Anyone one have any pattern suggestions for a floating fly to use in pond covered with lilly pads?
Thanks in advance;
Waynebh
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waynebh.fiberglassflyro... |
What Fly for heavy Lilly pads |
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Hi All;
Anyone one have any pattern suggestions for a floating fly to use in pond covered with lilly pads? Thanks in advance; Waynebh |
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fluidFLY |
#1 | |||
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POPPERS ..small to big..long leaders...I kayak fish and I prefer stealth so I paddle in slooooooooowly and work my way in and around em thoroughly...just make
sure the popper floats..my preference is wooden poppers...fish every nook n cranny....and i mean everyone....do not leave any water unfished...I can spend an
hout and not move more than like 20' somtimes when I work some pad fields...of course when the fishing is good...I will often see people moving to
slow...let the fly sit for extended periods..be patient..it is a zenlike situtation for me....peaceful....deep focus....I often see fish wakes or water
movement from like 15' away and just wait in anticipation for the fly to get pummeled!
Last Edited By: fluidFLY 05/28/08 03:08:36.
Edited 1 time.
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fluidFLY |
TYPOS corrected in CAPS!!! | #2 | ||
fluidFLY wrote:
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waynebh.fiberglassflyro... |
#3 | |||
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Hi fluidFLY;
How do you deal with hangups? Are you using a weedguard? Also, I was thinking a short,stiff leader to deter hangups of the leader on the pads, why a long leader? Is their an advnatage in this situation to using a long leader or are fish leader shy? What I want to do is cast back in to the pads and be able to drag the fly and line through the pad field. That way and can cast back into the open pockets and retreive the fly back out for the next cast. I too fish from a kayak most of the time but on occasions from the shore. Thanks in advance; Waynebh |
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fluidFLY |
#4 | |||
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I often get hung up...I usually am close enuff to pull fly out or paddle over to get it out...the way I fish pad fields is to jsut work my way in them..I do
not want to cast over the openings/ pads..i work my way in..the fish are line shy...the spray from castin can spookem...
I use a 10 pound tippet...often I loose fish in the pads..i often have to direct the fish in the openigs as i fight them.. takes practice..and time on the water...i have done about 100 trips / yr the last 4 yrs I would say..100's of hours of practice.. I used to try to cast way into pads and then retrieve...it is not as functional as the creepin in method I use... |
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gillbuster |
Foam Frogs | #5 | ||
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I like using 1-2" foam frogs in the lilly pads and next to milfoil weeds. I use small hooks #6 or so and found that this hooks more fish than the larger
hooks. I do lose several fish in the salad, but what a thrill to see a blow up...The smaller the foam frogs the more the hits, a lot of time it is just a slurp
and it is gone!!!! and the fight is on!!!!
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flyfishing4goldentrout |
#6 | |||
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You need to post some pics of your foam frogs again John, I can attest to their value in the weeds for bass for sure, also the foggie that was in our last fly
swap, its another along the same lines. Im gonna have to get busy this winter, using your concept and make up some yellow or tan bellied green turtles of about
the same size we have some around some of the hot springs on the far side of the lake and the bass go nuts over them in winter. Ive used a few of those small
plastic turtles along the same lines both on my bass fly rod and on a spinning rod with fantastic success. Think turtle the next time you make some froggies
John, same small size too.
Richard |
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spinzo |
#7 | |||
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I prefer hair frogs, bugs, and poppers in the weeds (w/mono weed loops) and I fish them with a shortened leader, usually 6' of stiff mono 12 lbs. My
biggest frustration with lily pads is that line tends to snake around every pad and stem, so the shorter, stiff leader helps me keep better control of the
line. And shorter casts help, too.
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waynebh.fiberglassflyro... |
#8 | |||
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Hi All;
Mike: That's my biggest problem too! It seems a lot of times I end up casting over a series of pads to get my fly into a pocket and then the line and leader get hung up on retreive. If you happen to catch a fish whilst the line is on the pads, then it gets real interesting! When I'm in a kayak it's a hassle but easily resolved by paddling to the fish but, when casting from shore it's much more difficult to get the line free let alone land a fish! Gillbuster: I too am interested in your frog pattern. This is kinda why I started this thread to see if others have some solutions that minimize hangups. waynebh |
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flyfishing4goldentrout |
#9 | |||
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The attached mono weed loop works well on bigger flys, but the smallish frogs that Gillbuster made are or seem to be pretty weed free. Another thought would be
an equally small lizard of foam. Ive fished quite a few of the Plastic (soft ) small lizards, frogs and turtles on my fly rod with the barb on top hooks, they
seem to be the best for really heavy cover and the fish seem to hook up just as quickly. One note here, I really like to bend the barb down or break it off
completely (barbless) its makes things alot easier in the weeds, you do loose quite a few fish when they loop you around the weed roots, but then they dont
drown either from the same problem. It makes getting things unstuck alot easier and a joy when you screw up and get hooked yourself.
Richard |
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Letort |
Froggy | #10 | ||
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This is my go to topwater fly when fishing in the pads.
It's a killer .... Michael
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spinzo |
#11 | |||
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Last year's (or was it 2006?) Sept. STS gathering on the Cape I was chucking that very pattern into the pads along the bank of one of the ponds we fished
and pulled a few bass out. I think hair bugs (any spun deer hair fly for that matter) have an appeal because they make a good commotion without being too
clunky on top. It's a more natural action, it seems. On that particular pond the pad fields were not very wide -- 5' - 10' along the shore -- so
you could put the bug tight against the shore cover and not line the fish.
Speaking of pads, Hoppy, it's June and Rohunta should be coming into it's prime. Let me know when you can come out and I'll give you the front seat on my canoe. Mike |
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B52 bugger |
Bugs for pads | #12 | ||
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This bug is tied on 2/0 hook with deer body hair. The legs are deer body hair, sticking out. I tie a square knot and cement near the tip of the legs. I use to
put a 50 pound mono weed guard. I just fish the bug with no guard. I throw the bug in the pads, my leader is four feet of 25 pound test. I try to keep a
straight line and just inch the bug through the pads. The bug will actually move the pads, at the same time I am watching near by pads. If they move I know a
bass, pickeral or pike is near by. I am ready. This bug has seen alot of action. AJ
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B52 bugger |
Time to shift gears. | #13 | ||
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Today I fished with my new fly fishing friend David Porier from Sudbury, MA (he has been fly fishing since April - not too shaby). We fished a new place for
us. Delany Wildlife Management area located in Stow, MA. Place is loaded with weeds, pads, stumps. My snake fly had too any misses. So I put this fly on. I
think I even posted photos of this fly. I tie so many creations I forget what I call them. In any event I down size from 8 in. snake fly to (my new name)
Armand's Rat/dragon (imitates rat or dragon fly - well not exactly but does the trick. I leave the deer body hair long - this is my weedguard. Photo of
David, Rat/dragon and bass.
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B52 bugger |
Not all bass are big. | #14 | ||
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I fished Delaney yesterday in the morning before heavy winds. This what the pads look like and photo of the fish., on Ratr/dragon.
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B52 bugger |
New Bug for Weeds/Lily Pads | #15 | ||
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The months of July and August is a time to be serious for big bass. Whenever the water temprature is 70 degrees and over, bass being warm blooded have to eat
three times a day. Through trial and error I am constanly tying bugs. I'm grounded tonight strong winds but still I have to create. Welcome to Armand's
Midnight Bass. Here is the tie. Hook: Gamakatsu worm hook St#01113 size 3/0, Thread UTC 280 denier yellow, Tail: two Whiting Farms, silver American rooster,
black laced white dyed yellow - tied mid shank, Body: Natural deer body hair, bright green chartruese deer body hair - hair is Wapsi. Eye 3/8 Mirage Dome
silver eye - attach with drop of GOOP. Do not trim hair in front of hook point. You can put head cement on face of bug to get popping effect. Also you can put
drop of cement on hair in front of hook to make weedless.
In fishing on moonless nights I don't want to worry about the bug landing in trees, lily pads or shoreline. By the way retrieve very fast like skating the bug accross the surface. About tackle I'm using 2 pc Temple Fork 9 ft 7 wgt rod, with 8 wgt Cortland 444 line with four ft leader Varias 16 pound test. Will let yoy know - when I get out..
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pearow |
#16 | |||
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For heavy lilly pads and grass/moss i tie my deerhair divers weedless on a inverted kink shank popper hook, #2 mustad #33903; they are virtually weedless and
you get pretty good hookups if the point of the hook is bent out mite. I'll try to put a pic up here-p-
I just trim with scissors; I dont try to make it pretty; but for weedless; its very effective. |
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