Flies on a spinning rod

[JHawk]

How long should the lead be from the swivel to the fly when fishing a fly behind a float bubble on a spinning rod/reel?

 

[troutdude]

I've done that dozens of times in lakes & reservoirs. I use about 4' of leader, with lots of success.

Tomorrow I'm going to try about 3' of leader, and do some stream fly fishing. I'm using my spin rod, just because I haven't got a reel for my fly rods. It should do the trick though. Gonna chase some Blue Backs, and try some attractors and/or nymphs and/or woolly buggers.

HINT: crimp on a BB sized (i.e. very small) split shot onto your leader. Place it just a bit more than 1/2 way down the line (from the bobber to your hook). In other words, closer to your hook than your float. This will keep your line from wrapping around itself when casting. A fly fisherman taught me that trick.

 

[18406ej]

JHawk- Good luck, I think you will enjoy this method. It was always my most succesful fishing set-up.

 

[OnTheFly]

Troutdude nailed it. For your subsurface flies, you want to be down at least 5ft. so make the leader accordingly. The BB splitshot TD mentioned can go as close as 12 to 18inches above the fly. Troll slow!

 

[usmc-recon]

Troutdude nailed it. For your subsurface flies, you want to be down at least 5ft. so make the leader accordingly. The BB splitshot TD mentioned can go as close as 12 to 18inches above the fly. Troll slow!

I'm hoping I'm not hijacking this with dumb? But when fishing stillwater/rivers do you watch the fly,float or tip of rod for that particular setup! I've allways wanted try that method! Sorry if this is an annoyance!

 

[OnTheFly]

Never an annoyance recon. If you are fishing on top water then naturally you would watch the fly not the float and wait for the rise. Subsurface fishing using the bobber method you'd be keeping watch on the bobber or indicator.

 

[troutdude]

Yep yep. OTF is right on. Watch the float for a strike, when sub surface (like when using my favorite "wet" fly...a woolly bugger).

And OTF is also quite right about speed. SLOW is the game! Remember that you're pulling a bug. Bugs do not swim fast. When in a tube, I only very barely kick.

 

[Raincatcher]

I've had some success with this method. The difference is that I always felt like I would be an outcast if a true fly fisherfolk caught me doing it. I had no idea it was acceptable...whew,what a relief! Now I can stop looking over my shoulder for the fly police...:lol: :lol:

 

[OnTheFly]

I've had some success with this method. The difference is that I always felt like I would be an outcast if a true fly fisherfolk caught me doing it. I had no idea it was acceptable...whew,what a relief! Now I can stop looking over my shoulder for the fly police...:lol: :lol:

Oh good grief Barb. Last year at the Trillium event I met KJLarson, a forum member, out on the lake. He had been trolling lures with no luck. I had him rig up with the bobber method and handed him one of my olive crystal buggers. Later that day we happened to be trolling past each other again and with an ear to ear grin held up a huge trophy trout. It made my day.

 

[Raincatcher]

Oh,Jim...I'm so relieved to be out of the closet and into the light...:lol: :lol: :lol: No more walk of shame...:yay: :yay: :yay:
:lol: :lol:

Oops,sorry for the hijack...:doh: :wall:

 

[OnTheFly]

lol! Barb, you're welcome to to as many of my crystal buggers as you need anytime.

 

[wozniasm]

I've had some success with this method. The difference is that I always felt like I would be an outcast if a true fly fisherfolk caught me doing it. I had no idea it was acceptable...whew,what a relief! Now I can stop looking over my shoulder for the fly police...:lol: :lol:

Saw this method a lot at Olallie and was told that it's used often.
I won't say a word - I'm not a purist - I use/do whatever I have to to catch!

 

[OnTheFly]

Another story about the bobber fly fishing method. Years ago I used to take annual backpacking trips into the Sierras in California. In the evenings, these high mountain lakes would have so many fish rising on them it looked like it was raining. Anyhoot, there were a couple guys up there that had packed in a small inflatable and would go out fishing at that time. They used a teardrop clear bobber half filled with water for weight and a dry fly on about 5 or 6 feet if light leader. Needles to say they slayed them.

 

[JHawk]

What kind of retrieve do you guys use, besides slowww? Do you twitch the bug, or more of just a very slow, steady retrieve?

 

[OnTheFly]

What kind of retrieve do you guys use, besides slowww? Do you twitch the bug, or more of just a very slow, steady retrieve?

It depends. Bait fish patterns such as a Zonker minnow will need to be reteived like a fast darting fish while leech patterns short and slow distances 6 to 10" pulls then a pause in between. Retreiving soft hackles would be shorter maybe 4"bursts and alternating pulls. 1..12..1...123...12...123...and so on.

 

[bernduffy]

Although I'm just now trying fly gear, I've used this method on my spinning set up at Hagg Lake with good results. One problem I have with it is that these (getting older) eyes can't see the clear bobber so well. Any compromise solution for that? Maybe paint the upper tip?

 

[Metoman]

I've used this method back when I was kid. It works, no question, but can spook fish with the bobber disturbance (especially the non-adi fin clipped type) Great way for a newbie to ease into fly, just make sure you don't use it on any fly fishing only waters, it's illegal.

 

[Panman]

Bernduffy. I too am getting old (70 plus) and have fished with the spinning rod & a bobber for many years. I use one of those two inch egg bobbers that can be filled completely with water. When using this type of bobber the line is attached to a swivel and the bobber placed above the swivel and the leader below. Of course then the bobber is then free to slide up and down the line.

Here is the trick (at least for me). For the line I use Stren Golden mono. It is quite visiable. I try to keep as little slack in my line as possible and just watch the line. I can see most of the very light hits and set the hook.

Tim

 

[troutdude]

Bernduffy, they make torpedo bobbers clear, green and red. Maybe the red one will help?

Metoman, is it really illegal to use such a bobber in "fly only" areas? It's only used as a strike indicator (and to add casting weight). How could that be illegal?

 

[Metoman]

Yes, it is in fact illegal to use spinning gear in fly-only area's. Take a look at page 8 in reg's, it'll answer a lot of questions about the topic. Good luck and be legal!

Fly Angling : Angling with a fly rod, fly reel, (no spinning or fixed spool reel(s)), floating or sinking fly line, leader, any type of
backing line, and an artificial fly. In waters restricted to “Fly Angling Only” no additional weights or attractors shall
be attached to the hook, leader, or line, and no metal core lines may be used.