Fly Fishing Leader
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 10lb Drennan Fluorocarbon Fly Leader Fly fishing tippet  US $9.46
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 50 PCS FLY FISHING LEADER LINE 1X 9FT TROUT SALMON US $33.20
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As I gaze across the vast Wyoming plains I see the shimmer of light reflecting off the water of the North Platte River. Lately that reflection has been much bigger than normal. For the last several weeks the North Platte River has been at, or above historic flow rates. Average flows in Casper, Wyoming for this time of year are between 2,500cfs (cubic feet per second) and 3,500cfs. The river on the Miracle Section is now flowing at over 15,000cfs and reports from the Bureau of Reclamation, the agency in control of flows below the dam systems, say to expect higher flows in weeks to come. Bureau of Reclamation officials just have no choice but to let loose more water as all three reservoirs above the town of Casper are full to capacity. So with all this extra water what does it do to the trout in the North Platte River and how does it affect the fishing?
The North Platte River in Wyoming supports two blue ribbon trout fisheries in the Miracle Mile and Grey Reef sections. Anglers travel from all over the country to vacation and experience clear cold waters, abundant with trout. What they got this year was not quite what they expected, a swollen river so big it leaves most anglers scratching their head and wondering where to begin. So with all this extra water where does one begin? Conventional wisdom of trout fishing and their habits say to start with the fast riffles and back eddies. From years of experience most fly fishermen alike agree that fishing the fast water for trout is the way to be successful. But, on a high water year like this it couldn't be further from the truth.
Slow water that is barely moving is the last logical place you would expect to fly fish for trout let alone be productive. That's exactly the type of water the fly fishing guides on the North Platte River are targeting. These fishing guides float this river with clients nearly everyday and people are consistently shocked when the guides tell them how good the fly fishing is despite the historic high water levels. So what are the guides doing to be successful? They are concentrating their efforts on the slow water closer to the bank and away from any fast water. Evidently their tactics are working.
Just reading the Grey Reef Fishing Report tells you the story, fisherman with guides are catching lots of trout. Specifically the guides say to concentrate on any slow water that is below a run that has even flow from the bank out into the river. This even flowing water gives trout an escape from the high flows yet provides plenty of easy food to grab.
Successful fly fishing hinges on two deciding factors, fish location, and proper presentation of your flies. High water flows in any river tend to push trout location toward the bank and into the much slower moving water. This puts trout closer to riparian habitat and provides more opportunities for dry fly fishing, most fly fishermen's favorite way to catch trout. When dry fly fishing isn't productive fly fishermen move to nymph fishing, a way to fish flies below the surface of the water. Most fly fishermen who are nymph fishing start with a 9 foot tapered mono filament leader. They then add a piece of tippet, typically 14-18inches in length to the end of the leader. Then they tie their point fly on to the tippet. Above the tippet they attach the weights to get the fly down toward the bottom. Some nymphing rigs are run with two flies tied below the weights and are separated by another piece of tippet line. All this and then they add what is called a strike indicator, this floating device lets you know when the trout has taken your fly below the surface.
This strike indicator can be adjusted up or down on the leader to match the corresponding depth of water your fishing. This adjustment of the indicator is critical when fishing this slow water. Often this slower water is shallow and requires the indicator to be adjusted so that the length between the weights and indicator is very short, sometimes a short as 2-3ft. This adjustment allows for you to drift your flies on the bottom or just above. Often times during high water trout will suspend themselves off the bottom. This is especially true during high activity periods likely during a specific hatch of aquatic insects. When this happens not only shortening your length of leader is important but taking some weights off and fishing lighter and off the bottom becomes very effective. All these adjustments can be frustrating at times, if you're not confident it will work. You see fly fishermen all the time fishing the same spots and the same rig despite their lack of success simply because this is what's worked for them in the past. Going against the grain of wisdom or against what you've always known is often what leads to success during high water times.
Remember, if you're not being successful fly fishing then you need to adjust your technique. Most fishermen go directly to changing their flies, instead of changing their rig, weight, and length of leader. Trout are almost always feeding on something and you just need to present your flies to them accordingly. Success again hinges on fish location, and the right presentation. If you know there are trout present then work on your rig to be the most successful. This new way of thinking will open up new ways to fish and open your mind to water you thought to be unproductive, which will often be the best type of water to fish successfully.
So the next time you venture to your favorite local water or travel to some destination fly fishing river, remember when the waters are high try to fish the slow water and go against the grain of conventional wisdom. You might be pleasantly surprised!
If you liked this article and would like more tips on fly fishing you can contact Jason at greyreefanglers@gmail.com.
Grey Reef Anglers is a Wyoming fly fishing guide service that operates and offers fly fishing float trips on the Grey Reef and Miracle Mile sections of the North Platte River. They can set you up with guide services, lodging, and the know how for a successful high water fly fishing adventure. You can visit their website at http://www.greyreefanglers.com
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