FairweatherFisher
Rather than waiting, I went down to the Alton Baker canal and tried it, and that’s exactly what happened. Well, actually the hook and PB went flying off. Then I tied in a fly, and that also went flying off after about a dozen casts.When you are making false cast to load your rod, that power bait might just go flying off the hook. The fly rod, and fly line are best suited to and designed for fishing with flies.
Get your hands on a copy of the Curtis Creek Manifesto by Sheridan Anderson and spend some time reading it. It will cut your learning curve by 50%.
https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/curtis-creek-manifesto_sheridan-anderson/462577/item/11284723/?mkwid=|dc&pcrid=77447028765180&pkw=&pmt=be&slid=&product=11284723&plc=&pgrid=1239149900900141&ptaid=pla-4581046492312221&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Shopping+-+High+Vol+Frontlist+-+Under+$10&utm_term=&utm_content=|dc|pcrid|77447028765180|pkw||pmt|be|product|11284723|slid||pgrid|1239149900900141|ptaid|pla-4581046492312221|&msclkid=dd48ece2b89f1b347f06888e72191f99#idiq=11284723&edition=3827197
Tight lines!
Why? Because I have lots of it, and I don’t have many flies, and I know power bait floats the same as a fly would. I also know the hatchery fish here seem to like the yellow kind. This particular body of water is open to fishing year round.Until the last Saturday of the month; most streams are closed to fishing with bait. But why would you try bait with a fly rod? Fly rods aren't designed to cast bait. Rather they are designed to cast, in many cases, teeny tiny flies. So that they gently lay on, or into, the water and not spook the fish.
And to many fly fishermen women, using bait is against the unwritten rules of fly angling. Hopefully none will chime in on this, with any sarcastic remarks. But, instead, OFFer you some help like the others above.
Most likely #2 & #3. It was a pretty brushy hillside I was on, and there were definitely a few snaps that I heard. Just couldn’t seem to get it to cast as far as I needed to get out of the eddy current, so I was letting out more line. Probably didn’t give it long enough to unfurl on the back cast.You might look at your casting before revisiting the knots that you are tying. There can be a couple of reasons to lose a fly.
1. Fly was to large for the tippet/leader.
2. You are starting your forward cast to soon. Are you hearing a snap or crack sound like a whip when you are casting?
3. You might have snagged brush or grass on your back cast.
I use a basic anchor knot for a lot of my flies if they aren't either to small or I would like additional articulation.
I did learn the roll cast, though I haven’t been able to get much distance out of it. My rod is a 7’ fiberglass 5wt, not sure if that makes a difference?Sounds like a rollcast situation possibly, did you get taught that? With a little practice 50-60 ft. casts will be possible with a 5 weight rod. You will probably throw off powerbait though I have never done it, worms will work, and the use of the smallest Dick Nite spoons it well within the realm. They have a #8 siwash hook if I remember right that is about as sharp as a deer antler so a little sharpening will be necessary or a change to a better hook.
Thanks, good to know what application it will work best for! Hoping to try it out on Dexter lake this weekend. Figure from the boat, rather than shore, I might stand a chance of attracting some fish?In my opinion both the length, and rod material, will affect casting of any sort. I really enjoy shorter glass rods for small creek trout fishing, but getting length out of your cast or mending with them can be a little difficult.
Thanks for the advice! I was thinking to try going out into the middle of the water and anchoring. Sounds like that is NOT the way to do it hahaha.Well good luck! I have a couple of high alpine lakes that I will typically fly fish from a boat in. If you have a trolling motor, and someone willing to run it for you, then you can fly fish out of the bow. Troll along the bank in the evening, say in about 15'-20' ish of water. Then cast back into the bank or to rising fish. The trolling action of the boat will help fix your cast, and straighten out your line, if you have a pile up or everything ends up falling apart.
This will give you a lot of opportunities to cast on the water, without have to worry to much about your back cast or making a perfet cast for a perfect drift. Make sure that you have a good clear area around your feet if it is at all possible. If your fly line behaves like mine can, you will catch on everything remotely possible and impossible in the bottom of the boat.
Understandable that you want to use the stock of bait that you have, and I agree that the availability of artificial lures, flies, and various kinds of bait can be overwhelming. It will help to keep in mind that the difference between fly fishing and using a spinning or baitcasting setups is not just technique, or even the basic gear, but the tackle, start to finish. The fly rod and reel are designed for fly line (and backing line!), special tapered leader, and tippet. And what you put on the end of the tippet, whether wet or dry "flies," is in a separate category from all the hooks, bait, and lures that you would normally use for spinning reels or baitcasters.Why? Because I have lots of it, and I don’t have many flies, and I know power bait floats the same as a fly would. I also know the hatchery fish here seem to like the yellow kind. This particular body of water is open to fishing year round.
The distinction between bait, jigs, flies, etc. is one that I don’t understand. They’re all synthetic materials (unless it’s live bait, which powerbait isn’t) so why are they treated differently?