Evening All.
I would like some advice on tackle set up for stalking bugs please.Floating/sinking line/static on the bottom or fast retrieve. Any advice would be really appreciated,for venues like Avington,Chalk Springs etc.
Thank You.colboro.

Stalking bugs are meant for just that, stalking. I spot my target cast beyond it, let it sink and give it a fee tweaks past the fish. If no take, I just strip it back to me and look for another fish.
If your using S. bugs I'm assuming your targeting specific fish so no reason to retrieve outwith that fishes proximity.

If targeting venues like Dever there's no need for any other line apart from a floater really.Decent polarized are a must a long with a large net,long leaders are not necessary and should be around a rod length tapered or otherwise.Apart from targeting your fish and casting to it,you can also ambush your fish by watching it ( they are creatures of habit ) and put your fly where you know it will patrol past.Also learn the catapult cast which is easy,just pinch your fly between two fingers pull back so there's a bend in the rod and let go of the fly ( this is where short leaders come in handy),good stalking flies included firebirds,WAEF and heavy weighted damsels

Neil

Hello Colboro

On the waters you mention stalking bugs are quite heavily weighted flies designed to sink quickly fished on a floating line and in effect set a trap for a patrolling trout.I have never tried fishing these big fish venues with sinkers/intermediates so cannot comment.
If you have not cast a weighted bug/nobbler before then practice first as they will kick quite alarmingly cast in the normal way.You need to use more arm action to open up the loop and even then it is more of a contolled lob without really using the rod in the traditional sense.Hard to describe on paper except maybe to say it is as if you were conciously restraining the normal act of fly casting.Another method used to straighten out/turn over the cast is to jerk back the reel line at the point of line turnover before the bug hits the water.Sorry to be a little painstaking here but if the bug hits the rod it can cause real damage.
You can also use the good in tight spot "catapult"cast with these bugs by holding the bug between your fingers and pulling the rod tip round and firing it out just like a catty.Works really well just takes a little practice.
Rod? well I use a 9ft 5wt or 6wt with some grunt in the lower section at Avington for this style of fishing.Use a good quality leader of sensible Breaking Strain as they advise.My personal choice is Riverge Grand Max 3X fluorocarbon or even 2X.
With good glasses and providing the light is favourable and not too much ripple go hunting for your chosen trout and follow instructions given by Brannan.You can also try lifting the rod tip to try and get a more vertical plane on the bug like it is heading for the surface au'naturale'.Good luck it is great fun.I have found when not so good for spotting or you want a more "swimming" lure the nomad is quite good at Avington and later in the season the bead head daddy longlegs.I have not been for some time but when I do I have some new tricks to try.I would also maybe try a longer rod like a 10ft for bugging to give more line control but remember to take a long handled net so as not to put too much pressure on the rod tip if using a longer rod.

Good hunting JP

Totally agree with the other posters, I must admit whilst using the Catty cast I prefer a longer rod. It makes things alot easier. I always use my 9ft 5 weight for trout but for stalking I prefer a tad longer.
My most successful bug is an 'if all else fails' it's proved it's self to me time and time again. I've also tied up some heavily weighted okey dokeys with a black body and different coloured heads these also work great.
Personally stalking is by far the most rewarding method of fishing. Followed closely by drys.

Tight lines

Is this a different fly to the "WAEF" ( when all else fails ),that i mentioned in my post?

Neil

Yeh it's a slight variant - not sure if it's commercially available a good friend of mine tied them for me.

If using this type of stalking bug
http://www.flyforums.co.uk/fly-tying...king-bugs.html
then I'd suggest a #6 at the absolute minimum.
You'll probably struggle to cast well with a #6 though & a heavy fly which sinks at around 8 inches per second, so I'd suggest a 9'6" or 10' #7 would make life easier.

As others have said, using a floater is usual, although I can see some merit in using a clear intermediate line with a 1 to 2 inch per second sink rate.
Just find a likely suspect, cast well ahead of it & then twitch the lure back once it has sunk beneath the estimated depth of your fish. What you're aiming for ideally is that the fly is level with the trout & a foot or so in front of it when they meet, so that you can induce an immediate take, or a short follow & take.
In my experience fish that follow for a distance & then decline the fly are unlikely to take when cast at repeatedly. Fish which react to positively to the plop of the fly hitting the water are almost always capable of being caught.

Good luck!

Thank you all very much for taking the time to reply,it has clarified things a lot.The rod i am using is Greys GS2 9' 6" #7.
Thank You, colboro.

Awesome advice guys. I have been learning heaps just from reading through these posts. Thanks a lot!!!