Cardiac In Winter

[jah]

Has anyone fished Cardiac in the winter? Or better yet, THIS winter? I'm heading down there next weekend and wanted to fish it. I haven't been too successful there even in summer, so I didn't want to waste my time. Recommended flies would be great, too. Thanks for your help!

Jim

[Gavin]

Your best bet is between the spring and dry fork creek this time of year (warmer water)..good luck.

[ozark trout fisher]

Has anyone fished Cardiac in the winter? Or better yet, THIS winter? I'm heading down there next weekend and wanted to fish it. I haven't been too successful there even in summer, so I didn't want to waste my time. Recommended flies would be great, too. Thanks for your help!

Jim

Scuds, glo-bugs, hare's ears, pheasant tails, San Juans. Scuds and glo bugs are most important now, bring plenty. I like the river just below the spring best pretty much any season, but that's just me. There always seem to be more fish, and the wading is easier.

[jah]

Thanks for the advice. I usually fish with dropper rigs, so is it better to have the glo ball below the scud or vice versa?

[Randall]

I'll echo what Gavin and OTF said about location. I've fished cardiac during the winter and the only thing I caught was a cold. I'd also recommend Prince nymhs. If you like to streamer fish, sculpins and Galloup patterns might net you a solid brown or fiery rainbow.

As far as the dropper, I prefer to drop the lighter fly. Some may disagree but I just feel like I get a better drift when the heavier fly is acting as an anchor and the lighter one can just kind of do whatever. When the heavier one is dropped you have the lead fly's drift potentially affected by the dropper and I just feel like it takes away from the overall presentation. As far as a scud/glo-ball combo, I'd do the scud then drop the ball about a foot off the scud.

[jah]

Thanks Randall. I haven't ever fished a streamer other than dead drifting it under an indicator. I guess the only reason is that I don't know exactly how to. So I strip it immediately when it hits the water? Wait until it hits bottom? Somewhere in between? I have read a lot of posts on this forum and it seems like I'm the only one who has no idea how to fish a streamer, and apparantly I am missing out on some cool action!

[Randall]

Yes to all, depending on the pattern and the conditions. Sometimes you want to swing and strip, bring it across the bottom, bring it through the middle of the column, or up high. The retrieve can vary significantly as well. Sometimes you want to strip slowly with pauses, sometimes short and quick, long and quick, etc...

For example, my personal favorite, the Zoo Cougar, is designed to be fished by stripping 6-8" at a time in little bursts, like a wounded baitfish. A t-sculpin, on the otherhand is designed to remain on the bottom and to be stripped in as though it were darting between rocks as a real sculpin would. The general rule, therefore, is that there is no universal retrieve apart from the rule that you keep the rod tip low.

I would start with a wooly, cast quartering upstream, mend, let it drift to where it is quartering downstream, then strip it in with varying retrieves until you get hit. All it takes is one good day and you'll be hooked. The learning curve is significantly less than when you first start fishing so it shouldn't take long.

[ohmz138]

Thanks for the advice. I usually fish with dropper rigs, so is it better to have the glo ball below the scud or vice versa?

vice versa. The bigger fly serves as an indicator and helps it roll.

[ozark trout fisher]

vice versa. The bigger fly serves as an indicator and helps it roll.

For what its worth, I also catch plenty of fish down there tossing one fly at a time. It's a lot simpler, and you won't tangle as much. But I suppose it also could reduce your catch rate somewhat. This time of the year, if you have scuds, and globugs, you'll catch fish. Whether you fish them one or two at a time. Sight fishing will be your best bet most likely.