SCUDS

[Johnsfolly]

11 hours ago, Gavin said:

Make it harder for yourself by matching an imaginary hatch if you want too. Moving on!

Thought that is the whole point of fly fishing😀. Especially when fishing stockers.

[tjm]

Aren't heavily dressed olive scud flies a pellet pattern?

 

[snagged in outlet 3]

I think people give trout too much credit in the brain and decision making department.  Especially hatchery fish. They’ll bite just about anything at any time.  

[tjm]

26 minutes ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

 They’ll bite just about anything at any time.  

They are programed to taste anything that resembles food, the brain doesn't think it just reacts. Given the opportunity they will eat far more than hunger would dictate. The same instinct that compels them to taste everything also compels them to focus intently on the things that are food and present in quantity as in a hatch.

People have a tendency to anthropomorphize all animals and say things like "see how smart that dog/cat/chicken/pig/fish is" . This anthropomorphization is the very same human feeling that causes people to become anti-hunters or anti-fishers. Man was given dominion over the other animals because man is the only animal that thinks. 

[jdmidwest]

8 hours ago, tjm said:

Aren't heavily dressed olive scud flies a pellet pattern?

 

Nope, olive matches the moss floating by that they have not seen in the runs.

[tjm]

and scuds are what they eat, almost transparent they take on the color of the last dinner

[trythisonemv]

On 3/20/2020 at 3:11 PM, Jeremi414 said:

I fish BSSP several weekends a month. I only fish flies that imitate natural food in the stream. No John Deer’s or white thread jigs lol. I have become a very proficient nympher. Many 30+ fish days. One thing I can’t figure out. If scuds are so prevalent in the stream why can’t I catch but the occasional fish on them? I’ve been told #16 olive or tan. I fish the stretch in zone 1 below the last handicap access down to about 50 yards of the darn 90% of the time. Is this a “scud free” zone lol? Could someone give a little insight on the size of scuds they do well with? To be fare, I’ll give a few tips.

1. Constantly change depth until you occasionally hang up adjust 3” at a time.

2. When possible don’t use large bright indicators. They see a lot of them I know. But seem to thing a small white indicator doesn’t alert them nearly as much.

3. A simple #14 natural hares ear and gold rib bead head “no tail” is TNT! At least 300 fish last year on that fly bounced on the bottom.

# 3 seems to be the answer to your initial scud question.