Ok so i was out fishing the other day,been there 3 hours in the wind and rain soaked wet through and freezing cold.
Not had anything at all.Then this guy turns up and sets out a big chair and starts casting from sitting and never moves spot or gets up from his chair.Hes fishing with an egg and indicator.The egg looks like a pellet to me.I had tried drys and then buzzers which are 90% of a trouts diet remember.Anyway he starts fishing oposite me and pulls out 5 in half an hour.
He looks over at me with a look on his face that says "thats how you do it son"
I have to say i was not pleased for him as i usually am when a fellow fly fisherman is doing well even when im not.
so is this fly fishing?,whats your views and opinions?should i buy some eggs?is it normal practice/legitimate method as id not heard of this method until recently.

If you were fishing for stocked trout, I expect more than 90% of what they've ever eaten is trout pellets!

The sport is so diverse these days that I wouldn't worry about it. There are plenty more important things in the world to care about.

Indicators have their uses, full stop.

As for egg 'flies' well they use them in Alaska to catch wild rainbows and grayling. Same is true here on salmon rivers. So in certain situations they are 90% or whatever of a trout's diet.

In any case, if we don't think an egg is a 'fly', then what is a streamer? Or a saltwater fly? At what point is a 'fly' actually a 'lure'?

If we were really all purists about this then it'd be buzzer, nymph and dry fly only, and imitations of the real thing. But then in certain circumstances the egg fulfils that requirement too. So any definition of what constitutes 'purity' in fly fishing becomes utterly subjective and ultimately meaningless.

You can argue that it's not appropriate in certain situations ie on your local ressy but when does it become appropriate then?

Fish and let fish.

Ben

I had exactly the same happen to me at Kilnsey last year. I was initially negative about it because as you say, the fisherman is simply imitating the feed pellets and doesn't "feel" like true fly fishing. On reflection it is nevertheless a form of lure fishing and will have its exponents. Is it really any different to fishing a booby or a neon blob?

I'm very much in the live and let live camp.

If these fishermen derive pleasure from catching their limit of fish using an egg/indicator set up then who are we to tell them not to do it.? i derive pleasure from stalking, others prefer downstream wet fly, others favour upstream nymph. Provided you're fishing within the rules of the fishery and not inconveniencing others, enjoy your fishing!

You've opened up a real hornet's nest now stormclan

Float-fishing with "eggs" can be a very productive method of catching trout, and it's much easier than using traditional methods. In these days of instant gratification you'll find more and more anglers resorting to more dubious "fly-fishing" methods like these, especially on the smaller stillwaters

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How poor a thing, sometimes I find,
Will captivate a greedy mind - Isaac Walton.

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I can feel a real storm coming over on this one........

some very good points raised there,certainly something for me to this about anyway.Not sure if im for or against now

There is a very distinct difference in my mind between catching fish and being an Angler.
I think its up to each individual to decide what that is ,then and only then you can look down your nose people who fish for trout sub surface

it is very tempting as of the last 4 times ive been i have blanked 3 and on the other day just caught on .
If the egg is really imitating an egg then fair play but if its immitating a pellet then im not sure thats for me