hi i have been fly fishing for rainbow trout on an of for a 5 years , i went to a place called tree medow last year 2 times an on each time got 1 rainbow , maybe down to luck lol i was just wondering if there is any tips / flys i should be using this time of the year as i seem to just dig deep in the fly box an hold my fingers crossed

any tips an hints are welcome , cheers people !

bloodworm

Stay warm and at least halve the rate of retrieve at this time of the year.

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[COLOR="Blue"]"A fish seen is a fish nearly caught"[/COLOR]

At least your catching some fish so your doing something right
Don't fall into the trap that there is some special fly that will up your catch rate to a fish a cast, as the beast hasn't been tied yet.
Fly fishing is a funny sport, one day you think you have cracked it the next it bites you in the a$$.
Lines, speed, depth and other variables make fly fishing more than hitch a fly on and catch.
Even the very best anglers all over the world struggle at times, ask some of the chaps fishing the airflo finals this year.
I think I have said before your welcome to come along with us where you could pick up some tips, we are fishing Temple this Sunday all being well.
All the best
Mike
Try a damsel or brown buzzer

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I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,9 bean rows will I have there and a hive for the honey bee.

Mike's right, there really isn't any 'one fly kills all' pattern, but there are a few things i think you can do to up the odds a little.

At tree meadow, stick with a floating line, use a weighted nymph of one of the 'classic' patterns. GRHE, Montana, Damsel etc. I'd start with a marabou tailed black or green damsel on a fairly slow, twitched retrieve, and move onto a montana if you're not getting any luck. At TM stick to the lodge end of the lake, and cast off one of the promontories if your casting's not great. Fish 20 casts and then move to another spot if you don't get a pull or see a fish.

cheers guys !! marazion midge i would of jumped at the chance this weekend to of come up to temple but im real busy this weekend , hope all goes well with the weather for you , if you can let me know when your there again b4 hand i can make plans to meet you there as would be good to fish with some one that knows more than i do ! lol

cheers again guys !

bloodworm

Talk to people who fish regular at the place you are fishing, find out depths, hotspots, best lines, flies etc gather as much info as you can from those who catch on a regular basis. Don't be shy asking, as most fishermen are only to happy to pass on their knowledge..unless it's a competition of course


Cheers Diarmid.

Also - try to be at least a little bit systematic. If the water is clear then something olive or black is probably a decent bet. In more coloured water, orange or black and silver or lime green/white or red could be good (reds/pinks might be better in peat stained water, whilst oranges and blacks are good in water that carry greenish algal tinge). The colder and clearer it is, the slimmer/smaller more mobile and more sombre-coloured your initial fly selection should be. Then - take note what flies and colours work in particular conditions and build up your knowledge.

One other way of being systematic would be, in winter, start by fishing your fly very close to the bottom (count it down through the water and retrieve it slowly - you should catch the mud or weed occasionally). Next cast, start to retrieve sooner and incorporate different retrieve styles/paces. Eventually fish it very shallow (either an unweighted version or a quick immediate retrieve). In warmer weather, start from the water surface and work downwards.....

Finally, try to think what factors might encourage fish to be concentrated in particular areas. When the wind is colder than the water - it is often worth fishing deep on the upwind bank with the wind at your back (the rotating conveyer belt of water current will be slightly warmer and bringing food items towards your feet near the lake bed). Conversely, in slightly warmer weather, it is worth fishing near the surface or in midwater on the downwind bank.

Whatever you try on a day's fishing - at least have a theory as to why it might work (if it does, then great and maybe there is something to your theory and you can apply it in similar conditions in the future, if not, modify what you are doing).

As has been mentioned, don't stay rooted to the spot - once you have searched an area (quite briskly) then move to another area until you contact fish.

Try to get to know the waters you visit by thinking about how and where you catch fish (or not), and from spooning caught and killed fish to review their stomach contents.

A couple of examples from my own fishing to illustrate the number of variables...

Regularly fishing two chalk spring or stream fed waters in the South, I would say Paul G's advice is great for gravel pit fisheries and / or those further north than Wessex. But I would always start either just below the surface or at midwater, depending on the weather, and work downwards in small Southern fisheries.

The fish at Holbury, both river and lakes, feed on cased caddis more than at any other fishery I have visited. So a green/brown Montana would always get a swim early in a fishing day there.

The fish in the 2 lakes at Avon Springs seem to have slightly different feeding habits, in one lake they are often on daphnia, phantom larvae and buzzers while in the other lake, corixa and baby damsel nymphs feature more. Again that's a guide for fly choices and methods.

Some years at Farmoor 2 reservoir are "daphnia years", some (like 2009) have been "hoglice years" and in yet others the fish are keen on buzzers, daddies and terrestrials just subsurface ! But whatever, get on the grapevine and follow the advice !

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"In wine there is wisdom. In beer there is strength. In water there is bacteria." - German proverb
JH based near Southampton

Black n Green seems to be working well at this time of year, black n green fritz is what i'd choose to start with then just vary the retreive speeds,depth e.c.t

thanks every one !