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In his article this week Ralph Long mentioned changing flies when the fly he had "taken a beating." I tend to continue to use a productive fly unless it is becoming unraveled or unwound, etc.
When do you change a productive fly for purposes of wear? How long do you fish a unproductive fly before changing for another?
Jesse, I agree with you.
As long as the fly is catching fish, keep using it. I have had flies that little resembled their original design but were still catching fish.
I have also had flies that should have been catching fish but for some unknown reason would not hook up on the strikes and they got changed ASAP.
Larry ---sagefisher---
If fish are swimming up to the fly, but not biting it, I change. If it is coming undone (mine never do), I change. If it is just missing a leg, or similar, and fish are still biting it, I stay with that fly. If I go 15 or more casts with nothing, and I know there are fish there, I change flies. Sometimes it is just a matter of color, or size.
Since I don't like tying on flies, weird I know, I will stay with a fly that is catching fish until it is gone.
If good sense kicks in, I will use alll the rest of the same pattern that I have to catch fish.
Going on the wisdom(?) that a fly that has caught fish works better.
Rick
Why on earth someone would change a fly that's catching fish is beyond me. I've been amazed a few times at some flies that were chewed and ruffled up beyond recognition and still caught fish.
I think the proverbial 64,000 dollar question is when, or how long before, do you change flies that are NOT producing ...?
Back in the days when I was chunking hardware for bass I knew a guy in NW Alabamaistan who would rub his lure on the belly of the fish he or his buddy had caught to pick up scent from the fish. Something he had read somewhere. But I think it may be possible that flies that have caught fish would pickup a fish scent and become more productive. I am also a believer in the cripple look (which I tye naturally) and the predator nature of fish.Quote:
Originally Posted by DaleW
Again back in my bass fishing days, a friend would make 10 cast and change lures if he did not get a strike or catch a fish. Of course with a baitcaster or spinning outfit you are covering a lot more water than with a flyrod.
bingo.....Quote:
Originally Posted by dalew
I do that all the time. After two or three fish I'll often change flies, sometimes even after just one fish, just to see if I can fool them with something else. I've had some reasonably good days where every fish was caught on a different fly.Quote:
Originally Posted by DaleW