Report 2/2/13

[Wayne SW/MO]

You might also use a large yellow fly for an indicator with a midge. Keep the fly well greased with floatant and don't be surprised if it takes a hit.

[Jack Jones]

Agree that zebra midges tend to be best. No larger than size 18. Size 20 and 22 are preferable. I usually fish a 2 fly rig with the midges about 18 inches apart to cover more of the water column. I'm all in on thingamabobbers, small. No palsas here because they don't adjust and quite frankly I sometimes lose sight of them.

I've also done well at Bennett on cracklebacks (size 16 or 18) and buggers (black or olive, size 12 or 14).

The most frustrating part of fishing is watching those next to you pull in fish after fish. Keep working at it. Some days you too get to be THAT GUY!

[rcguy]

I forgot you told me that NoLuck..but I'm not retying all my midges. I have been tweaking the hook off center a little to help hookups. I need to get some of those 2499 hooks.

[jah]

Something to consider is the type of hooks you are using for your midges. If you are buying them from the shops around Bennett or most other fly shops, they are too small of a hook gap for my likings. If that is what you are doing then take a pair of pliers and twist the hook to open the to open the gap a little. That will help your hookup percentage somewhat. If you are tying your own use a 2499spbl hook. You can thank me later!! You will never use another hook again. It is a barbless hook but it holds fish good and they are super sharp.

Something else is bead choice. Use the smallest bead for the hook you can. It keeps the hook gap more open too.

Can you explain what you mean by "opening up the hook gap"? You mean make the point further away from the shaft--i.e. move it in the direction away from the shaft as if I was going to make it into a straight line? Thanks in advance!

Jim

[rcguy]

Good question.

I have read to actually move the point so it is not quite in line with the shank. Better hook sets. That's what I have tried. Can't say it worked becauseI wasn't getting squat

for for hits that day anyway. I keep it in the tricks book anyway in case I seem to be missing fish. Especially if they are striking very light and I catch a couple by accident. i'll bend the hook offset slightly hoping they hook themselves before they can spit it.

[NoLuck]

Can you explain what you mean by "opening up the hook gap"? You mean make the point further away from the shaft--i.e. move it in the direction away from the shaft as if I was going to make it into a straight line? Thanks in advance!

Jim

No ,you twist the hook so that the point is off centerline of the shank of the hook.Essentially opening the gap somewhat. The problem with most small hooks is with a bead on it, it basically closes that much of the hook gap with the bead. The 2499 spbl eliminates this problem for the most part. I think I use a 5/64th bead on my #18 hooks. If you can get a smaller one on it would be worth trying. Faster water the 5/64 works good as long as you mend properly. Slower water would probably be better if you can get the smaller bead on.

[jah]

No ,you twist the hook so that the point is off centerline of the shank of the hook.Essentially opening the gap somewhat. The problem with most small hooks is with a bead on it, it basically closes that much of the hook gap with the bead. The 2499 spbl eliminates this problem for the most part. I think I use a 5/64th bead on my #18 hooks. If you can get a smaller one on it would be worth trying. Faster water the 5/64 works good as long as you mend properly. Slower water would probably be better if you can get the smaller bead on.

Got it...thanks again!

Jim

[brittsnbirds]

Or you can "con, bribe, threaten" NoLUck to hook you up with some of his "special" ones!!

Have a new secret weapon I got from Troy in Paola (http://www.thesimontons.com/Fishinggear.html). Placed a order and he made me up some colored furled leaders to use for nymphing. Grease them up and and see if that will work this next year.

Plus Jim if you buy your nymphs from a store at Bennett, try to get the ones that have the least amount of material. Sometimes you will find ones that are "fat" or bulky looking. Stay away from those. Sparse is good!! Or start tying them yourself like we do!!

[Wayne SW/MO]

The hook adjustment would be "kirbing" the hook. Tis what makes a hook a Kirby style. You can also tie your midges on a short shank wide gap and gain some leverage, like a TMC 2487. Tie a 16 with an 18 body.

A fly that I have always call a fur bug can be deadly at times, especially on busy days after most of the stockers have been caught. It consist of nothing more than some fuzzy dubbing on an #18 or #20 fish as close to the bottom as possible. Gray and followed by olive were the best colors for me.

Another trick to fishing very small flies in Bennett without an indicator is to watch the fish after the fly gets close, if you see a flash of white from their mouth, set the hook. It's not a 100% effective, but it works better then trying to see them actually take a tiny fly.

[Brian K. Shaffer]

You can buy offset bend hooks ... no sense in de-tempering the hook if you ask me.

Just one lost really big fish will teach you.... believe me.

Good link for some quality info on smaller'ish hooks : http://books.google.com/books?id=WxpvoYxhMXUC&pg=PA11&lpg=PA11&dq=tiemco+offset+bend&source=bl&ots=Wu-WH7IfHR&sig=hNPaJpy1itUNXKaI5qjbv3-0b3A&hl=en&sa=X&ei=IQ0UUYmlH8nf0QHd4oG4Ag&sqi=2&ved=0CEwQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=tiemco%20offset%20bend&f=false