This week I did something unusual on the river. I lied.
Having success fishing at a popular spot on the Swift River, I paused when an older angler waded in beside me and asked, “What are they taking?” Maybe it was the fact that he asked right off the bat. No chit chat. No preamble. Just a naked request for information.
I had spotted some fish in quick water that seemed active and maybe more willing to take a fly. I tried drifting my fly past them but had no success. I added splitshot, cast farther upstream and apparently got the fly to drift into the strike zone. Boom: three fish hooked and two landed in a few minutes!
And so, I replied to his question, after a pause: “San Juan Worm.” After I hooked the next fish he asked, “What color?” Orange/brown I told him, truthfully relaying the color I would have been using if I were to throw that fly. And after the third fish was released: “Are you using split shot?” came across the water. Phfew, nothing but honesty here. “Yes,” I replied.
I am a terrible liar. Just awful. I am pretty sure that my mendacity was apparent even to a complete and total stranger. I usually don’t mind sharing info on the river. Earlier that day I had shared info with an angler who was new to the river. Later on I provided some tips and strategies to a younger angler who was not having any success.
As a rule I don’t mind sharing, and sharing is often beneficial when it comes in the form of a back and forth and you learn what flies or observations the other angler has made. It seemed odd that I felt bad about my river fib. I did not owe that angler anything. And the worst thing would be misleading him to tie on a fly without a reasonable chance of success (that fly had worked last week).
On my next outing on the Swift, I was fishing what I thought was less flogged water not near the popular spots. I was working my way down to a good hole next to a big tree with overhanging branches where I have seen and caught fish before.
As I got closer to the tree, my fly got hung up on a branch. I was a little surprised as I had not seen anything. I looked up and saw what I would describe as a “Venus fly trap.” A thin leafless branch, growing straight down and nearly vertical, had snagged my line. It would have been nearly invisible, except for a bolus of tippet and flies that looked like a dense spider web. I blinked, there must have been a dozen flies wrapped up in a tight web of terminal tackle.
I am a tall guy so I can often retrieve flies from branches that are pretty high up. I waded in up to my rib cage and used my rod to bring the branch a little lower. But there was not much play, so I balanced on a small rock. Pirouetting, I lost my balance and nearly went over. I must have looked like a river rube.
Now determined, on the second try I was able to grab a streamer in the nest of line, and pulled that down so I could grasp the very end of the branch. I reached up with my pliers and cut through the the thin branch, thus retrieving my motley prize which I shoved in my chest pocket.
At home, I sifted through and patiently cut tippet away from the ball of line to free each fly. I could not believe how many flies were there. As I dropped them into a fly cup, I eventually reached 25 flies! As I was doing this, I realized that this ball of line was a “truth serum” that represented a poll of 25 anglers and what fly they were fishing with. No room for deception. No morality. No bad liars.
What follows are the results of a poll of anglers, and what they actually were using on their last cast with that fly:
- Nymphs: 17 (68%)
- Dries: 7 (28%)
- Streamers: 1 (4%)
There was also one bait hook, which I will exclude from the breakdown below:
- Barbs: All seven of the dry flies had barbed hooks, one was pinched down and was barbless (85% barbed dry flies).
- Six of the 17 nymphs were on barbless hooks (65% barbed).
- Overall: 68% of the flies were barbed and 32% were barbless.
- Bead heads: 13 of the 17 nymphs had bead heads (76%)
Hook sizes. These are my estimates:
So what fly was I using when I snagged the branch? A San Juan of course. 😉
I’d be interested to hear: how often do you tell the truth on the river?
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Always. And I am always straight with people when they ask more detailed questions. I’d rather spread the joy than hide it, that’s more important to me. My proudest moment in fishing came about a month ago when some guys saw me catching fish, asked what I was using, and I gave them a couple of the flies I’d tied and were successful.
Good on you Miles. It is definitely rewarding when you help fellow anglers find success.
Great blog – interesting information, and you made me smile as well.
I was really surprised at the number of barbed hooks you found in the “fly trap”. I was taught to pinch the barb down when I started fishing, and I’ve been fishing under the assumption that everyone does that when they’re planning to release the fish. Given the number of flies I’ve lost to branches and bushes, one of the ones you found might well have been mine. It had the barb pinched down. 🙂
Oh, and as to the lying – no. I’m a terrible liar.
Thanks for your comments Linda. I was surprised at the number of barbed hooks as well! I agree it’s a good approach to pinch down barbs. Especially with small dry flies, I find it also makes it easier to remove the fly without ruining it. I think part of the results might be explained by the dry flies mostly being store bought (which come with barbs) while the hand tied nymphs were on barbless hooks. For some reason it seems easier to buy barbless nymphs hooks than barbless dry fly hooks.
Rarely am I asked, but will give them the pattern and size I am using. I’ve had many funny looks when telling them “The Usual”! And during light mayfly hatch that’s what’s on my line.
Glad you’re successful on the Swift (my nemesis)!
Good one Steve! I had kind of forgotten about “the usual.” I learned of that fly from Rodney Flagg, and I recall catching a nice brown on the Millers with it, which was an early fly fishing highlight for me. After having some trouble with Swift trout taking sulphurs this year, I had a thought to try to tie some up in a “usual” style.
I never lie. But I don’t always tell the full truth. A few times after catching several trout in rocky fast water on the Swift with Partridge & Orange Soft Hackles and the fish stopped taking it, I switched over to Partridge and Pheasant Tail and caught a few more. Apparently a couple guys on the bank had been watching me, they came into the river and approached me, asking what fly was I hooking them with. I said simply soft hackle wet flies and moved downstream. Of course, ever since Jo published my Power Point slide show, “Winter Fly Fishing the Swift River,” which I had presented to a few Trout Unlimited chapters, and which includes photos of flies with recipes that I had found successful catchers, including both wet and dries, along with a bunch of trout with these flies in their jaws, I am often asked on the river if I am using a Red Brassie, or Partridge & Orange, it is harder for me to be less than completely truthful. Which I don’t really mind. We are after all searching for the same thing: A pleasurable connection to Nature and to Trout.
Great comments Gary. I was very surprised not to find any wet flies in the fly trap. Maybe wet fly anglers are more experienced and better casters ;). I appreciated you sharing your slideshow and all of the information in it. I have a selection of red brassies I have caught fish with on other rivers, but I never seem to have much success with them on the Swift. I think it’s interesting how the fly pattern is only one piece of the puzzle, and oftentimes a much less important piece than the size, the way it is tied, or especially the way it is presented to the fish. On some occasions, I have given hot flies that I am catching fish with to other anglers fishing over the same fish and they continue not catching anything.
Gary, thank you for emailing me that presentation and giving your OK to publish it. It sounds like it has really helped a lot of people!
You are more than welcomed, Jo. I’ve had quite a few people approach me in the river and ask if I am Gary Metras who did the Winter Fly Fishing slide show. When I answer, Yes, that is me, they are always so thankful for having that resource. It is all sharing our experiences on the river and our joy in fly fishing. By the way, today’s score 11/13/24: 16 Brookies, 3 Rainbows, 1 Brown Trout, all on Partridge & Orange soft hackle #16, with an additional 4 drops and 2 break-offs.
Was that all in one day?! Now I feel bad about myself again…… 🙂
Miles, don’t ever feel bad about fly fishing and catching or not catching. Being there is more important. Yes,I caught 20 trout that day, and a Trifecta. Luck and experience help in the catching department. I’ve been retired going on 21 years and fly fish 3 days a week (mostly at the Swift R.).
Great outing, Gary!
TY
Jamie, I to give out more info than I usually receive.. I’m like you.. if they come and start a friendly conversation I’ll gladly give up the goods. But if they’re just asking then I give them the watered down version with a twist like an orange crush frenchie.. no such fly in a shop but I make them custom. lol. Keeps them on their toes. Thanks for the read.
Steve
It’s my practice to be honest, so it would never occur to me to lie.
For men fly fishing, a helpful tip or two. For women and children or those struggling with a fly rod – all the advice and free flies they want. Hell, I’ll even give them my spot. For bait chuckers, spin-casters and other knuckle draggers, the fishing is terrible here, you’ll have better luck elsewhere. For anyone tossing cigarette butts and twisted tea cans into the river, there is a stretch of frog water on another river in another county that will get you all the fish dinners you’d like.
I generally lie…. to myself about making the next good cast and my mending skills. Otherwise I’m pretty see through due to stubbornness.
Miles, don’t ever feel bad about fly fishing and catching or not catching. Being there is more important. Yes,I caught 20 trout that day, and a Trifecta. Luck and experience help in the catching department. I’ve been retired going on 21 years and fly fish 3 days a week (mostly at the Swift R.).
All good I was just messing. I’m very happy with where I am, getting out every now and then and figuring it out.
And there is one local regular on the Swift who only fishes dry flies and who is an excellent fly fisher, catching many most of the time. When he is asked by others what fly did he catch that trout on, he will answer, for example, Limnephilidae Pycnopsyche, or Heptageniidae Leucrocuta and wade on. Maybe you’ve come across him? The common names of these two flies are October Caddis and Sulphur. The first time I spoke to him, he tried to pull this trick on me with: Heptageniidae Stenonema. I replied with: You better update your source as that fly has been renamed Heptageniidae Maccaffertium. He gave me a double take then nodded. We both went our ways. This fly is commonly known as a March Brown.