Streamers of Consciousness
When I first dipped my toe into the realm of fly fishing, it was limited by station and location to cork popping bugs and farm ponds. Nothing in fishing was quite as exciting as seeing bass and panfish blow up on a top water fly. Having once experienced those aquatic eruptions, never again would a red and white bobber bring nearly as much satisfaction.
So imagine my horror as I picked up the sport again as an adult when a fly shop employee informed me that the recommended method of fly fishing for trout on our nearby river was "nymphing"; fishing with small sinking flies below the surface. I felt like a victim of a bait and switch.
Well, when in Rome, as they say. So I learned how to nymph fish. It took a while to get the hang of it, but eventually I became proficient at this method. While it was effective, it lacked a the satisfaction that comes from a visual strike.
[caption id="attachment_1098" align="aligncenter" width="4032"]
Lunch Money, Designed and tied by Matt Bennett[/caption]
As a further insult to injury, another fly shop employee (I see a pattern emerging) told me that the most effective method to fly fish for bass in the Hill Country of Texas was with streamers...and preferably with a sinking fly line. He also mentioned most fly fishers would rather eat a dirt sandwich than case a sinking line. So naturally I ignored his advice him and kept throwing hair bugs, foam spiders and balsa poppers.
I caught fish, but it gnawed at me a little that I wasn't proficient with streamers. Sort of like walking the platform on graduation day but not receiving your diploma until you finish summer school.
This year, with plentiful rainfall and full rivers, swinging a streamer down and across seemed the most effective way to cover water. So I have committed to throwing them more often. Frankly, I seem to be catching more quality fish than before..
[caption id="attachment_1099" align="aligncenter" width="4032"]
Carp it Bomb, designed by Matt Bennett, tied by Mark Dillow[/caption]
But I still like the top water fishing best. Maybe it is the thrill of the visual take, while streamer and nymph takes are mostly unseen. With the floating fly there is no question about where the fly is, and what type of action is being imparted. Sub-surface fly fishing requires visualization, and dare I say, a bit of faith.
And perhaps it is just that; a piscatorial dark night of the soul that plagues me on the river. When I can see the fly, and see how it reacts to movements of rod and line, I need no faith, nor to visualize what goes on beyond my sight. True, I can get indications of how a streamer is working by how the line lays on the water. Sometimes I can feel the bump of rocks or other structure, but it only implies what the fly is doing. I can't actually see it. Thus, I have to trust that the fly is running true, and that it looks alive to my quarry. Takes are often just a dull weight on the line, almost a feeling of dragging the bottom.
[caption id="attachment_1100" align="aligncenter" width="4032"]
Brushy Creek Streamer, Designed by Chris Johnson, tied by Mark Dillow[/caption]
But there are other ways to become a Jedi of the streamer. One can listen to experienced streamer fishers, read books, watch videos, etc.. We can learn from them, and trust their experiences. But to really dial it in, I must actually begin using what I have learned. I can mentally agree with all I have been taught, but the knowledge won't truly be mine until I act on it. If I continue to fish streamers and my experience with them grows, so will my faith. That is, my confidence grows as a result of proof (i.e. success in catching fish). But action is required on my part, for "faith without works is dead".
[caption id="attachment_1101" align="aligncenter" width="3125"]
Rio Getter, Designed by Matt Bennett, tied by Mark Dillow[/caption]
And so, I continue this summer of the streamer, in an effort to grow my faith until it becomes sight.
[caption id="attachment_1102" align="aligncenter" width="2535"]
Streamer caught bass[/caption]
So imagine my horror as I picked up the sport again as an adult when a fly shop employee informed me that the recommended method of fly fishing for trout on our nearby river was "nymphing"; fishing with small sinking flies below the surface. I felt like a victim of a bait and switch.
Well, when in Rome, as they say. So I learned how to nymph fish. It took a while to get the hang of it, but eventually I became proficient at this method. While it was effective, it lacked a the satisfaction that comes from a visual strike.
[caption id="attachment_1098" align="aligncenter" width="4032"]
Lunch Money, Designed and tied by Matt Bennett[/caption]As a further insult to injury, another fly shop employee (I see a pattern emerging) told me that the most effective method to fly fish for bass in the Hill Country of Texas was with streamers...and preferably with a sinking fly line. He also mentioned most fly fishers would rather eat a dirt sandwich than case a sinking line. So naturally I ignored his advice him and kept throwing hair bugs, foam spiders and balsa poppers.
I caught fish, but it gnawed at me a little that I wasn't proficient with streamers. Sort of like walking the platform on graduation day but not receiving your diploma until you finish summer school.
This year, with plentiful rainfall and full rivers, swinging a streamer down and across seemed the most effective way to cover water. So I have committed to throwing them more often. Frankly, I seem to be catching more quality fish than before..
[caption id="attachment_1099" align="aligncenter" width="4032"]
Carp it Bomb, designed by Matt Bennett, tied by Mark Dillow[/caption]But I still like the top water fishing best. Maybe it is the thrill of the visual take, while streamer and nymph takes are mostly unseen. With the floating fly there is no question about where the fly is, and what type of action is being imparted. Sub-surface fly fishing requires visualization, and dare I say, a bit of faith.
And perhaps it is just that; a piscatorial dark night of the soul that plagues me on the river. When I can see the fly, and see how it reacts to movements of rod and line, I need no faith, nor to visualize what goes on beyond my sight. True, I can get indications of how a streamer is working by how the line lays on the water. Sometimes I can feel the bump of rocks or other structure, but it only implies what the fly is doing. I can't actually see it. Thus, I have to trust that the fly is running true, and that it looks alive to my quarry. Takes are often just a dull weight on the line, almost a feeling of dragging the bottom.
[caption id="attachment_1100" align="aligncenter" width="4032"]
Brushy Creek Streamer, Designed by Chris Johnson, tied by Mark Dillow[/caption]But there are other ways to become a Jedi of the streamer. One can listen to experienced streamer fishers, read books, watch videos, etc.. We can learn from them, and trust their experiences. But to really dial it in, I must actually begin using what I have learned. I can mentally agree with all I have been taught, but the knowledge won't truly be mine until I act on it. If I continue to fish streamers and my experience with them grows, so will my faith. That is, my confidence grows as a result of proof (i.e. success in catching fish). But action is required on my part, for "faith without works is dead".
[caption id="attachment_1101" align="aligncenter" width="3125"]
Rio Getter, Designed by Matt Bennett, tied by Mark Dillow[/caption]And so, I continue this summer of the streamer, in an effort to grow my faith until it becomes sight.
[caption id="attachment_1102" align="aligncenter" width="2535"]
Streamer caught bass[/caption]
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Jimbo