So I fished a small foothill lake a couple of weeks ago using my old stand-by (Power eggs on a C-rig using varying the length of my leaders from 18" to 4 feet) for a big FAT SKUNK. What added insult to injury was there were trout of all sizes aggressively feeding on the surface the entire time I was there. I went home and thought about what I had seen and decided that the only way I was going to catch one of them boys was to use a fly rod. Problem; I don't "fly rod"
I knew about presenting a fly using spinning gear by placing it on a long leader with a clear float pinned to the line, so it was off to You Tube Tutorial land.
My dad taught me to always ask an expert if you can, so I sent off an email to Bill at Ebbetts Pass Sporting goods. Bill is the real deal when it comes to catching trout and he has forgotten more about fly fishing than most fly-boys have ever learned. I asked Bill if he could recommend a couple of fly patterns that might likely work in moving water, winter conditions on a lower elevation Sierra lake, and he advised that I try a woolly bugger, as well as a beaded price nymph and a beaded pheasant nymph.
Harold and I returned to the same lake yesterday and once again got skunked on any and all bait offerings, but as the day warmed up, fish began to rise again and I was able to catch my first trout on a fly behind a clear float. WHAT A BLAST! It was an absolutely BEAUTIFUL 11" naturally spawned rainbow. I kept him in the water to get a couple of pics to send to Bill, and released him to fight another day. Despite to old saying; old dogs actually can learn new tricks.
I knew about presenting a fly using spinning gear by placing it on a long leader with a clear float pinned to the line, so it was off to You Tube Tutorial land.
My dad taught me to always ask an expert if you can, so I sent off an email to Bill at Ebbetts Pass Sporting goods. Bill is the real deal when it comes to catching trout and he has forgotten more about fly fishing than most fly-boys have ever learned. I asked Bill if he could recommend a couple of fly patterns that might likely work in moving water, winter conditions on a lower elevation Sierra lake, and he advised that I try a woolly bugger, as well as a beaded price nymph and a beaded pheasant nymph.
Harold and I returned to the same lake yesterday and once again got skunked on any and all bait offerings, but as the day warmed up, fish began to rise again and I was able to catch my first trout on a fly behind a clear float. WHAT A BLAST! It was an absolutely BEAUTIFUL 11" naturally spawned rainbow. I kept him in the water to get a couple of pics to send to Bill, and released him to fight another day. Despite to old saying; old dogs actually can learn new tricks.
