Are these appropriate questions?

[Ctrl_Alt_Dlt 0]

I have been tying flies for my 2nd year now more exclusively. As of this moment, I feel I am more of a tyer than a fly fisherman. Been out twice only fly fishing. In the past, I would tie about 20 some flies for the whitebass run and walleyes in Spring in WI and MN, but these flies are fished with a spinning setup. Being a member of several Facebook groups and meeting people on the river and stores, I always ask the following questions when others share of their catch:

What size was the fly?

What color was the fly?
Was it weighted?

 

Typically, when people post pictures of their catch or their fly, if it sparks my interest, I am usually the first to prompt those questions being that I am still learning. I do not see many asking those questions, hence am I rude or without manners when I ask those questions?

I consider myself a largemouth bass fisherman as well. It is somewhat of a taboo to even inquire about the lure and especially the lake or location on the lake where the monster bass was pulled from. I understand this "rule" and always wonder it, but know it is not too polite to ask especially how every lake and body of water seems to be a secret lake.

 

Another reason why I ask the questions is, I have not done enough scouting the water for insects to know what the insects look like besides what I see online of real pics and flies made to mimic it. For example: I finally found my first caddis larvae last weekend when I caught my first brown trout. The caddis was brown and a size 24. Doing a typical google search, most caddis's are green and usually tied on hooks 12-16. With this knowledge now, I feel like I wasted time and money tying green caddis flies in size 16 when the real one sample that I found can be better matched at size 20-22.

 

Considering all of this so far...is it rude or impolite for me to ask those questions? Just want to know if there is an unspoken boundary.

[mikechell 0]

"What size was the fly? What color was the fly? Was it weighted?"

All appropriate questions ... and anyone who posts pictures should expect to get asked those, and many more.

If you're posting a picture of a fly, and you don't answer questions about the fly, I am going to infer you didn't tie it.

If you post pictures of a fish, and don't answer questions ... I'll infer you didn't catch it.

"It is somewhat of a taboo to even inquire about the lure and especially the lake or location on the lake where the monster bass was pulled from."

I am a bass fisherman ... was for many more years than I've been focusing on fly fishing. This is one of those attitudes that kept me from joining any clubs. It's a fish. You didn't do anything special to catch it, and it's location isn't as "secret" as you think. Tell me what you're using and the body of water (I don't need to know the spot). I hate that secret spot and lure crap ... smells like live bait to me.

"Considering all of this so far...is it rude or impolite for me to ask those questions? Just want to know if there is an unspoken boundary."

The only boundaries are the ones held by individuals. There are those that live by the "secret" and "special" and "unique" pretenses of fishing. And then there are those, like most of the members on this site, that share their knowledge.

Not that I am one of them. I always fish my secret fly. I will run a full tank of gas out just going in circles to make sure no one is following me to my special spot. I hold most of the size records for fish caught on 1/2 pound test monofilament. (I use fake names to keep the groupies at bay).

And I NEVER answer questions on websites.

[flytire 0]

"spot burning" or divulging fly fishing secret fishing spots (c'mon are the really secret?) will get some fly fishers panties up in a twist. its probably best not to ask

 

what size, color and was the fly weighted are popular questions to ask but god only knows if youll get a correct answer. some fly fishermen are very secretive and just wont help out the next generation of fly fishers.

[tidewaterfly 0]

First, welcome to the forums! Take what Mike says at face value, but know he's got a great sense of humor too!

 

There's a saying that the only stupid question is the one not asked. Certainly in some circles, folks don't want to be answering some types of questions, but as Mike said, here many share their knowledge & opinions freely.

 

On some fishing forums I frequent there is a rule about "spot burning". That is considered poor etiquette, as it often results in places being over run with folks seeking to catch whatever is there. Many put in their time, find the fish & want to enjoy the relative solitude of fishing without a lot of others around, particularly when those others have only read about such a place on a forum. Most of these places are not secrets, but may not experience great fishing except for very short periods of time. If you've ever seen the elbow to elbow situation on opening day on some trout streams you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.

 

Asking about what fly is used, or information pertaining to the fly design, or how to fish it IMO is not out of line. Unfortunately not everyone shares that same opinion. If you ask & either get no response or get blasted for asking don't get too upset over it. That's not likely to happen here, but could on other sites. Such questions are seldom of such great importance that they would keep a good angler from catching fish. There's no single fly or lure that's magic & works in any or all situations, and certainly more than one that will catch fish when used by a competent angler.

 

I know of a guide who insisted only his flies, and according to him, were perfect matches to the local naturals, would catch fish where he guided. I also know of another fellow, an excellent angler & fly tier, who fished with this guide, and caught plenty of fish with his own flies. Such stories are not unusual. There's never only one answer to problems encountered when fishing.

 

If you wade out into a stream or river in front of another angler who is trying to fish, that's completely out of line & quite rude. You might even expect to get knocked up the side of your head or have a fly or lure impaled in your ear. In most places there's usually plenty of room for everyone & if not at least have the decency to wait your turn.

 

I have heard stories far too often of anglers in my area fishing from boats that came in & got too close to another boat that was having some success. Tempers often flared & resulted in verbal abuses & have even heard of sinkers being tossed at each boat. Not a good situation, certainly dangerous & possibly criminal. There's no need either.

 

 

 

Another reason why I ask the questions is, I have not done enough scouting the water for insects to know what the insects look like besides what I see online of real pics and flies made to mimic it. For example: I finally found my first caddis larvae last weekend when I caught my first brown trout. The caddis was brown and a size 24. Doing a typical google search, most caddis's are green and usually tied on hooks 12-16. With this knowledge now, I feel like I wasted time and money tying green caddis flies in size 16 when the real one sample that I found can be better matched at size 20-22.

 

Here IMO you're making an assumption & drawing the wrong conclusions. If you caught that trout on a size 24 Caddis, then why not tie some flies in that size? First off you're assuming the trout ate the fly because it looked like a Caddis to the trout. Do you really know that's the case? Next, Caddis, like many other insects, both aquatic & terrestrial come in various colors & shades, plus many sizes. No two of the same species are a like either. They may appear to be, but are not. There can be similarities between various insects too, and still there's no way to know what a fish may mistake your imitation for as far as food or simply attempting to determine if it's food.

 

Just because that one Caddis sample may be imitated with a size 20 or 22 hook, that does not necessarily mean all Caddis will be that size. Again, you're making an assumption and based on only one experience. We tie flies in many sizes for possible scenarios we may encounter. If you feel that only certain sizes are appropriate, then only tie in those sizes. Just keep in mind that should that not work out for you, at least learn something from the experience. I know I've had a few experiences where fly size mattered, but very few where it turned out to be critical that day. I do recall one time fishing for trout where there was a hatch of BWO's & I had nothing in my boxes that was of that size or color. I caught nothing that day except a couple of SM bass. Apparently the bass were not as selective as the trout that day.

 

I once caught SM Bass, LM Bass, Brown Trout & a Rainbow Trout in the same stream on the same day & on a very large size 6 black Stonefly nymph imitation that I tie. I could assume each fish took that fly for a Stonefly, but I saw nothing to indicate they did. I could also assume that perhaps it imitated a Hellgrammite, of which there are many in the waters of my area, but again I saw none. I did notice small dark colored Crayfish & the grasses surrounding that stream were full of Crickets. So, what did those fish mistake that fly to be? Frankly, I have no idea and it really doesn't matter to me. All I know is they each took that fly, that day. On the same stream, or even another I would not hesitate to use the same pattern & same size should I see a similar situation. If that doesn't work out, I'm always willing & prepared to try something different.

 

In the case of bass, it could simply be annoyed with the presence of the fly or on a spawning bed removing the fly as an intruder or even a bit of debris. You don't really know why they do it, but they will take a fly in their mouths as that's their only way to deal with it short of ignoring It & moving away. They may be eating it as food, but again we really cannot say with 100% certainty. What lure or fly we choose often has basis in personal experience, or because of what is popular at the time. Again, nothing wrong with asking what another has been using, but again should you not get an answer it's not the end of the world. That's why we end up with boxes full of lures or flies.

 

Last Sept. I spent a day on a tidal river I have fished frequently fly fishing for bass. That day I gave a Gurgler & a Polar Fiber baitfish a try. The entire day I only caught & released two fish & lost one bass when I ended up with my line tangled in the bottom of my Gheenoe. I had no action on the Gurgler. That's fishing sometimes. The fish didn't want a surface fly that day. I love fishing topwater flies, but based on that day I certainly would not give them up because I didn't have any success with it.

 

I have many fly boxes full of various flies. None are secrets, none work all the time. I'm confident that all will at some point in time be productive should I use them in the correct situation. That's why I tie most of my own, so I can have such variety for when I need them.

 

Even if I didn't have all these flies I know I could still catch bass on a few flies should I go that direction. I've said before that if you think these fish we chase are smarter than you are, then they will be!

 

Don't get too concerned over what others choose to do when you ask a question. Learn what you can, when you can & make your own success.

[FlaFly 0]

Boy, there sure are some long posts tonight. Let me say I agree with Mike. This is a fly tying forum... if someone says they caught such and such on a fly, of course we want to know what fly, what color, what size. If they post a picture of the fly (always preferred) we can tell what color. We might want to know what that fuzzy stuff is, and that's OK to ask. Size is important, although it means less to me.... if I see a fly someone posted, I envision tying it on something between 6 and 12 because I fish for panfish.

 

Welcome to the group. Ask questions all you want. That's the way we learn:

"I had six faithful serving men, they taught me all I knew.

Their names were what? and why? and when? and how? and where? and who?"

Kipling

[Matt7082 0]

I don't feel like you are overstepping boundaries with those questions. With more experience, you will understand how different flies behave, and how fish react to them. As you gain experience, the more important questions you will want to ask are, "what level were the flows? Water temp? Weather conditions? What bugs were present? what phase were the bugs in? etc..." If you were asking me what pool I was fishing in, and what time I was there, then I might say you are overstepping a bit.

 

You shouldn't be afraid to ask questions...but really, the best way to learn is by spending time on the water. And in my opinion, it's best to stick to the basics when it comes to rigging, and fly selection, and fly tying. You will develop some fly preferences after spending time fishing, and then be able to tie flies specifically the way you want for your particular scenarios.

[FlaFly 0]

I don't know, Matt... that's kinda like saying "the best way to learn to fly a plane is in the air". I think it always helps to learn a bit about whatever we are wanting to do, so as to avoid wasting time making mistakes that could have been avoided. That, of course is why we have fly tying blogs, and step-by-steps and youtube videos, etc., etc.

[Stevester 0]

Another thing to remember is that insect size changes during the year that they are living underwater. Those size 24 caddis you saw this week might be a size 14 when they are ready to become adults in the spring or summer.

 

Steve

[portlyjoe 0]

This was an excellent thread! if I may add to the responses: I personally have not answered a question that was asked of me if and when the person asks respectfully and is geniunly intrested in learning. I want to encourage people to fish. I have been on the ocean shore slamming big stripped bass with other people around me and they aren't catching squat. I will turn to the guy next to me and tell him exzactly what i am using if he cares to hear it.

 

I've learned some of my techniques by walking up to a person and saying "Hey if you dont mind, can you tell me what you are using? 'cause i see you slammin' 'em and I must be doing something wrong!" What can be the worse response? "get away from me."

 

Fishing is for everyone. share the sport.

[phg 0]

I agree with portlyjoe. In 40+ years of fishing, I've only had 2 or 3 people tell me to buzz off. Be polite, but ask away!

[FlaFly 0]

I do think I need to warn you, CAD.... some jokesters on here like to make wisecracks in their replies, and being a newcomer, you might not know how to take them. I would never wisecrack, but some people would... you know who you are. :-)

[mikechell 0]

My Grandma always said, "A fox smells its own hole first."

I know she always directed it towards the first one who reacted to ... flatulence. But it could EASILY pertain to someone who warns others about "class clowns". Hmmmm, Flafly? Anything smell "off" over there???

[Roland58 0]

Being a newbie at fly tying, I have to say all of your questions are legit and something that I would inquire of myself. Heck, I would go as far as instructions on how to tie them! As far as bodies of water, I know some are better than others, i.e. Lake Fork, TX. is renowned for big Black Bass. That being said, there are a number of lakes and ponds in this area that could produce just as well. That is where your skill and tactics come into play.......for instance, don't get in the middle of the lake if your fishing for Bluegill.

[Bryon Anderson 0]

It's a fish. You didn't do anything special to catch it, and it's location isn't as "secret" as you think. Tell me what you're using and the body of water (I don't need to know the spot). I hate that secret spot and lure crap ... smells like live bait to me.

 

Mike, I'm thinking of putting this on t-shirts and bumper stickers and handing them out. Well said!

 

Ctrl_Alt_Dlt, welcome to the forums! You've gotten some excellent advice here already and I'm sure you've got the gist of it by now--take it to heart, it's all true. Ask and learn. Once you've learned, share what you know when you can. That's what forums are for.