FS Digest

Hey Feather Flippers,

As an amateur fly fishermen I was curious if anyone would share some of their shore stillwater techniques, as that is what 80% of my applications are. I have seen a lot of stillwater from a boat information but not really anything around shoreline/bank fishing lakes.

Currently I have had all my success on dry droppers where I will have a Beetle/Hopper/Ant pattern as a dry and running a midge or nymph patterns around 2ft below. I have not had any luck with streamers or dry flies as all my takes have been on the dropper. I have yet to find a bass with all my attempts so any tips there from a shoreline view?

Wondering things like line types, leader setups, retrieves, and flies of course. Seasonal advice and strategies would be awesome.

Setup: 6wt 9', WF Floating line

Species: Trout, Bass, and small Pike


Thanks!

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by BaM_BooZeLLed

FS Digest

I'm going to focus on trout on this. The big point is that trout often cruise along the shore when the temps are right and it isn't to sunny/bright.

The techniques that stillwater anglers use from boats typically involve getting out to dropoffs near shore, hitting points along the shoreline, or key points in vegetation like pencil reeds. Dropoffs may be doable, but you will need to know the structure under the water which might be difficult. Most people who don't have depth finders extrapolate underwater structure from what they see along the shore, and that is only partially reliable.

As to points and pencil reeds, you may be able to take advantage of this. If you can find a point in the shoreline that has vegetation in castable distance from a easy to walk rocky point, you may be able to cast along the vegetation.

If you can find complete holes in the vegetation that go right to the shoreline (like at a boat launch for example) you will often be able to cast out to the edges of that hole. Again, the fish will cruise along the weedlines, and will be catchable when they go through this open space. Some (me) will always try fishing near a boat launch when it is situated in a bed of pencil reeds and has some depth to it. You can usually wade out a bit and cast out past the weeds, and draw your fly back so it runs close to the edge of the reeds.

Hope that helps, and good luck!

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by stephenmjay

FS Digest

Thank you for your input defiantly gives me more to consider when Im out there.

What do you like to throw? High/Mid/Low

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by BaM_BooZeLLed

FS Digest

This post is of interest to me as well. I fish a lake from shore in NW Washington and have done alright catching smallmouth and perch. Fished mostly a big, rocky drop-off or along the edge of some grass beds. I found green nymphs to be pretty effective throughout much of the summer and early fall. Dry flies, like Adams, did ok. I got absolutely nothing on streamers. I'd love to hear about any techniques or trade secrets someone is willing to dish out.

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by howdyjefe

FS Digest

Do you do any special retrieves with your dry's or just let them sit?

Yeah I dont know if Im presenting the streamers correctly from shoreline so I'd be nice to hear some opinions.

I've considered Sink tip/polyleaders to get it down for sure if thats a potential issue, but I dont understand the difference between just waiting a few seconds longer vs a sink tip getting down fast from a shoreline point of view.

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by BaM_BooZeLLed

FS Digest

I think a sink tip would make a difference with the streamers... Or maybe some split shot? I usually let the dry sit for 20-30 seconds and do a slow retrieve with the nymph. I was listening to a fly fishing podcast, I think Phil Rowley was the first, they suggested using a strike indicator with nymphs and just letting them sit. Like kids do with a worm. Part of what I really love about fly fishing is the act of casting. It's fun trying to figure it all out. It's not that I'm casting blindly, I know there are fish in there. I see them. They jump around. My kids catch them with worms. I still prefer going with the fly rod. It's not really all about catching fish for me.

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by howdyjefe

FS Digest

I just use a spinning rod. Blondcasting into still water is the polar opposite of what flyrods were designed for.

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by FLORI_DUH

FS Digest

I get that, but I do like the benefits of a fly rod as someone who came from spinning reels first. The type of bait(flies) is so much more effective in my mind now, and the ability to deliver it so much more naturally is a big bonus.

I could run a bubble float on a spinning outfit and throw flies across the lake but theres nothing like the fight and connection you get on a fly rod imo.

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by BaM_BooZeLLed

FS Digest

I fish stillwater streamers here in OK for bass. Best thing you can do is topwater of course. But if you want subsurface. Ask some of the dudes at your water what color and type of soft plastics or hardbaits they catch them on with their baitcaster and spinning rod. Once you get an idea of what they're eating on then you can slay them.

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by tflack31

FS Digest

You definitely can use dry flies near structure if the trout are hungry enough and the water clear enough. If you're lucky enough to see cruising trout, landing it a five feet in front of them will get a bite. Suspending beadhead nymphs with zero motion will catch plenty of trout too.

Throwing a leech or wooly bugger will get trout, bass, and probably pike. I'm not a huge fan of streamers because I feel like I'm back to spin fishing but with less control, more tangles, slower recasts and less distance. They definitely catch fish though.

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by bigbux

Spiritof27 Loc: Lincoln, CA

I don't have a boat, but I do have a float tube. Perfect for trolling (long lining) with a fly rod. From a boat you'd want to go a slow as possible. I've had a lot of luck with woolybuggers. Check on youtube. It works.

Helen Loc: Originally from Ohio, on Lake Erie. Now Fl i

I don't know how relevant my information will be since my fly-fishing has all been on Lake Erie which is a totally different animal from The Still Waters you all talk about. However what I do know is that at this time of year most of the fish including bass and trout are deep so you might want to go to a sinking tip line or depending on the depth of your Lake maybe even a full sinking line. Good luck.