Rise form question

[edwin]

Here's a difficult (for me) question to answer: As I was fishing this past weekend, I came upon the tail end of a pool that led into some slow moving pocket water, no more than 10-30 ft. apart. The fish were rising in both places. The pool had a really fast-moving head and channel but a slower moving tail and shallow side. As I approached, I watched for hatching flies, and noticed that some gray mayflies, about size fourteen were hatching near the tail end of the pool and floating into the pocket water. I tied on size 14 para. adams and caught six right away in the pocket water. My buddy fished the tail of the pool with same fly with no success, so I moved up to try it out myself, and nothing. I did notice that that the fish in the pool were slashing the surface or poking about half of their bodies out as they rose. Then, I saw some caddisflies on the rocks, so along with the rise form, I figured that the pool trout were keying on caddis or caddis pupa. Tried both, to no avail. Why the different attitude only 10-30ft away? What are trout eating when they rise quickly and slash or pop the surface or stick about half of their bodies out of the water? Would love some input on this. Thanks!!

[SHAWN]

If the fish are jumping out of the water to catch flies, they are probably chasing fast emergers. Happens on the hooch a lot when they are feeding on BWO's. Try emerger patterns or get at the head of the pool and try a lift when your wet fly.

[NightOwl]

If these were wild fish , the pocket water may have concealed you enough that they didn't notice you looming around. They are usually much spookier in the slicker water of pools
Owl

[edwin]

Owl,
Some of the fish were wild, some were stockers. I don't think that the fish could see me because the pocket water was pretty slow -- just broken up by a few boulders -- and the tail of the pool where they were rising was actually pretty rough because the water was moving through a narrow channel and leading into a wider part of the river. Confusing isn't it?

[JDK]

I agree with the emerger theory. Seems when they jump and splash like that soft hackle emergers do pretty well.

[briggs]

Does anyone have any soft hackle emerger patterns? Or know where to look for some?

briggs

[Loren]

Briggs

Check out NGTO's frist fly swap. Fly #8 is a soft hackle.

http://webpages.charter.net/skeeble/index.htm/Index.htm

Loren

[NightOwl]

Unless they'd been in the creek for SOME TIME...I doubt that they would know an emergerrom a kernal of corn ! The water in the pockets may not have looked rough enough to hide ya, but if they were stockers , "they" might have thought they were hidden enough to feed freely. Some of ya'll like to think that stockers become wild and feed on #22 emerging midges or #20 tricos right after they put'em in ( the trout , that is...) ! but...pard'ner, it just ain't so. It takes longer than that for a trout to realize he's supposed to eat those funny little crawly/flyiee things he sees floating around him.I know , there is some amout of instinct involved, but if you watch a pool of stockers - you may see 1 or 2 fish in an hour that rise to a fly or turn for a nymph. Most of them just slowly fin in the current waiting to be picked off.

Whew........done. http://www.georgia-outdoors.com/ubbngto/smile.gif

[NightOwl]

OOOps , I just re-read the orig. post where it says the fish WERE rising ! My BAD !!!!! Gosh , I'm gettin old. I stand by my essay above , but now see that it doesn't belong on this thread ! Good Googlie Goo Goo ! Sorr for the Boo Booo !!!! http://www.georgia-outdoors.com/ubbngto/smile.gif

[Loren]

NO
Not too sure about the dumb stocker theory after yesterday. Ichthus and I fished Jones Bridge from the island to the shoals below the boat ramp and saw fish everywhere. We had a good day of fishing, but a black caddis (dark gray) hatch was coming off most of the time we were there. Ich had one EHC that matched it in size and color and I had bigger ones, lighter ones, and a solid black one. They hit only the one fly ICH had. Nothing else I threw or he threw at them, including soft hackles other caddis pupa/emerging stuff. If I hadn't found a pocket of slow water with fish that liked black woolies I would have been skunked.
These stockers sure seemed selective.

Loren

[NightOwl]

I was at JB with Shawn the day of the Primer. Trout rising everywhere ! To see all the rises , you would have thought the river was full of fish....and it was....my guess is that the rising fish were planted last year or at least early in the season ( Mr. Bill and co. started stocking in Feb.)
The fish you got on the wollies may have been recntly dumped. If you want to see the theory in action.....let's get together and go up to Roc creek or the Tallulah and watch the stockers eyeball some Caddis imitations and scratch their little heads. ( "Hey, Bertha, did ya see that furry thing float by? Kinda reminded me of a ...a....furry thing.")

[Loren]

NO

You're a HOOT.

Rock Creek or the Tallulah would be fun.

Loren

[The Ole Man]

The latest issue of Rod&Reel Magazine has an aritcle by Dave Hughes referred to on the cover as "Name that rise form", pg 75. Worth reading.

[NightOwl]

That little post just reminded me of a book I once owned. It was one of those " series" books that they sell at Kmart( sporting goods dept.) and BPS. It was called " Trout" , amazingly enough. it has a brookie on the cover and the binding is blue. Despite first appearances, it is a reat book for anyone that's a " fingerling" to fly fishing. I wais I could remember mre...I just knoe that, to this day,...when a certian thing happens( hatches, rise forms, holding lies, etc.)....I can remember reading about it in the book. Just thught I'd throw that in for the heck of it.
Owl

[The Ole Man]

Sorry, the title of the mag I refed should have been "Flyrod & Reel" Mag, not "Rod & Reel".

[Michael]

NightOwl you reminded me that I bought the same book about a year ago but did not read it much. Dusted it off last night and what a great book..... Thanks for the reminder..

[SHAWN]

Owl,
It doesn't take long for those hatchers t start feeding like normal. After being dumped in the steam, it might take 4-5 days before they start getting on a normal feeding pattern. Hatchery trout are easily caught on flies after they are dumped because they haven't become selective and will eat anything they can get their mouths on. If all they were doing is looking at your immitations, you must have been doing something wrong weather it be wrong fly or maby bad drift. I'll take you up there and show you how quick some are to bight flies sometimes.
Shawn