Pheasant Tail Nymphs - Weighted Or Not ?

[2sheds]

I am reading Tom Rosenbauer's book on Small Stream Fly Fishing and see that he recommends Dry Flies and unweighted nymphs for small streams, including "spring-fed limestone creeks".

My summertime fishing on these creeks has always been with the belief that I need to be (1) down fast and (2) as deep as possible. Therefore, I'm generally drifting a weighted PTN dropper under a weighted Prince, WoolyBugger, etc and using a strike indicator to manage depth.

As I spend the next 10 months obsessing about my 2014 return:

A) Should I be trying some topwater flies ?

Should I be tying some unweighted Pheasant Tail Nymphs ?

[Wayne SW/MO]

Don't forget that weighted nymphs don't move like unweighted and real nymphs do in currents. Most flies have enough weight in the hook and the water soaked materials to get down in smaller creeks. Another option is to add a small amount of lead wire laid across the top of the hook rather than wrapped. a small piece of .010 will help without driving it to close to the bottom.

[MaxDrown]

Don't forget that weighted nymphs don't move like unweighted and real nymphs do in currents. Most flies have enough weight in the hook and the water soaked materials to get down in smaller creeks. Another option is to add a small amount of lead wire laid across the top of the hook rather than wrapped. a small piece of .010 will help without driving it to close to the bottom.

For spooky fish, especially those that see a lot of flies, I would avoid bead-heads and anything else that looks unnatural. You'll want to use 6x or 7x fluorocarbon tippet and keep the line and tippet off the water for dry flies. You'll want to stay behind the fish, avoid casting shadows over them, and sneak of on them. Don't line the fish either (cast over the top of them). Good luck.

[stlfisher]

I would say on the small creeks it is more about stealth than what you use, but I would certainly bring some dry flies. On some days that is all i will use on the small creeks. Don't overlook a streamer or two. While not common there are some suprisingly nice fish in places you wouldn't think could possibly have them. I like the prince nymph in MO. Always seem to catch a lot of rainbows on that fly.

[mic]

I know this answer sucks, but it really depends on the section of water. For example, at BSC I started using BH's but they wouldn't bounce down the rocks. They would settle pulling on your indicator. You set the hook, now your unnatural. Howerever, there are certain holes three or four on the upper half where BHs help. I found the same true for Mill, but not the same for Piney. I tie my own so I try to have some wrapped with lead and some on BH. Two options, switch them out or tie on a BH dropper behind the lead nymph. I prefer the second, because then you can just cut it off after you fish the hole.

As far a gold spooking them off. I don't know but I've caught plenty of wild trout on BH. If you are worried about that, use the gun metal black beads.

[Al Agnew]

I'd rather have unweighted nymphs in stealth situations like on the small creeks. If necessary I'll put a small split shot on the tippet above the nymph about 8 inches, so that the weight will be bouncing along the bottom but the nymph will still be drifting freely just above the bottom.

Another thing I really like to do is use a dry fly and dropper in those pools. Pick out a dry fly that floats well, something like an elk hair caddis, run a couple of feet of tippet off the bend of the hook of the dry fly, and tie on a small nymph. In this case I like a bead head, so that it sinks a little quicker, but it can't be a big enough nymph to sink the dry fly.

[Wayne SW/MO]

I would avoid an indicator on a small shallow creek. Not only can they look unnatural and can make you fly look unnatural, but they can throw a shadow near your presentation. There are ways to alert you to a take, it just takes concentration.

[Nick Williams]

If someone would just produce indicators that look like berries and sticks....

[Wayne SW/MO]

Foam grasshopper this time of the year.

[ozark trout fisher]

Dry flies can be pretty good on those creeks. I like to run a dry-dropper with some kind of attractor dry and a little beaded pheasant tail or Hare's Ear below. I'm partial to Para Adams and Ausable Wulffs but any number of those types of flies will get the job done. But you will (in all likelihood) catch more fish on the nymph that's dropped below anyway.I do prefer weighted nymphs myself, but to each their own. Probably doesn't matter much now with the water reasonably low.

I have to say, I don't think indicators are a big problem on small creeks. But I use the tiny stick-on kind that just aren't big enough to scare fish as a rule, and are also really sensitive to strikes. The big cork bobbers that some use while nymph fishing are a completely different story. I've never spent much time using those, but I could definitely see how those could turn fish off.

More than anything, it's just remembering that those trout are really opportunistic and easy going, not that different from fishing a little mountain stream. It's a lot of fun to fish for them, but much in the way of forethought is kinda over-thinking it in my opinion. Just go out there, try not to be too ridiculously noisy in the stream, toss some dries and small nymphs and you'll catch fish 95% time. There are a couple wild trout creeks in MO that can be moody as heck (yes BSC, I'm talking about you), but that's true in the majority of cases.