Bubble and Fly Method

18406ej · 10-03-2007, 07:26 PM

Is anyone willing to write a short piece on how to use the bubble and fly method with a spinning rod? There have been times when the trout were feeding on the top of the water, and I had no way to get their attention. Any help or direction to resources would be appreciated.

Dichrofisher · 10-03-2007, 08:51 PM

A clear bubble bobber and a fly maybe 2-4 feet behind it. Fly floatant helps maintain the fly's float. You want the the fly away from the bobber a bit when on the still water. And of course you want to try to maintain a drag free float which means if you are tossing the fly into moving water, the bobber would pull the fly unnaturally across the water if not maintained correctly. A drag free float can be maintained if enough slack is given and the bobber is placed(cast, pulled, manipulated) so that it does not pull on the fly while it is floating down. Or sometimes it does'nt matter if the fly is dragging...You could also drop a nymph below the bobber and use the bobbers action, or non-action, as a strike indicator. One could even buy a flyrod to directly control the fly, or even better yet, make a fly rod...

Troutski · 10-03-2007, 10:14 PM

I can only add the following, try to make your float all most buoyant..the least amount of pressure to pull the float down. The fish won't even know there hooked. I love float angling, one of my favorite styles; Trout and Steelhead.

Chuck

18406ej · 10-04-2007, 09:10 AM

Dichro and Chuck, thanks for the help. Once I feel I have mastered spinning, I may give fly fishing a try. I am still a ways away from that point, and I just celebrated my one-year anniversary of fishing. What a great year!

Oregon4x4 · 10-04-2007, 09:44 AM

I use small corkies (W/O wings) for my indicator/floatant for this.
yes the fish sometimes hit the corkie too

.

oh yeah almost forgot! I use two bobber stop knots to hold the corkie in place on the main line, and the knots slide for easy adjustments. if you don't know that knot, buy a pack of bobber stops next time your at the store (or just look at them in the pack, and go home and make some).

who said you can't use this rig with a spinning rod? you can even use small jigs if you match the corkie size to the jig head so that it will float the weight.
another plus is they make glow in the dark ones for early morning fishing.

edit: dichro has a good point about the importance of learning to mend your line right. in current your line will get a "bow" in it, and this bow pulls your float downstream faster than it should be - effectively taking your lure out of the range you want it to be in.
another way to fix this is that you have to pick your line up off of the water and flip it upstream or atleast "even" (in a straight line) with your float. it takes some practice at first.

18406ej · 10-17-2007, 10:28 AM

I tried the bubble and fly method today for the first time in a local pond, and was amazed when I caught three trout in short order. I just used a 99 cent fly from Sportsman's Warehouse with a lightly filled bubble. The fly didn't float, but the fish were striking at it all the same (I had 6 strikes and three landed). Thanks to everyone for your input.

18406ej · 10-18-2007, 11:05 AM

Went back to the pond today after dropping the boys off at school, and tried the bubble and fly method again. This time I got 13 fish in one hour! I wish I had known about this method sooner...what a blast! I notice that the fish fight and jump a lot more with this method (or so it seems) as compared to fishing with Powerbait or a lure. Is this the case?

10-03-2007, 07:26 PM	#1
18406ej Master Angler Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Keizer Posts: 337	Bubble and Fly Method Is anyone willing to write a short piece on how to use the bubble and fly method with a spinning rod? There have been times when the trout were feeding on the top of the water, and I had no way to get their attention. Any help or direction to resources would be appreciated. __________________ E.J. "I am going where streams of whiskey are flowing"

10-03-2007, 08:51 PM	#2
Dichrofisher Sustained Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Yewgene Posts: 276	A clear bubble bobber and a fly maybe 2-4 feet behind it. Fly floatant helps maintain the fly's float. You want the the fly away from the bobber a bit when on the still water. And of course you want to try to maintain a drag free float which means if you are tossing the fly into moving water, the bobber would pull the fly unnaturally across the water if not maintained correctly. A drag free float can be maintained if enough slack is given and the bobber is placed(cast, pulled, manipulated) so that it does not pull on the fly while it is floating down. Or sometimes it does'nt matter if the fly is dragging...You could also drop a nymph below the bobber and use the bobbers action, or non-action, as a strike indicator. One could even buy a flyrod to directly control the fly, or even better yet, make a fly rod... __________________ What's your angle?

10-03-2007, 10:14 PM	#3
Troutski Super Moderator Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Springfield, OR. Posts: 1,550	Float.... I can only add the following, try to make your float all most buoyant..the least amount of pressure to pull the float down. The fish won't even know there hooked. I love float angling, one of my favorite styles; Trout and Steelhead. Chuck __________________ Practice C.P.R. (Catch Photograph and Release)

10-04-2007, 09:10 AM	#4
18406ej Master Angler Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Keizer Posts: 337	Dichro and Chuck, thanks for the help. Once I feel I have mastered spinning, I may give fly fishing a try. I am still a ways away from that point, and I just celebrated my one-year anniversary of fishing. What a great year! __________________ E.J. "I am going where streams of whiskey are flowing"

10-04-2007, 09:44 AM	#5
Oregon4x4 Apprentice Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 53	I use small corkies (W/O wings) for my indicator/floatant for this. yes the fish sometimes hit the corkie too . oh yeah almost forgot! I use two bobber stop knots to hold the corkie in place on the main line, and the knots slide for easy adjustments. if you don't know that knot, buy a pack of bobber stops next time your at the store (or just look at them in the pack, and go home and make some). who said you can't use this rig with a spinning rod? you can even use small jigs if you match the corkie size to the jig head so that it will float the weight. another plus is they make glow in the dark ones for early morning fishing. edit: dichro has a good point about the importance of learning to mend your line right. in current your line will get a "bow" in it, and this bow pulls your float downstream faster than it should be - effectively taking your lure out of the range you want it to be in. another way to fix this is that you have to pick your line up off of the water and flip it upstream or atleast "even" (in a straight line) with your float. it takes some practice at first. Last edited by Oregon4x4 : 10-04-2007 at 09:52 AM.

10-17-2007, 10:28 AM	#6
18406ej Master Angler Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Keizer Posts: 337	Three Trout On I tried the bubble and fly method today for the first time in a local pond, and was amazed when I caught three trout in short order. I just used a 99 cent fly from Sportsman's Warehouse with a lightly filled bubble. The fly didn't float, but the fish were striking at it all the same (I had 6 strikes and three landed). Thanks to everyone for your input. __________________ E.J. "I am going where streams of whiskey are flowing"

10-18-2007, 11:05 AM	#7
18406ej Master Angler Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Keizer Posts: 337	13 in 1 Went back to the pond today after dropping the boys off at school, and tried the bubble and fly method again. This time I got 13 fish in one hour! I wish I had known about this method sooner...what a blast! I notice that the fish fight and jump a lot more with this method (or so it seems) as compared to fishing with Powerbait or a lure. Is this the case? __________________ E.J. "I am going where streams of whiskey are flowing"

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