Morning, just a thought. Had a day yesterday at bratton water in north devon. Had a couple if missed takes early on to a small gold head daddy but didn't connect. Fished nymphs,buzzers,washing line but nothing happening. Then i spotted a sizeable fish taking white duck feathers. On went the cats whisker and was hit instantly on the first cast. This was then repeated with loads of bumps thrown in until bag limit was obtained very quickly, and easily. MY QUESTION is why do i feel as if using a cats whisker is cheating? is this just me? or is it the purist/snobbery side of our sport? a slight aside but i remember listening to howell speaking on the controversal subject of indicators and his view was untill someone comes up with a better way of presenting buzzers vertically he'll keep using them.
do i just need to be content like howell etc that you us whatever is going to be the most effective fly on the day?
answers please

What ever it takes to make the day enjoyable for you and to hell with anyone else's opinion.

I can't for the life of me understand why you would feel that you would be cheating by using a Cats Whisker. Powerbait/maggotts OK but a Cat.You must have been talking to some crazed Dry fly Dude.

Jim

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The Fishermans Friend is the Flirty Fly,Fickle Food for Fleeting Fish.

i think stillwater fishing is any method or fly that works rainbow arent the brightest and its all about catching fish on stillwater,
go river fishing and and test your self against some wild fish different ball game altogether,
i do both and enjoy both but i do think the river fishing is the beautiful side of our sport and the most testing, just my opinion though.

atb terry

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"It is only the inexperienced and thoughtless who find pleasure in killing fish for the mere sake of killing them. No sportsman does this." - W.C. Prime, 1888

Thanks gents, usually fish big reservoirs and enjoy the extra challenge they present. I guess i have seen lots of fisherman over time and that is the only fly on there cast any time all of the time, despite the fish clearly feeding on naturals etc. I will try to go out with a new mental attitude next time.

I think it's more enjoyable to catch (and more relaxing) using buzzers, nymphs and dries when possible. Less casting and retrieving involved. Also in some places (like Malham Tarn, Watendlath etc.) a lure can seem inappropriate. But I hope to fish my club reservoir tomorrow, a deep and windswept upland reservoir. I'll probably tie on some sort of Cat's Booby as an opening gambit.

And if other methods are failing it's handy to have an effective lure to fall back on. I too have had days where a Cat's Whisker has saved me from a blank in the last hour.

SharkeyP

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Often thinks not travel widens,
Stay at home the Trout obliges.

I'm probably like most in that i start off with nymphs and dries but if nothings happening then on goes a lure of some sort,usually a cats of some description or another

Neil

Me too.
Particularly in midwinter on a day ticket water. If I'm prepared to freeze my butt off on the off chance of a rainbow, I've no qualms about pulling a lure if they won't look at anything else - and my go-to lure is a Cats.

(It always amuses me just how knowledgeable about lures, these dry fly -lures?shock horror - purists are)

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"Take not out your 'ounds on a werry windy day" Surtees.

Hi,

I don't think you should feel like it's cheating. You correctly read what the fish were doing and adapted your fly to match it. Job done I would say!

Nick

Interestingly speaking to mike the fisheryowner afterwards i asked him if there were many fry about? he actually told me there was (i hadn't thought there would be in small fishery lilke bratton) however that would make sense from the response i was getting plus the raibows are no longer stocked and had grown to a good size so i'm guessing i gave the fish what they were after