Park To Tan-Vat 9/21

[ozark trout fisher]

Amen to that.

I prefer dry fly fishing to all else, but I am not going to come on here bragging that I would not use egg patterns because they are somehow unfashionable, because I could not care less about such things. Heck, I'll even throw a Panther Martin spinner or a Rebel Craw every once in awhile and I'm not the least bit ashamed of it either.

The only thing wrong with using bait is that fish tend to swallow the hook. Not a problem with glo-bugs, woolly buggers, san juan worms, and other such uncouth fly patterns. I don't care whether how I fish is considered "proper", I'm just out there to relax, have a good time, and maybe even catch a few fish. I have no need to prove anything to myself or to anyone else. We are all equal in the eyes of the trout.

[3wt]

I prefer dry fly fishing to all else, but I am not going to come on here bragging that I would not use egg patterns because they are somehow unfashionable, because I could not care less about such things. Heck, I'll even throw a Panther Martin spinner or a Rebel Craw every once in awhile and I'm not the least bit ashamed of it either.

The only thing wrong with using bait is that fish tend to swallow the hook. Not a problem with glo-bugs, woolly buggers, san juan worms, and other such uncouth fly patterns. I don't care whether how I fish is considered "proper", I'm just out there to relax, have a good time, and maybe even catch a few fish. I have no need to prove anything to myself or to anyone else. We are all equal in the eyes of the trout.

And disgrace the fish by not knowing the proper way to catch them!? blasphemy.

Hey I could catch a lot with a limb line or explosives or snagging, but don't find any joy in it. It's never been about just catching them, but how I was catching them. I do have something to prove to myself and enjoy the challenge even in the process of being skunked. We all have our limits. I just agree about "egg" pattern.

[Gavin]

Eggs certainly do work....especially for rainbows....but its not in my top ten for brown trout...they usually prefer drab natural colors without allot of flash or flourescence. Cheers.

[Al Agnew]

What I've found on Western streams...don't know if it holds true for Ozark streams...is that if you're in the middle of a really big hatch, there really is too much competition for your fly if it matches the real bugs too closely. I hate to put human thoughts in fish, but it seems like the fish have all these choices and they are not going to take a bug that doesn't look QUITE right when they can move two inches and take one that does. What works often in that case is a fly that looks like the real bugs but is one or two sizes bigger...enough to be obviously but not excessively bigger. It's like the trout see the bigger bug and think, oh, boy, that's a juicy one. That was what was happening on the BWO hatch out here on the Yellowstone yesterday. Tiny BWOs all over the place, and my fly, while still small, looked to be about twice the size of the real ones as it drifted among them even though it was still quite small. Time after time, the fish would come up and take my fly in amongst the real bugs. I've also seen the same thing in midge hatches and in the Mother's Day caddis hatch, the mother of all huge hatches out here. Billions of bugs on the water, and yet the trout (and whitefish) choose to take the bigger artificial rather than the real insects.

[Nortrad]

Sound advice again Al. I seem to remember reading this, somewhere...have to click 'save' next time.

[ozark trout fisher]

And disgrace the fish by not knowing the proper way to catch them!? blasphemy.

Oh come on. Maybe you are yanking my chain?

Blasphemy?! Get real. We are talking about trout. Little fish with pea sized brains. It seems that your argument lies on the false premise that fish have any sporting instincts at all. They would rather live their lives quite undisturbed by us, and they certainly do not care what type of fly they are caught on.

If there are any religions implications in fishing (which I hold that there may well be) it is in the scenery, the beauty and poetry of a spring-fed river, spending time outdoors in unspoiled country. It has nothing to do with whether I'm tossing a Griffith's Gnat or an egg pattern.

[Guest]

deleted

[10pointer]

Al I definitely agree with you, ive fished alot too out west and always went a little bit bigger and I do think the fish zone in on the slightly bigger version. I do this quite a bit with caddis, not only does it help me pick up the fly a little better compared to the hatch but the fish do seem to like it. Great observation and tactic Al!

I really dont like to fish egg patterns but if the fishing gets tough, Ill throw em if all else fails. Im out there to catch fish and have a good time. I mean if Im cleaning up on em with an egg pattern ill get off it and switch to something natural, but im out there to relax and have fun too. But at heart im into fishing, scuds, dries, flies etc

I guess I just dont see as big of a problem with it since Steelhead, Salmon, etc gobble up egg patterns like crazy anywhere else...

[3wt]

Oh come on. Maybe you are yanking my chain?

Blasphemy?! Get real. We are talking about trout. Little fish with pea sized brains. It seems that your argument lies on the false premise that fish have any sporting instincts at all. They would rather live their lives quite undisturbed by us, and they certainly do not care what type of fly they are caught on.

If there are any religions implications in fishing (which I hold that there may well be) it is in the scenery, the beauty and poetry of a spring-fed river, spending time outdoors in unspoiled country. It has nothing to do with whether I'm tossing a Griffith's Gnat or an egg pattern.

It was in fact tongue and cheek - it's a reference to "A River Runs Through It." But it does point to the religious allusions made in the book. Didn't you know that the disciples were all fly fisherman and that John, Jeusus' favorite was a dry fly fisherman??

[ozark trout fisher]

It was in fact tongue and cheek - it's a reference to "A River Runs Through It." But it does point to the religious allusions made in the book. Didn't you know that the disciples were all fly fisherman and that John, Jeusus' favorite was a dry fly fisherman??

Of course. And I also know that Izaak Walton was not a respectable writer, as he was an Episcopalian and a bait fisherman. The guy doesn't even know how to spell complete.