Robsnowwhite Damsel Fly Nymphs

[DanMarino]

Here are some Robsnowhite Damsel Fly Nymphs I tied up over the weekend. They are easy to tie and pretty fun to make. Black ostrich plumes are the main ingredient. I could only find a black feather at the local craft store. Google Robsnowhite damsel fly and you will find the tutorial. It has worked for me so far on bluegills, sunfish, and a fallfish, but he claims it takes everything from carp, to bass, to shad, to bluegills, crappie, etc.

[eyedaddy]

They look like they would work on White Perch!

eyedaddy

[KayakFishingMd]

They look awesome I've always wanted to try fly fishing seems so complicated though


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[DanMarino]

Fly fishing is different game, that's for sure. Making my own flies is part of the fun. I'm terrible at all of it, but I can certainly say that my casting has improved compared to last year at this time. The main limiting factor for me is that I have been fishing floating lines so I'm only getting fish in 5 feet of water or less. Catching even a 12 inch bass on a fly rod is a heck of a lot of fun. If that bass ate a surface fly, then it's even better. The ultimate, being that the fish at a fly you constructed.

I've found that fly fishing is limiting for me. My flies are not in the strike zone as much as when I fish with spinning gear. Plus, like I said my fly fishing so far has limited me to catching fish that are shallow or near the surface.

Also, fly fishing and wind stinks.

However, if I can catch fish on a fly rod then anyone can do it. I encourage anyone who is curious to take the leap. For me that leap has been a 3 year process and I'm going to stick with it.

[Mark]

Fly fishing is not difficult even though some fly fishing aficionados would like you think it is. Some are simply snobs who think their way of angling is superior to those who use conventional tackle. It's not. But they use jargon and flaunt expensive equipment to falsely portray that they are members of an exclusive club. Sadly, I think that attitude deters many from trying to fly fish.

In reality fly anglers are merely slinging a line at the end of a stick -- a process that children fishing cane poles have mastered. Perhaps you've waved a flag on a pole or better yet, tossed a baseball. Each of those activities are very similar to casting a fly rod. With just a minimum of instruction you too can do it and before you know it you will subconsciously make adjustments in your casting motion to compensate for wind, the size of your fly and to achieve the proper distance. That's when you know you've become a fly fisherman...when you just do it and don't think about the cast.

And that's another thing. You do not have to cast far. I catch most of my fish on the fly within 40 feet of my kayak, an easy almost effortless cast.

In several ways, fly fishing is a much simpler process than fishing with conventional tackle.

The reel is primarily a repository for your line. You manipulate that line and your fly directly with your hand. There are no gear ratios to intervene between you and your lure. No bails to hang up. No bearings to freeze. No wind knots or bird's nests to contend with.

You have the line in your hand and you feel the fish strike immediately in your finger tips. You feel its strength directly as you retrieve the line with your hand pulling it in, sometimes only inches at a time because you've caught a big one and it's not at all happy being on your leash. Your drag, if you need one, (rarely around here) again is tactile. It's your palm applying pressure to the edge of your reel. In short, you are hooking and pulling in a fish much like our earliest human ancestors did thousands of years ago. It's that simple.

Regarding the depth of your prey, there are sinking and intermediate fly lines that reach deeper water. I use them when needed but most of the time I use floating line. Even when I fish with conventional tackle I fish in the upper level of the water column. There are plenty of fish in the shallows waiting to be caught by fly or conventional tackle.

Here's another thing to consider: Fly equipment has improved significantly in quality and come down greatly in price since I purchased my first fly rod almost 30 years ago. Excellent fly outfits can be had for the same price as a quality spinning rod and reel. If you can afford to fish with conventional tackle, you can afford to fly fish. Today I fish mostly with fly rods that cost 1/2 to 2/3 as much as my first fly rods. Indeed fly fishing may even be cheaper than conventional fishing because flies cost less than lures or are more easily made by your own hand. Further, you can carry what you need for a whole day's fly fishing in a pocket or two or in a small bag. You don't need a lot of "stuff" to fly fish regardless of what Orvis and L.L. Bean want you to believe on the glossy pages of their catalogs.

Now to the "truth in lending" portion of my rant. I cheat. Often when I take a fly rod in my kayak I also take a spinning rod. That's because as much as I like to fly fish, I can catch more fish with conventional tackle. I will use spinning tackle to scout areas for fish and then switch to a fly rod. Or, I will resort to spin fishing when fly fishing fails to attract fish. And sometimes fly fishing is not the most productive way to fish. However, if given a realistic chance and choice, I will always prefer a fish on the end of my fly line to conventional tackle. It's a feeling of closeness with the environment and the fish that conventional tackle cannot provide. And as Tom said, catching a fish on a fly you've made is an extra thrill.

Lastly, Tom -- Your flies are excellent. Every time you catch a fish with one of your creations it is a validation of your work. Keep it up!

[bignose]

Your tying has improved with repetition!
Looking good!

[DanMarino]

Thanks everyone! Here's an articulated version I created tonight.