I read the recent article in total flyfisher by JT about streamer patterns on rivers, an excellent piece.

But it got me thinking. I caught my first trout, from a river using spinning gear, which was in my view imitating small fish for predatory trout.

I was thinking to myself, as I do the same about pike fishing and other forms of flyfishing with baitfish patterns, Is there really the need for the fly rod? or is it just a loophole for fly only waters? I know this can especially be the case for pike waters.

Also, spinning gear doesnt have to be unsporting, you can buy ultra lite outfits that will make a 2oz perch look big, and its not just spinners and lures with treble hooks that need to be used, there are some very good single hook lures on the market.

what do you guys think? If were to fish a baitfish imitation what route would you go down and for what reason. No dry fly purists please

You said it Johnnie, its tantamount to spinning.
Dont pretend otherwise.
Whats next, taking a carry out to the river and leaving your empty cans?
Its a slippery slope.

I'd have to agree with most of that, but I don't mind so much if its imitating something that they are actually eating.

A lot of the guilty who are going out and taking fish illegally do use spinning gear which is why its got its bad name, around my way a lot of eastern europeans are causing a lot of damage with spinning gear but not every one owning a spinning rod is out to damage especially me Im very much a fan of lure fishing for pike and perch etc.

what about 'matching the hatch'? If the trout are in predator mode why not give them what they want?

Worms, maggots, powerbait.......
Fly fishing is hard thats why we do it.
Catching fish is easy.

As far as I am concerned, there are far more options open to you with the fly rod than with conventional spinning tackle. On big reservoirs for example it's possible to target big brown and rainbow trout using fish imitating "flies" and lead cored lines fished Northants style from a drifting boat. And I see nothing wrong or unsporting using such tactics. You are only "matching the hatch" and giving the fish an imitation of what they eat.

Using the fly rod and the fish imitating fly is far more interesting as you can tie up your own creations. It's a lot more fun and it's a lot more effective than the mindless dragging of bits of metal around. Many large brown and rainbow trout are often caught using these tactics on the big reservoirs.

After all it is all about: "matching the hatch", or giving those big fish an imitation of what they eat. Using these tactics you are being far more of a purist than many fly fishers with a team of traditional flies which represent just about nothing on this earth.

---------- Post added at 09:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:54 PM ----------

Oh and by the way, with our increasing catch practices on many of our waters, the use of ultra light tackle is seen by many as being unsporting. It's important if a fish is to be realeased to land it as quickly as possible.

---------- Post added at 09:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:57 PM ----------

Oh and by the way, with our increasing catch practices on many of our waters, the use of ultra light tackle is seen by many as being unsporting. It's important if a fish is to be realeased to land it as quickly as possible.

I disagree about the options open bit- atleast for the purpose of imitating baitfish, unless you mean all round. But then again you can have several different fly rods for severtal different jobs which defeats that point. As I mentioned earlier about matching the hatch.

Who says you cant tie your own lures up? I make my own, spinners, spinnerbaits, bucktails, fly spinners, recently jerkbaits and plugs, all personally customised to what I want as I do with my own flies.

Its a little bit degrading to call it 'dragging a bit of metal around' as would be 'chucking fluff' for fly fishing. lures are not just made of metal and flies are not just made of fluff.

I think there are ways with a spinning rod that will easily meet up to the equivalent on a fly rod for larger baitfish patterns, try me if you want.

I was only suggesting that a light weight outfit could be used not that it should be used. Competent anglers should be able to match there gear to what they are fishing for. What outfit do you use for northants style ron? I bet you could use heavier gear to get fish to the boat quicker.

I dont think fish should be netted as quickly as possible- if it was like that we would all be fishing fish 50lb class boat gear plus the fish will do more damage to itself in the net if it is full of energy. there is a happy medium, and the key is letting the fish recover fully and to be responsible with them.

---------- Post added at 12:58 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:51 AM ----------

baitfishing? didnt see that one coming....

fishing can be hard... fishing can be easy. it is what you make it at the end of the day. Just because someone has a fly rod in their hand does that mean they are more challenged to catch a fish than a fisherman without? nah.

Fly fishing is a method of fishing by which a lure is propelled (ie "cast") using the weight of the line combined with the energy of the rod. As opposed to spinning where the weight of the lure is cast.

Anyone who tries to define fly fishing by limiting what can and cannot be tied to the end of that fly line is simply drawing artificial distinctions of their own creation.

It's not what's on the end of the line that makes it fly fishing or spin fishing. I've see many, many people use bubble floats to fish dry and wet flies with a spinning rod. Does that mean they're fly fishing?

Fishing streamers is a tremendously useful tactic and it can produce great results in terms of big trout that have repeatedly been shown to feed almost exclusively on baitfish and other meaty snacks. It's not as easy to learn or to use effectively compared to fishing the dry fly and I suspect many try it and give up because it doesn't produce the constant takes by small fish that dry fly fishing often produces.

To limit your fishing to only insect imitations means you're simply trying to force feed a trout something he, at times, doesn't want to eat or doesn't eat at all. I think to limit your fishing to one type of fly doesn't make you a better fisherman, it just limits your own skill and angling potential.

Grouse