Well, I got an unexpected day off from work, so I hit up the creek. This was only my second time there, and I've been reading a lot about tactics and reading water, so i put my newly-found knowledge to work. I returned t the same spot i fished on my first visit, and on about my 10th cast, my indicator (thanks Clay) went sharply under. I lifted my rod tip and was very pleased to feel a heavy "thump-thump". The fish dove for cover as it ran towards me, but i was able to keep a tight line. Had him on for about a minute and a half, then he took off across and downstream. In spite of a loose drag, he broke me off at my tippet knot. I did get a good look at he fish, and it was a thick one, about 18". Even houg I lost that fish, and didn't hook another one in the 2 more hours i fished, i was totally stoked. I hear that people fish the creek for months sometimes without hooking a fish, so I feel fortunate even though i lost the fish. I do have a question for whoever wants to answer... What is the best tippet knot? I was using a double surgeons knot, but i am not so confident of it's strength anymore. Sould i stick with the blood knot, or is there something better and easier to tie in fine tippet?
I also saw a guy in an orange hat standing in a shallow tailout, in the same spot for 3 hours, short casting an egg pattern, and he caught 2 fish that i saw, maybe even more. The fact that he never moved made me wonder if he was lining fish. hopefully i am incorrect.
Also, right after I hooked and lost my fish, a kid that was spinner-fishing above me freaked out, asking where and what i hooked him on, and before i could answer, fired his spinner downstream right into the spot where i hooked the fish, not 10 feet in front of me. Well, i just couldn't let that go unanswered, so i firmly reprimanded him, explaining how he wouldn't appreciate it if i did the same thing to him. He said "oh!", then trotted back to his side of the creek, and when he returned, he had replaced his spinner with #18 hare's ear on a 4 foot leader connected to a LARGE brass snap swivel, on his spinning rod. I had to laugh to myself, but at least the kid had the right idea! He asked me if that's what i was using, and i told him he was close. I took a minute to point out some examples of likely trout lies to him, and he thanked me. I didn't see him catch anything, but he was still trying when i left, and was moving around more than orange hat guy. Maybe there will be a fly rod his future.....
Hey Capn Paul, Nice you got into a hard fighter. I think a blood knot is your best bet for connecting lines. It seems a little stronger than a surgeon. About the oarnge hat guy sounds like someone fishing over the redds but ya never know maybe not. I stand in the same spot for long periods of time if my hole is consistently producing kinda hard to leave fish to find fish ya know.
Only 2 knots i use, That would be a blood knot for leader to tippet and a clinch knot to attach fly's. Bllod knot takes more time to tye but in my opinion its worth it. Nice to hear ya hooked into a fish capnpaul.
I use the surgeons knot but make sure that I pass through at least 4 times before cinching it down. The extra pass really seems to make a difference, it has never let me down.
I've heard the blood knot is stronger, but I'm lazy. I use a surgeon's knot for regular trout fishing. I use a triple surgeon's (three times through the loop) for bigger fish. Most of my break-offs occur at the fly.
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"Nothing makes a fish bigger than almost being caught."
i use atleast a triple surgeons knot, and it has never let me down. nice job to stick it out. like matt r said more than likely that guy was fishing the redds. nice job teaching that kid proper fishing etiquette. got to teach them youngings how it works.
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Fishing isnt about catching fish, its not about who caught the most, or who caught the biggest, its about the experience that you have on the water, and the life long bonds you make with others on the journey to becoming a better person inside.
I use a regular surgeon knot for the leader-tippet connection with fine leader and tippet. I had a few breaks there at the beginning, but I guess my technique improved and it never (I'm touching wood) breaks now. Like JT, almost all break offs occur at the (improved) clinch knot at the fly.
Thanks for the replies. I think I will do some tests with a digital scale. Has anyone here used other knots besides the improved clinch to attach flies? Wat about the Lefty Kreh non-slip loop, palomar, etc?
Yes, I definitely agree that fluoro is superior. Also agree with knot lubrication. So I have another question... If you're fishing an egg and a nymph together, which one is the point fly?
I use the Davy knot to attach my flies. It's easy & quick to tie, and the tag end is always very close to the knot which saves on the expensive fluoro. Since I've started using this knot I rarely break at the fly. I do break at the point where I attach my split shot... I think I'm crimping it down too tightly. Trying to find that balance so that the shot doesn't slip up and down the tippet without it damaging the fluoro. I use the egg on top and nymph as the dropper.
Here's my 2 cents. I used to always use an improved clinch at the fly but recently read somewhere that the original clinch knot it actually stronger than the improved. That's pretty much my go to fly knot but sometimes I'll also use one called a uni knot. I always use saliva for lubrication no matter what knot I'm tying. Flourocarbon is a little stronger with less diameter which enables it to cut through the water easier and get your nymphs down faster. I've always believed that you have to pay more attention with knots and flouro because it's a slicker surface than mono and can slip if you don't use a good knot. I find it hard to spend $13 a spool for what little gains there are to using it...and it takes forever to breakdown it pieces break off.
For butt section to tapered leader I use a blood knot, I did away with loop to loop connections so my whole set up slides through the guides much smoother and doesn't get hung up when the fish get in close and decide to make another run for it. For leader to tippet I use a double surgeons knot, it's quick and easy to tie and plenty strong. I learned a trick for tying blood knots easily using my hemostats, hard to explain but if you ever run into me ask me and I'll show you. Learned the trick from a guide friend of mine.
Most of the time my smaller of the two nymphs is the dropper as well, unless I'm having a hard time catchin fish, I'll sometimes swith it up just to see what happens. If theres an egg on my line its always on top.
MattR, why do you always put the egg on top ? I always put the egg on the bottom, No particular reason why. Otherwise i always put the larger heavier fly at the top, small fly on the dropper, an egg is my only exception to that rule. The one thing that I found with mono tippet is that even when i lubricate my knots they still tend to wrinkle the line all up when i cinch the knot down (wrinkled is the only way i can describe it) it never happens when i use flourocarbon. Packrat i use a loop to loop connection for my leaders and i do agree that if you reel up that loop to loop past the top guide you better be dam sure that fish is done and isnt gonna run again.
I always put the egg on top, because that's what JT and a few others have said. And if you notice, a lot of the fish will go right up to the egg, but not hit it, or just suck it in and spit it out right away. I think it works as the attractor. They come up to the egg and then see that little bug and eat it. That's just my opinion.
-- Edited by LilWhippersnapper at 16:46, 2008-01-24
