4+lb brown on a midge with 7x tippet here in the fall. I've caught 4lb browns but not on midges. I've gotten 20" rainbows on midges and 6x many times here. More typical is 15-16 " though.

October's the time to do it for the big browns. There's a couple week period where the only flies I toss Will be in Cape Ponds to browns. Last year with the mild winter they seemed to be in close and aggressive all the way to December. Not sure if that's normal or just because of the weather.

 

4 lb brown is very impressive, not to mention on a 7x tippet! Are you still referring to the Cape Ponds when you day you catch on midges? I don't do a ton of Stillwater fishing (save for the period when the browns are in close), but there's a certain clear tailwater a few hours west of the Cape which is a lot of fun to fish with the 7x tipper and size 32 midges...

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Oh yes, Cape ponds . They are around, no guaranty you will get one though !! Fall can be good, some what year dependent as to how late into the fall. Oct is always a good bet, around the second week of Nov things can change fast on some years. Last year was good ( fresh and salt water into Dec), I was bunged up with a knee awaiting surgery personally but I did get out twice anyway and toughed out a few fish that were feeding on baby herring ( fat rainbows maybe 16"). My leg was killing me, I thought wading would be good but after the second try I had to give it up for last year.

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Very cool Dave, thanks for the info! The herring are definitely the best part of those ponds... the blitzes can be unreal for both bass and trout! Didn't know they were in there all winter though. I head down when they run into the ponds in the spring, but I just sort if assumed they were all out a few months later.

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Very cool Dave, thanks for the info! The herring are definitely the best part of those ponds... the blitzes can be unreal for both bass and trout! Didn't know they were in there all winter though. I head down when they run into the ponds in the spring, but I just sort if assumed they were all out a few months later.

carpflyguy, it's the spawn that stick around in the fall ( baby herring, bite sized perfectly for trout lol), last year they were there into Nov that I'm aware off. They gang up to go out the outlets all through the fall and certainly late Sept and all of Oct. Blitzes then too. Of course they aren't in just any pond, only those with outlets that eventually make it out to sea, as you already know..

 

And incidentally, midges being key is usually in other ponds besides those with the herring or at least other parts of the ponds with herring besides where the herring gang up.. Yeah, fall can be interesting around here !

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Ah very interesting, I never knew they actually stayed in there till the fall. I guess that makes perfect sense... if I were a far brown trout in close prepping for the spawn. I'd definitely put on some weight from the herring that are everywhere.

 

The midges are fun for sure! Do you ever use dry midges or typically under an indicator? They ride all winter long at Walden and Whites Ponds, the kettle ponds we have here on the North Shore. That's really the only stillwater I do, there's always something fun about fishing tiny flies IMO!

 

Thanks for the Cape info. That's one part of the state I need to fish a lot more!

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Ah, now you're asking about secret stuff !! No seriously, mostly sub surface, the trout at least here on the upper Cape aren't big on hitting single floating midges, at least not in fall when the insects can be stacked up two feet thick below the surface.. I can't tell you all my tactics though, I have to leave something for your imagination, you will think our Cape fish are too easy lol ! That said, don't come to Cape Cod in the fall without Griffiths Gnats, there are times they key to those rolling tumbling midge clusters on the surface.

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Ah, now you're asking about secret stuff !! No seriously, mostly sub surface, the trout at least here on the upper Cape aren't big on hitting single floating midges, at least not in fall when the insects can be stacked up two feet thick below the surface.. I can't tell you all my tactics though, I have to leave something for your imagination, you will think our Cape fish are too easy lol ! That said, don't come to Cape Cod in the fall without Griffiths Gnats, there are times they key to those rolling tumbling midge clusters on the surface.

:D

 

Not looking for your secrets! The kettle ponds on the North Shore are mostly dry midges... a lot of fun for me compared to going subsurface. Of course that beckons for a better presentation... 13-16 foot 7 and 8x leaders with size 26-32 midges. A lot of fun I think!

 

But seriously, I appreciate you filling me in a bit in the Cape. Like I said I'm there almost every day for a 2 week period in the fall, and then again when the herring push through in the spring. Maybe I'll make some more trips there this winter, check it out a bit.

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