Trolling Fly's

[Biakabatuka]

Hey Guys

I was lucky enought to earn (wife was happy with me) a new fly rod at christmas with a sinking line and some tying gear. Using new rod and self made flys I have tried three times with no success, about 3 hours each time. Looking for any suggestions regarding what I may be doing incorrectly. Very little winter fishing experience and non with the fly.

Gear is 5wt with a 5WF full sink line, 9ft leader and 3ft flurocarbon tippet.

Trolling slow to dead wind drift, have even tried faster but I think that only works in late spring. Line is fully out, 100ft and have tried stripping in while dead drifting. 6" quick strips as well as 18" with a 2 second pause between.

Casting towards shore and stripping in both slow and fast. Using bead head or slightly front weighted Microleeches and Wolly buggers tied on #6 to 12 hooks. Simi Seal in burgundy, brown, black stone, olive as well as marabou in different colors and variations. Most of the flies would be in the 1-1.5" size but have a couple larger 2.5".

I feel like I am doing many things correctly and I understand it is fishing not Catching but no strikes in 9 hours is painful. #1 reason for failure may be where, Langford lake, but I am not a big believer in a productive lake being dead in winter. I have seen a few shore guys catching but nothing from other boats. I have depth sounder that says some big fish on bottom but lots smaller in the 15 to 30ft range. I assumed that I am targeting that zone with a slow to dead troll but unsure. Stripping through should amount to something but Nada.

Any suggestions would be helpful from those with winter experience. I was fairly succesful last spring, first year with the fly but didn't start til May. More time on the water is my number one solution but that is always hard to find.

Thanks, James

 

[Kildonan]

It sounds to me like you've just been plain old unlucky thus far.

All the stuff you describe are things I do... with success.

Your "full sink line". Is it type 3? Type 6? I generally run type 6 this time of year to get down into the zone more. When trolling, it can be tough to get down to 30 feet as I find even minimal movement in the boat when dead drifiting can bring the line up IMO.

You could try double anchoring and fish chironomids right near the bottom.

 

[medherring]

As the water warms and the lake starts turning over you will find the bites will start coming much more aggressively. I grew up fishing Langford / Elk and Thetis in a row boat or belly boat. The paddle strokes or kicking strokes will open up and close the presentation of a leech pattern on a sinking line beautifully. Nice furry black, or olive or brown leech patterns or wholly buggers will always catch fish. Have fun.

 

[Biakabatuka]

Thanks for replies, Full sink is type 6. I have that and a floating that came with the rod. I agree any movement brings the line up. How deep is the line is a product of speed and line sink but so far I have not brought up any weeds except when I full stopped.

I have only fished Elk and Prospect a couple of times, Langford was very successful for us (kids) last year and we had many catch and release days only bringing home enough for dinner. Mostly gear though and we are wanting to learn on the fly as we are all in agreement about the take and fight is so different from gangtroll and tackle. Do they have more shoals than Langford? I find myself trolling in water 40'+ deep and not sure how deep to fish or how deep my line is. Do you tend to troll in shallower water?

Plan to try Elk on Sunday, Ihear along the hihgway can be effective. Is this shallower? When trolling are you thinking to be as close to the bottom as possible or try to target the fish in the 15-30ft range?

I agree about the paddle strokes, having fished very effectively from a canoe. I have tried to impart the same from the boat but not sure I have been effective. I usually hold the rod, not in the holder. How big are the leech patterns you use? Micro or 2+ inches? Materials?

Finally Chronimids are a goal for sure. I just finished my anchors but I thought this would be most effective in shallower water, 25'ft or less? I have gotten to try bloodworm fly once and about 1 hour in BAM!!! I can't wait to try that again. Lots to learn and patience to have.

 

[medherring]

I always put in at the rowing club dock at Elk and fished along the highway to the swim beach. There is a shelf there that is around 25ft if I remember. If you are using a trolling motor try going in and out of gear to recreate the paddle stroke movement, drop your fly in the water and troll beside the boat to get a good indication of how the fly is reacting to the troll speed/variation. Remember that your not trolling gear so slow will give those leeches a better presentation.

I preferred tying my leeches with maribou as it really opens up and has lots of movement.

I always trolled in shallower water in Langford less than 30ft usually had a sink line with leech and a floating line with a W bugger. I would then change accordingly to where the fish are biting (high or low) and then start casting.

Again don't get frustrated about slow lake fishing in Jan and Feb, by April things will be heating up, oh yeah watch the barometer, I never went out if it was falling. Trout definitely get tight lipped.

 

[kunni]

I will be at elk lake on sunday aswell, so if I see you, we can exchange info. As for trolling flies, use darker flies on a darker day, and lighter flies on a lighter day, the reason for this is that the silhouette on a dark day will be dark, and visa versa. It sounds like you are fishing the fly properly, focus your efforts around drop off's, ect. Around now I have been double anchoring, and fishing leaches, and chronis on the bottom, a dark leach has been good for me, because it has been dark latley. I always tie my leaches with marabou, but I have used different synthetics, I just prefer marabou. I find that leeches around 1.5-2 inches work best around now, save the big 3 inchers for the spring. With chronomids, you should fish were the bottom is muddy, not rocky. The only time that I fish chrionomids around rocks is after some strong winds, the chronis drift around then, and a rock downwind of a muddy park in the lake can be effective. You should have your chroni within 2 feet of the lake bottom.

kunni

 

[kunni]

oh, and by the way, you dont need a 9 ft leader+ 3 ft fluorocarbon. You need about 4-5 ft of leader, I use 5lb test. Make sure not to tie the fluorocarbon directly onto your fly line, because it WILL cut through it. So a 1.5 ft piece of mono, slightly heavier than the fluorocarbon, then 3.5ft of fluorocarbon. Or you can just use a 5ft 5lb test mono filament.

good luck

kunni

 

[winephart]

Elk lake has some major problems with water quality this year due to phosphate levels ( bottom of the lake is devoid of oxygen). I would take a shot at prospect lake. It was great last week! It doesn't sound like you are doing anything wrong.

 

[kunni]

hmm, thats weird, I have been slaying the last few times at elk, I caught a three pounder, just cant get photo off my phone onto the computer. Prospect is always good though, only been skunked once, and I have fished it for 4 years.

kunni

 

[BrodieG]

Ive found that trolling flies with an electric motor is far less productive than rowing. The slower the better seems to work for me. If you find your going too fast try trolling in reverse as I found it cut my speed down even more and produced some better action.

Ive had good luck with larger flies this time of the year my best being an olive maribou bunny leech.

 

[River Rat]

I'm not familiar with the Island lakes...however, with interior lakes...I'd locate a shoal that had a good drop off into deeper water, I'd anchor on the edge of the shoal and cast out into the deeper water. I'd count the seconds and then retrieve very slowly...usually hand twists with a few 2-4 inch strips thrown in. If I did not get a hit or feel bottom, I'd cast out again, and count the seconds, but leaving it out longer before retrieving. If I was trolling a fly on a new lake, I'd locate the same shoal and troll off the edge of it, in the deeper water. Good searching patterns are Doc Spratley and leech patterns.Micro-leeches are great. I lean towards black and/or maroon for colour. During winter months, temperatures don't allow for chironomid hatches, so I use bloodworm patterns and fish them like chironomid pupae. You can't fish them slow enough! Any fish caught while searching would get throat pumped to see what it had been feeding on, then I'd adjust my flies and technique to imitate what it had been feeding on.

 

[Biakabatuka]

Again great responses with a few constants such as "GO SLOW or SLOWER"

I think dark is the order of the day and I will definetly be trying a few dark leeches tommorow. I have numerous micro-leeches and a couple bigger ones so I think I am well armed. I will try anchoring up if I find a shoal and give that a try. I assume in the interior with the shallower lakes you are using an indicator? I have considered that here think most of the lakes I have fished so far near Victoria have steep shores and are more bowl shaped. I know interior lakes have many shoal in the 8-15ft range that are very large. So far not true on the island but maybe I just haven't found them yet. I will get a throat pump for when the fishing picks up in the spring.

Any other suggestions about leader length and tippet length? I have been reading about that today and think Kunni may be right and I should shorten? Especially or trolling with the #6 sinking line?

Kunni do you launch at the rowers dock or the main launch off brookleigh road? Looks like the rowers launch is heavily weeded? I would like to try the chronimids agin but very little experience there.

 

[River Rat]

I use indicators with long leaders up to 24 feet...after that I would go full sink.....count it down...then slow hand twist or one inch retrieve....I don't usually fish up on the shoal itself, unless I see hatches happening on it...I tend to fish the deeper drop offs from the shoal. I usually go 3-5 feet of fluorocarbon for tippet....leaders vary with method. Just trolling...I stick with a standard 9 feet. Some patterns like Bottom Walker, Gomphus, and Boobie....actually float....so your sinking line can be on the bottom, and your fly can be above the weeds.....good for dragonfly patterns.

 

[CVmike]

I think your leader line is about the right length. I have great luck this time of year trolling a black doc spratley in sizes 8-14. Its my go to fly for searching and it hasnt failed me yet. Trout are very docile this time of the year but food is also quite slim so they wont miss an opportunity of a big leach or minnow pattern if you put it close enough to their faces. The big trick is finding where they are hiding and then working that area steadily.

 

[River Rat]

an old pic...but one of several big bows caught dragging a Doc Spratley on a new lake.

 

[kunni]

Biakabatuka, I launch near the rowers dock, I will be fishing chronis around there tomorrow morning at around 9:30, double anchored. I have been using a mushroom anchor, but anything will work, and just today I picked up a pair of pyramids 10lbs each. I either fish chronis around the highway, or by the smaller beach, next to the jungle gym. I almost always fish with a sinking line. clip on some forceps, and let the line out, so its about a foot shorter than the bottom of the lake, then pull the line in, without reeling, unclip the forceps and let the line out to the bottom. Brodie G, the reason that oars are better, is because they provide a stop start action, the natural way leaches move. If you ever get a hit cut the motor, or stop rowing, because it is likely the fish will come back and hit it again, leaches stop and curl up into a ball when there is a threat, so thats what stopping imitates

kunni

 

[Biakabatuka]

Wanted to say thanks to Kunni and Mike for thier guidance on Sunday. Still didn't catch anything but did get one good strike and a head shake at the end of the day. Lost it moments after getting the rod out of the holder.

Mike had a look at my flys and gave me some great suggestions (wow, is his box full of quality) on the tying but said so far looking good. I am on the right track and now have some direction after looking at his. Lots of other insight that was shared on the water and I really appreciated the receptive attitude to some basic questions.

Spent a couple hours fishing bloodworms and witnessed fish caught so I know they are there. Spent most of my time watching and noticing what they were doing and seeing. Lots to try and put into practise and good time of year to focus on basics so I am more confident by spring.

I was suprised at the specific places I trolled that did and did not have fish on my finder. After they left I trolled for a while doing large S's in and out toward shore. May have been trolliing too fast to catch but was more on an exploration trip than anything. Several places where depth for 100 yards was the same and yet there were ribbons or fish only along specific strips. Changed tactic and ran straight, one run no fish and another run had fish pretty consistent all along.

Leads to next question on who spends time searching before really fishing? Depth sounder is new tool for me and I am aware it is not "Accurate" regarding fish but it is a useful tool that showed me something I had not expected. When I used it on Langford a few weeks ago it showed me fish exactly where I had always known them to be and none in a spot I had always thought of as barren so it isn't always wrong.

Without a sounder I always ran my loop in places I had been successful before and then changed when not successful. Now I think I may be better equiped at scoping out the area, and more quickly able to judge an area's quality.

How many guys put faith in their sounders? Use them to help scope out an area? Change sooner and what other things do you look for when deciding to change places? I have watched a few of the fly shows and read what Brian Chan, Phil Rowley, Don Freschi say regarding what they look for and have started to really try and impliment some of those ideas.

Even if I am not catching at least it's something for my brain to fester on instead of the mindless circle troll!
James

 

[kunni]

I will be at fishing on friday, if you want to meet up again. I will be there at 10 am ish.

kunni

 

[kanuckle head]

I always have better luck slow, port side then starboard paddling swimming freshwater flys in the strike zone, then anchored & stripping
Have no comment on motor tolling, for I have never dun tat

Kh

 

[kunni]

I was anchored, and letting the fly sit, letting the water give it action. If you are getting hits in an area, will you stop, anchor and fish it?

kunni