Fly Fishing Questions and Answers

IMPORTANT
SITE UPDATE:

Visit the relaunched
Fish & Fly at fishandfly.com

Ask The Panel

Q. How many Newton lifejacket does a 14 stone man fishing from a boat need to be safe if the worst should happen? More

Q. Having fished for wild trout on the Wharfe where small flies were essential, I missed a lot of fish. Might one solution be to do a small tying on big hook? More

Q. Although I catch fish through trial and error, I would like to be able to match the hatch but find it difficult to identify natural flies. Can you help? More

Q. A few weeks ago I was catching fish but it started raining and the fish stopped feeding. When the rain stopped, they came back on the feed again. Can you tell me why? More

Q. Following on from your reply to the question on whether the fly leader on the surface puts trout off, I have also just started river fishing and have the same problem, however to try and resolve this I use flourocarbon as suggested, but it is often difficult to get it to sink, what am I doing wrong? More

Q. There is a reference to the Steeple Cast in Terry Lawton's reply to a recent question about fishing weighted nymphs. Could you provide more info on this method of casting More

Q. What is the difference between copolymer and fluorocarbon tippet material? More

Q. Does it make that much difference using a tapered leader for dry fly or wet fly fishing as I have up to now in my ignorance never used one at all? More

> See more previously answered questions...

How many Newton lifejacket does a 14 stone man fishing from a boat need to be safe if the worst should happen? Robert Deane

To answer this question we spoke to a sailing bouyancy aid manufacturer and a mail order chandlery. A bouyancy aid - which is rated at 50 Newtons - is designed to provide extra bouyancy for a man in the water. It is not a life jacket and is not designed to float someone who is unconscious with their face out of the water. Fifty Newtons is the EU recommendation for such devices.

Lifejackets are designed to float an unconscious body face up and save a life, hence their name. Manual/gas or automatic lifejackets are available in two grades: 150 Newtons and 175 Newtons. Either is suitable for any size person but the higher rated one would be recommended for a big man wearing a lot of clothing, and it will float any weight of wearer higher in the water. Part of the annual service which should be carried out by the owner is to inflate the jacket by mouth and leave it inflated for, say, 24 hours to check that it does not lose pressure and also to weigh the gas bottle to check that no gas has been lost. We understand that no further checks can be made and that the inflation mechanisms on life jackets are designed to be completely reliable in operation. Terry Lawton

Having fished for wild trout on the Wharfe where small flies were essential, I missed a lot of fish. Might one solution be to do a small tying on big hook? Bob Latham

Tying a "small" fly on a big hook is an accepted practice. Before doing this I think that I would want to know more about why you were missing fish. Were you striking too quickly? Had a fish risen to your fly and not a natural (perhaps unseen) alongside? Did you have to fish at such a distance? Light or fine wire hooks are made by most reputable hook makers and can be seen in many fishing tackle and fly tying equipment catalogues. However, to make sure that the hook is what you want ie weight of wire, gape, hook bend etc, it is probably best to look at the hooks available in local fishing tackle shops. Terry Lawton

Although I catch fish through trial and error, I would like to be able to match the hatch but find it difficult to identify natural flies. Can you help? Dave Ware

Identifying natural flies is not that easy. Most of us can identify the Mayfly, Daddy Long Legs, some sedges and one or two other common flies. We have reviewed recently two books: John Goddard's Waterside Guide and The Fly Fisherman's Entomological Pattern Book by John Cawthorne. I suggest you read the reviews and then have a look at both books and see which one you like best. John Cawthorne's book may have more immediate appeal but John Goddard's is the more comprehensive. Terry Lawton

A few weeks ago I was catching fish but it started raining and the fish stopped feeding. When the rain stopped, they came back on the feed again. Can you tell me why? Colette McCabe

Fish are affected by changes in weather and atmospheric pressure. I have fished rivers in October when the weather has been very changeable and experienced fantastic sport. I found a possible clue to your problem in Frank Sawyer's book, Keeper of the Stream. In it he suggests that when the weather changes and it starts raining "... a sudden storm will also break up the film (the top layer or surface of the water), the surface is once again oxygenated, and the tiny animal life retreat towards the bed of the stream.".

ColetteMcCabe also asked if it is worth fishing in the rain. Personally I don't particularly enjoy fishing in the rain but if fish are feeding and you are catching fish, why stop? Confidence is also important. We all catch more fish when using a fly in which we have confidence. If your level of confidence is low when fishing in the rain, you probably won't fish as well, lose concentration and so catch fewer or no fish at all. So do you go fishing in the first place? It depends on how keen you are! Again, Frank Sawyer is very encouraging about the prospects in bad weather and when it rains after a spell of dry weather. Terry Lawton

Following on from your reply to the question on whether the fly leader on the surface puts trout off, I have also just started river fishing and have the same problem, however to try and resolve this I use flourocarbon as suggested, but it is often difficult to get it to sink, what am I doing wrong? Should I treat it? I thought that Flourocarbon didn't need treating to get it to cut through the water, but when using a dry fly I find it just floats until I give it a few good tugs. Richard Nash

Although the specific gravity of Fluorocarbon makes it heavier than water, it does seem that, particularly the lighter weights, do have a reluctance to sink. If you are having trouble making your tippet sink, treat it with a sinkant either home made (a mixture of Fuller's Earth and washing up liquid made into a paste is an old favourite) or one of the many commercial products on the market. You can be sure that when you wnat it to float, it won't! Terry Lawton

There is a reference to the Steeple Cast in Terry Lawton's reply to a recent question about fishing weighted nymphs. Could you provide more info on this method of casting, as I fish the river Nidd (Nidderdale) North Yorkshire and there are many parts that are not "easily" fishable with a fly, due mainly to trees. I use the roll cast quite effectively but would like to hear more about the "Steeple Cast". John King

The objective of the Steeple Cast is to send the line, on the back cast, vertically in the air and is used where there is very limited room - or even no room - behind you when casting. One of the fundamental principles of casting is that the line goes in the direction that the rod tip is pointing when it stops. So to cast straight up, the rod tip must point straight up at the end of the back cast. Ed Jaworowski, the American casting guru, recommends turning your wrist outwards so that your hand is underneath the rod and the reel is on top: use your thumb, which is now under the rod, to push your back cast straight up in the air. You should be able to stop the rod tip while it is still travelling in a nearly vertical path.

To make your forward cast, turn you hand back to the normal position. Terry Lawton

What is the difference between copolymer and fluorocarbon tippet material? When would you use one in preference to the other? Chris Hyde

We asked Russell Weston, managing director of Snowbee, to answer this question.

The original monofilament fishing lines, which have been on the market for many years, are basically an extruded monofilament of Polyamide. The first Polyamide 6.6 was developed in 1935 by WH Carothers in the USA and given the name Nylon. Later in 1937/38, the German scientist P Schlack developed Polyamide 6 and gave it the trade name Perlon. (The 6 or 6.6 simply refers to the number of carbon atoms in the components).

These both have similar properties and a specific gravity of 1.14 g/cm3, making them heavier than water (1g/cm3).

More recently, co-polymers were developed. These are simply blends of Polyamide 6 & 6.6, where the chemists have altered the tensile properties of the fibre by blending two different types of Polyamide. By altering the balance, they can effect properties such as elasticity, tensile strength, stiffness, abrasion resistance etc. Most of the "Double Strength" type lines would fall into this category.

The most recent development has been Fluorocarbon. It is a totally different material from the Nylons above and was invented and patented by the Japanese chemical company Kureha in 1971. The resins and production technique used to make Fluorocarbon are far more expensive than Polyamides, hence the much
higher price of fluorocarbons.

The molecular structure is completely different from that of Nylons, which makes Fluorocarbon heavier - specific gravity around 1.78 g/cm3, allowing it to cut through surface film more easily.

The biggest advantage of Fluorocarbon over Nylons is that the refractive index is very close to that of water: Water: 1.33, Fluorocarbon: 1.42, Nylon: 1.53 - 1.62. This has little or no benefit when used on the surface or in the surface film, but immediately the line cuts through the surface film, fluorocarbon is virtually invisible, hence its highly acclaimed "fish catching" qualities.

Fluorocarbon is also more durable than nylon, does not absorb water, is resistant to UV light and has better abrasion resistance than nylons.

You might like to know that Snowbee Fluorocarbon was used by Hywel Morgan and other members of the Welsh team in the World Championships. Russell Weston

To answer Chris' second question...

The choice of leader material is often down to personal preference and confidence in the strength, durability and of ease of tying knots in a particular brand of material. Tying knots in double strength and fluorocarbon material must be done with more care than basic nylon. Particularly fussy trout in very clear water may be caught more easily with finer and less visible double strength or fluorocarbon tippets. Terry Lawton

Does it make that much difference using a tapered leader for dry fly or wet fly fishing as I have up to now in my ignorance never used one at all? I still catch my fair share of fish on the river and the stillwater. I simply make a loop at the end of my fly line and attach a nine foot cast straight to it. I use a 10 foot 7-8 weight rod (Bob Church Power-weave). Philip Price

It should! In the same way that level fly lines are no longer used because tapered lines are so much more efficient and transfer the energy of the rod to the line, allowing longer casts to be made, so a properly designed and constructed tapered leader will help casting and presentation, particularly in difficult conditions. When it is windy you should find that a tapered leader will help improve your casting as well as producing a less splashy presentation to a fussy fish, particularly on rivers.

Yes, I am sure that you will continue to catch fish with a straight length of nylon, but when you need to be able to cast with more accuracy and finesse, you will find a tapered leader will make a big difference.

We will be publishing an article on the design and construction of tapered leaders. Terry Lawton

> See more previously answered questions...