Stump Bustin Anyone?

[spinner1]

The trees are tight near this obvious drop pocket behind a stump...

I don't think it can be fished from down to it.......



What would you use and how would you use it?

Be specific on leader/fly/method

Len

[spinner1]

[Gringo]

Not from in the water.

[Wild One]

The trees are tight near this obvious drop pocket behind a stump...

I don't think it can be fished from down to it.......



What would you use and how would you use it?

Be specific on leader/fly/method

Len

Everyone else was scared of this one huh? I'll give you my tactics on this un.

First off, on this cloudy day in this deeper, darker water that is really shielded by the stump and bank I would risk not landing the fish due to snags and I'd VERY slowly approach this hole from up stream on side opposite the photographer, IN THE WATER (no offense, just how I'd do it ). This is obviously gonna be risky because the mud looks super slippery, but I'd still risk it. I'd be using at least an 8 ft rod, around an 8 ft leader, either a 4x-3x tippet section, and my first fly option would be either a PTN soft hackle, a GRHE soft hackle or some other wet fly/soft hackle in a size 12-16 definitely bead head. I'd be leaning on the grassy knoll or the "Y" stick back there on the left and using only my rod hand on the line. I'd have maybe a few inches of fly line out and pretty much only leader, tippet, fly. I'd flip the fly up into the middle of the hole first and basically highstick to try to get as close to a drag fly drift as possible, but there is no need for a mend. When you're to the point that you can't drfit any more, you stop the drift making the fly swing to your side of the stream which is good because now you can't see the fly. I'd let it hang there for about 10 seconds maybe a little twitch or two, then slowly start swimming the fly back up to me. Then I'd flip the fly farther to the photographer's side of the bank and stop the drift earlier to bring the swing right into where the stump is lighter colored right in the middle of the photo. I'd repeat a few times. Nothing comes from that, I'd switch to a heavier tippet section and do the same thing with a bugger, crayfish or sculpin.

Weight is important here because you have such a small space to let the fly get down into the zone. There is no question that you're gonna loose a few flies to this tangled mess. And if you hooked up from the location I mentioned, to something that actually required a fight I'd move up onto the knoll and get the net in the water ASAP.

Anyone else wanna try this one? I guarantee you guys wouldn't just walk past without dropping a fly or two....

[Joe Valencic]

If I was fortunate enough to get my big ol' stimulator on a 3X tippet to hit the big yellow dot, I'd high-stick the fly on the path shown.

If I was a hardware chucker, I' do the same thing with a tail-walking spoon (hook up) with a chunk of pork off the back, and let it sink into the zone right after the stump.

With my luck, neither would work, but that's what I would try.

Joe

[Gnu Bee Flyer]

Flyfishing from the the far bank standing to the right of the stump on the gravel. I'd High stick a hopper as if it just fell off the grass landing in the water landing directly to the left of the stump.

Or if I was meat hunting I'd drop a weightless worm globbed onto a #12 hook just to the left of the stump. Nothing works better than a free falling worm. IMNSHO.