someone gine me some advice

[ngflyboy]

Fish were feeding every where but looked like they were just sipping. Caught 9 rbs on #20 male adams, but i felt like i should have really slayed them. No hatch was prominent but they were feeding on something, was it emergers and does anyone have advice on a pattern for this time of year. All advice will be tryed out this evening ....thanks

[WDN FLY]

For what it's worth I would bet serious money they were sipping spinners. Spinners sit flush in the film so they are impossible to see without sceining the water. When fish are sipping steadily in those kinds of numbers, 99% of the time it means spinners. The other reason most anglers have trouble detecting a spinner feeding frenzy is because the catch could have happened anywhere on the river and at any time or it could have been spread out over an entire day in variuos parts of the river.
The spinner fall happens in a fairly compact period of time and in one place so it's a great opportunity for the fish to stuff theirselves. If you have been having cool evenings I'm even more sure.
I would return to the river with a batch of rusty spinners in sizes close to your "most common" hatches. I say rusty because that's the color most mayflies turn when they molt into spinners. If you need a pattern and I'm not on-line call me at 315-478-9588.

Good Luck, if you hit it you will have a blast.

[WDN FLY]

P.S. If it was emergers you would have seen some duns in the air.

[John Pool]

WND FLY could be right about spinners, but I'll offer another possiblity -- they could have been taking midge emergers. I've seen the fish sipping something that I couldn't see and have tried a #20 midge emerger with good luck. The pattern I use is: 4 or 5 woodduck flank feathers for a shuck; body of turkey wing biot; a dab of black or grey rabbit fur for thorax; a little piece of closed-cell foam sticking out over the hook eye for the emerging wings. Don't grease the fly -- the foam will float but the body will be in the surface film. Put on your #6 or #7 tippet, position yourself up and across stream from the riser (casting over him can spook him cause he's probably holding right under the surface). Cast upstream from his feeding position and let the fly float down to him. Works for me -- You might want to give it a try and let us know how you do. -- JPOOOL

[ngflyboy]

Thanks for the info guys it is great stuff. I fished the same hole tonight and caught 11. I didnt check the thread before i went but it wouldnt have mattered because you cant buy a good fly in blue ridge anyway,and im not the most accomplished tyer in the world .The fish were still sipping for the most part but a few were hitting with some spunk. Caught 10 on #20 male adams and 1 on a adams variant. I did see a very small hatch tonight #22 or#24 and i caught some good fish but again not comparable to the frenzy that was going on. I will try to get my hands on some spinners and emergers and ill try them again tomorrow, i only live a couple of miles from the water. Thanks jpool and wdnfly and feel free to further my trout education.

[ngflyboy]

wdnfly, we are having some cool evenings up here.

[WDN FLY]

A spinner is a very easy pattern to tie. Here's the one I use. Thread or beaver dubbing body, microfibet tails and white poly wings tied in spent. You could use any stiff thin material for the tails but they should be white and double the length of the body. Don't put floatant on the fly, you want it in the film. Fish it just like John suggests fishing the midge emerger.
Since you are getting some cool evenings I'll bet you are seeing some early evening spinner falls. Only one way to tell though, try both patterns and sciene the water.

Good Luck

[Tom]

Next time you need to buy flies and can't make it down to Unicoi Outfitters, try the Upper Hi Fly in Hiawassee. They might be of some help.

[ngflyboy]

Thanks for all the great info and keep it coming. I have a friend that said he would tie some emergers and spinners for me.

[ALG]

NGFLYBOY,
I ran into a similar problem last year. Big fish sipping invisible somethings. I guessed midges and had some success on a 22-24 grifiths gnat. It stays afloat well, but impossible to see. I did okay, but then got some more advice. SOmeone reccomeded a cripple midge pattern. I adams colors to match. Griz and brown hackle for the tail. Thin grey body (or phesant tail for a true quigley cripple) Then a small natrual deer hair wing tied tips forward then a dun or grizzly hackle wrapped 2-3 times. This pattern has been killer when tied in small sizes. I guess it resebles a midge emerger or a small general mayfly i.e small adams. It is easy to tie and worth a shot, but if you are catching 10-15 fish on an adams why do you need to switch flies?-----ALG

[John Pool]

NG FLY BOY -- With the additional clue that you saw some #20-#22 flys hatching, I change my bet as to what they're taking -- from midges to tiny olives. I've fished some pretty good late summer/early fall little BWO hatches on the river. When the fish are sipping these as they emerge, I've had luck with a #20 pheasant tail fished in the surface film or allowed to sink a few inches. Instead of a strike indicator, try a good-floating dry fly, say an elk hair caddis. Tie on 18 to 24 inches of tippet to the hook bend and put the nymph at the end of the tippet -- I've gone down some of those long, slow pools and caught one of the risers after another with this set-uo -- sometimes, sometimes not. But could be worth a try. I'll probably be on the river Sat. morning (according to release schedule). E-mail me if you'd like to meet up -- I'll bring the flys. -- JPOOL

[phlyster]

Are you all talking about the Taccoa? NGFLYBOY said he only lives a couple miles from the river.

???,
Blake

[ngflyboy]

Nottely river tailrace.

[ngflyboy]

john,
E-me at troutman@ellijay.com and we will get together at the "spot" in the morning. I talked with wdnfly last night and he gave me some great info it seems that he went through this delimma a few years back. Thanks to everyone that posted on this subject,the post have helped a lot.I appreciate the willingness to help the fellow fisherman. I fished the hole again last night and only caught 5 i hope that my saturday trip with jpool will be as educational as this thread has been.If anyone else has info please chime in.....thanks

[WDN FLY]

ngflyboy, It was a pleasure speaking with you last night. Some day I hope to meet everyone in person. I hope you don't mind if I fill everyone in on some of our conversation in hopes we can all learn something from the shared info.

It was divulged to me that this very smooth pool is rigth below a mild riffle. This was a key piece of information. Mayfly spinners will gather over riffles to mate and lay their eggs. Once this is done they die and fall to the water. Now comes the fun part, trout will gather at the head of the pool and feast on these easy meals.
John Pool was very close when he suggested Olives. It is my belief we are talking about Olive spinners. Most Mayfly spinners are rusty colored with clear wings and white/clear tails. This is what ngflyboy cought over the riffle. When spinners gather in mating clouds they are very often mistaken for hatching duns when they are actually at the end of their lives.

Thanks for the patterns offered my everyone on this string. I already fish the Griffis Gnat and the other patterns will deffinitely be tested. If anyone else wants to call and chat or share ideas feel free, it's always a pleasure to speak with good people who flyfish.