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Lake fishing is perfect for flies this
time of year. But most of the time, the fish are jumping way beyond the
range of the amateur angler. Beginning trout fishermen are pretty
apprehensive about fly fishing, thinking that they will have to make yet
another expensive investment in equipment and gear. They just got the
basics down with the spinning rod, and don't even want to think about
learning an entirely different casting style and technique. Fortunately,
the clear plastic bubble opens up a new dimension of fly fishing for both
the novice and amateur fisherman.
EQUIPMENT
The equipment is minimal:
o spinning rod with 4-6# line
o 2-4# line for leader
o clear plastic bubble
o small swivel
o assorted wet & dry flies
All of the above can be found at any supply store. The flies should be of
good quality (avoid "discount" flies). The following are good "starter"
flies to look for:
Dry flies: Ginger Quill, California Mosquito, Red Ant,
Renegade, Royal Coachman, Black Gnat, White
Miller, El Capitan, Adams Irresistible, Gray
Wulff.
Wet flies: Wooly Worm (brown, olive), Wooly Bugger
(black, black & olive, olive, brown), Joe's
Hopper (grasshopper), Muddler Minnow.
Dry flies are intended to imitate bugs landing on the water surface. Some
dry flies, like the Gray Wulff, can be rigged as a wet fly to imitate an
insect submerged and drifting.
Wet flies imitate various shrimp and hellgrammites found in lake waters,
as well as minnows and larval insects.
Overwhelmed? Get a few Adams for topwater, Wulffs for top & submerged, and
Olive Wooly Worms & Buggers for submerged. Start with these and add to
your collection as your enjoyment progresses.
RIGGING
1. Pull four feet of line from the rod tip to work with.
2. Slide the bubble on the line and tie one end of the swivel to the line.
The bubble should be free to slide but will not pass over the swivel.
3. Measure leader and tie to swivel. Use six feet of line for submerged
flies; use nine feet of line for dry flies.
Easy measuring technique: Use a tape measure and measure the span of your
stretched arms (mine is six feet). Now pull line from left hand to right
using the span as your guide (half span is at the tip of your nose).
4. Tie fly to end of leader.
5. Fill bubble with water.
Dry flies should use a bubble filled halfway with water to keep them
afloat and to lessen the "plunk" when hitting the water.
Submerged flies need a bubble completely filled with water. The bubble
will hold the fly at the same level throughout the retrieve.
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