How often to you change your flies?

Here is a question I want to throw out to the group.

When I'm fishing and not catching, I'm in the process of trying to figure out what's on the menu for today. I know from previous experience in my waters what bugs are there and I'm always checking to see if there's anything different or present with any great abundance.

After I make my choice, I fish it for about 15 minutes at the most - then if I have no strikes on it I'll change to something else. My reasoning is that if I know that there are fish holding in an area, and they haven't found my presentation to be a reasonable representation of what they are currently dining on, then I want to change and try something else that might work.

So...how long do YOU fish a fly with no takers before you swap out and try something else?

Thanks!

Jim

Sometimes too soon. Specially with a client. As a rule I give it 5 to 10 casts, then I move up a little and switch flies. If I am on familiar waters and nothing on the 3rd cast, then I switch.
Jim, I just scored some PURPLE pheasant tail and I have purple peacock, so I was going for the Purple Nurple Pheasant tail. I have been playing with Yellow, Orange and Red Phesant tail (thanks to a good sole here on FAOL) Just a plain old flashback bead head Phesant tail. But the Orange and the Yellow plus Orange/yellow have been deadly on Brookies. The Red is a one cast fly. I told you about Purple working so well. you shoot me an PM with your address and I will send you some Crayola PT's to try out. 8)

I guess it depends on how confident I am with the fly i'm using. If i'm just searching i'll change it often.

About 10 casts and then I am onto something else. By this time I have covered about half the clock dial and three different depths.

Rick

Hi,

My Grandfather always said that if you didn't get a strike after 15 minutes, change flies. This would be when fishing blind through a stretch of water. I don't wear a watch, and often lose track of time when fishing though. Some days, I'll fish the same team of flies for a few hours, before realising that I should probably switch at least one of them. I've had occasions where, just when I'm thinking it's about time to switch, I start getting strikes! This makes me wonder if it's not so much changing to the right fly that makes the difference, but rather the fish have changed their attitude and have gone on the feed. Mind you, one of the benefits of changing fairly often is that it can make you slow down, observe what's happening on the water, and stops you from whipping the surface into a froth.

If I'm fishing to a sighted fish, if I don't get a strike or at least a look after a few presentations that I think should have "worked", I'll switch if the fish is still there.

- Jeff

It depends on several factors; am I feeling lazy or active, is it a stream I'm familar with or not, am I fishing drys or nymphing, and have I seen a refusal. After 2 refusals I'll change immediately. Oh....and if I've caught one fish, I'll go a long time before giving up on the pattern.

Bottom line is anywhere between 5 minutes and 45 minutes.



Scott

I only change once I'm convinced it's NOT the fly that is causing the refusal.

I find that changes in presentation account for more success on stubborn fish than changes of flies.

Bamboozle,

I will not argue the point that presentation may often cause refusals. However, too many times after changing flies and on the first well placed cast did I get a strike. I find it hard to believe that my changing flies has somehow made me a better fisherman to now all of a sudden produce a drag free float. If it did I would change flies all the time :D
No, I do believe that fish refuse for reasons other than detecting drag. I believe that besides presentation selective trout are looking for size, colour and silhouette and you have to have a good approximation of these.

Scott

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tea stick

Bamboozle,

I will not argue the point that presentation may often cause refusals. However, too many times after changing flies and on the first well placed cast did I get a strike. I find it hard to believe that my changing flies has somehow made me a better fisherman to now all of a sudden produce a drag free float. If it did I would change flies all the time :D
No, I do believe that fish refuse for reasons other than detecting drag. I believe that besides presentation selective trout are looking for size, colour and silhouette and you have to have a good approximation of these.

Scott

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Right On

Are you talking rivers, streams, or lakes. I fish mostly lakes and when a fly does not work, it means I am not using the right retrieve or not the right depth. Trout in lakes are oppurtunistic and when a fly is presented correctly, they will take it. There are different situations where these fish get just as picky as spring creek fish, but I will fish a fly way longer than its time. In rivers and streams, I put on what the fly shop says is working and never take it off and then blame them later for a bad day of fishing. :lol: :lol:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tea stick

It depends on several factors; am I feeling lazy or active, is it a stream I'm familar with or not, am I fishing drys or nymphing, and have I seen a refusal. After 2 refusals I'll change immediately. Oh....and if I've caught one fish, I'll go a long time before giving up on the pattern.

Bottom line is anywhere between 5 minutes and 45 minutes.



Scott

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"Changing the fly after 2 refusals" That would be fine, but getting to that point might be tough. Fish showing themselves is a big plus, but without a refusal it's more complicated.
Doug

i change after i have fished thru the run or pool with no results and start over agian

Personally, I have the attention span of a 2 year old. If I fish for a while and no strikes, I change to something else.

Sometimes if I'm catching fish, I may even change to a different fly just to see if I can catch them on something else. Example, if I've caught a few on a nymph, I'll change to a dry to see if I can catch something that way and if I'm catching them on a dry, I"ll change to a nymph or streamer to see.

Sometimes if they're hitting, it does not matter much what yo throw at them and other times, they are very selective. I'm a hopeless tinkerer and just cannot leave well enough alone.

Jeff

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Originally Posted by jeffnles1

Personally, I have the attention span of a 2 year old. If I fish for a while and no strikes, I change to something else.

Sometimes if I'm catching fish, I may even change to a different fly just to see if I can catch them on something else. Example, if I've caught a few on a nymph, I'll change to a dry to see if I can catch something that way and if I'm catching them on a dry, I"ll change to a nymph or streamer to see.

Sometimes if they're hitting, it does not matter much what yo throw at them and other times, they are very selective. I'm a hopeless tinkerer and just cannot leave well enough alone.

Jeff

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Or you could fish a dry and nymph at the same time. :D

Well, it depends really.
Mostly 10 minutes and the fly is changed.
But if i have caught fish on a fly already that day and on nothing else, i will make my way around the lake to find pods of fish.

simple.

Doug,

I'm from the east and often times I'm fishing small streams and while fishing the pools you can often see the fish and their reaction (or lack thereof) to your fly.

Speaking of refusals, I have almost no expierence fishing lakes, but while fishing in Colorado several weeks ago I fished a lake every morning and did so with hoppers up until tha last day when I started goofing around with other flies. The hoppers were very productive and the fish never came close to refusing. But on the last day ( it was calm winds and the water was like glass)one of the flies I tied on was a #10 Adams irresistable. Several times I could see the fish approach my fly, come within inches and dive away from the fly only to immediately turn around and take my fly.....it was the darnest thing. I'd never seen that before.....Is that a western fish thing? :D
Scott
Scott

Oh yea, and a TON of it is presentation to!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jeffnles1

Personally, I have the attention span of a 2 year old. If I fish for a while and no strikes, I change to something else.

Sometimes if I'm catching fish, I may even change to a different fly just to see if I can catch them on something else. Example, if I've caught a few on a nymph, I'll change to a dry to see if I can catch something that way and if I'm catching them on a dry, I"ll change to a nymph or streamer to see.

Sometimes if they're hitting, it does not matter much what yo throw at them and other times, they are very selective. I'm a hopeless tinkerer and just cannot leave well enough alone.

Jeff

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Jeff,
This was my bad problem for yrs. I didn't fish a pattern long enough, didn't know what I was doing, blamed my bad luck on the moon, no hatch, the weather. Learning how to be patient didn't mean I couldn't still be excited about the prospects.
It is like plugging yourself into the atmosphere of the water your fishing and sometimes there's just a faint signal!
Doug

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tea stick

Doug,

I'm from the east and often times I'm fishing small streams and while fishing the pools you can often see the fish and their reaction (or lack thereof) to your fly.

Speaking of refusals, I have almost no expierence fishing lakes, but while fishing in Colorado several weeks ago I fished a lake every morning and did so with hoppers up until tha last day when I started goofing around with other flies. The hoppers were very productive and the fish never came close to refusing. But on the last day ( it was calm winds and the water was like glass)one of the flies I tied on was a #10 Adams irresistable. Several times I could see the fish approach my fly, come within inches and dive away from the fly only to immediately turn around and take my fly.....it was the darnest thing. I'd never seen that before.....Is that a western fish thing? :D
Scott
Scott

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Since i'm a week away from moving to Colorado i've been talking to some locals on what flies I should be stocking up on. I was surprised at the small flies they recommended. Your #10 might have been too big.

edit Oops! I missed the part about the fish turning around and taking it.

I'm from the presentation over type of fly crowd. Unless i'm specifically seeing trout actively feeding on something that i am not imitating i don't change my flies very often. I will change presentation and location usually first. BTW i am mostly a stillwater fisherman

I'm from the " I made it and you WILL eat it" school. This attitude doesn't help fill the creel but I do get my share. I'd probably change flies ( be less stubborn) more often if my eyesight was better. It IS a pain to retie midstream especially when I'm fishin the 18's and smaller.

Mark
PS: I lied when I said "I made it". I don't have the talent to tie my own so I buy.

Mark

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Originally Posted by Marco

I'm from the " I made it and you WILL eat it" school. This attitude doesn't help fill the creel but I do get my share. I'd probably change flies ( be less stubborn) more often if my eyesight was better. It IS a pain to retie midstream especially when I'm fishin the 18's and smaller.

Mark
PS: I lied when I said "I made it". I don't have the talent to tie my own so I buy.

Mark

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Mark,
That's very nice! You think this is FREE group therapy!!!
Your Funny! I can see you standing out there in the middle of the river yelling at the fish!
Doug :lol:

I'm one who also believes that presentation plays a larger role than fly selection; however, I change flies all the time. Mostly it is because I have so many flys (most that I've tied) and I really want to see if they'll work. I fish it all (almost) stillwater, moving water, warm water, cold water (not salt yet...) and when it comes to trout in cold water (especially in lakes) I've found that location matters more than anything else. If you are fishing where the fish are and your fly looks remotely close to something (meaning presentation, size and then color--in that order) you'll catch fish. No matter how realistic your imitation is, if the fish are 10 ft below your fly, you probably won't catch any.

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Jeff,
This was my bad problem for yrs. I didn't fish a pattern long enough, didn't know what I was doing, blamed my bad luck on the moon, no hatch, the weather. Learning how to be patient didn't mean I couldn't still be excited about the prospects.
It is like plugging yourself into the atmosphere of the water your fishing and sometimes there's just a faint signal!
Doug

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Doug,
I like the "may the force be with you" approch you suggested!

I've just always been a tinkerer. Even in my spin fishing days, if I catch a few fish on a given lure, I'll switch to something else, change my retrieve, etc. I do this mainly as a learning opportunity (at least that's what I tell myself). I love to experiment and try different methods. Some work, some do not. Those that work, I store away in my limited brain space for future reference. The ones that do not work, sometimes get tried again just to be sure and sometimes are quickly forgotten.

I have my favorites for different type of waters and fish and fishing conditions. Some of these methods and presentatioins work simply because I have a lot of confidence and have caught a lot of fish that way before. Once I get on the fish and get some strikes and catch fish, then I will experiment with other things to see where the upper and lower control limits are on that particular day and body of water and type of fish.

I'm primarily a warm water / cool water species fisherman (LM bass, SM bass, rock bass, pumpkinseed, bluegill, etc.) and am still trying to figure trout. I'm starting to learn they are just fish and once a pattern is recgonized, it can be repeated and fish can be caught.

Again, I like the 'plugged into the atmosphere of the water" comment. I think I have been using different words but thinking/trying to say pretty much the same thing.

Jeff

I'm a Type A person, so you would think I would be 'Hyper' when I fish but I learned out there in my float tube to be CALM. How? Well by re-directing my energy from being hyper to being totally committed (quietly) to keeping my fly in the 'FISH ZONE' So even if your real anxious and nervous, as long as you have a plan and are organized, then YOU can relax and enjoy yourself! :D
Make the FISH Nervous! :lol:
Doug

I usually fish the pool and if I get no strikes or rises for 10 minutes I will move to a new spot. If I know that there is a fish in the hole, then I change my fly every 15 minutes probably.