been only getting small fry, how do i get the big ones?

[fresnoflyman]

I'v been fishing these past 3months and i dont know if it's the water i choose to fish in or if it's all the water that we have here in and near fresno. but so far all i'v been able to catch is small fry. it's like when i use the fly rod all i get is small fish, if i use the spin rod i catch legal fish to take home.
it's so much more fun with the fly rod, and the little one are awesome to catch, put up some good fights. but i think it's time to catch one that is alittle bigger.

so my question is, is it the line? i'v been using a floating line, it's always near top, does great in fast moving waters. but i went and bought a sink tip rocket taper. hope it goes deep enough where the bigger fish will be.
but i also heard it's harder to know when it's biting.
i will have to test it out tomorrow.

every time i see a bigger fish or big fish it's always just alittle deeper than what i can do. rivers here isn't too deep. but it's always about 5-6 feet deeper than my fly are. so, so far i'v been catching most of my fish where the water meets the rocks and have a fast moving water.

how are the fishing style different from fast water and slow or calm waters?

[Cold]

I'm not at all familiar with your waters, but I'd say fly selection has something to do with it. Try swinging big, heavy streamers down past the big guys.

[Lotech]

You are probably right about the bigger fish being deeper.. If that's where you're seeing them, then that's where they are. Many folks recommend a strike indicator when fishing sub-surface. You can adjust the strike indicator to what ever depth you want depending on the depth of the target fish. In moving water, especially fast moving water, good line mending technique is paramount to success. Mending, in short, means throwing the line above your indicator upstream of your indicator so that the current in the water does not cause your line to drag your fly through the water faster than if your fly was just a free floating bug. As far as fishing deep in stillwater goes, Brian Chan has probably the most successful fishing technique I've seen. Google his name and you should get lots of help. I hope my .02 cents helps.

[126barnes]

use the fry for bait

[gutbomb]

Keep fishing. Indicator nymphing and big ugly streamers may help you out. Patience and persistence catch big fish.

[crcaddis]

Timing is everything....youve got to be there when the big fish are active and you cant spook them. Know your water. Pick a good spot and a good time to fish for them..High water conditions or low light periods are usually best for larger fish unless they are actively feeding.... Choose a fly big enough to keep the dinks off....Sneak up, and make your first cast count. Its hard to catch em if you can see them, especially if they are loafing on the bottom of a deep hole. Cheers.

[Colston Newton]

I've been fishing these past 40 years and I still have the same question...altho I do dum-dum into a big one now and then. I think 1.) Getting down there amongst 'em and 2.) Hitting them when they are on the feed are the keys...and knowing they'll be in the best holding water available and will have run the little fellas off.

[Grubb]

"Patience and persistence catch big fish." That's a key I agree with, my largest fish have come when I have tried and tried everything I knew and decided to just fish, and Bam wow a nice one, now what did I just do lol I'm like I know I did something different but wasn't payning attention to exactly what it was, did I let it hang in the current a little longer? Did I wait a copule of secounds b-4 I mended my line? lol I haven't caught trouphy size fish but the larger ones I catch most times come out this way...

[Clay]

That's a good question for someone starting out or someone fishing for 50 plus years.

Yes, techniques and flies do make a difference but many times for skilled anglers, location is the key. Finding the fish before wetting the line is more than half of the battle.

Do you have a local TU or FFF chapter? Trout Unlimited or Federation of Fly Fishers. If so the joy and answers that you will find there will be something that carries on for many years. Books and videos are a nice approach but there is nothing like one on one instruction. Guides earn their money by sharing great locations and the better guides are teachers more than someone that just leads a horse to water and lets them drink.

It's not a simple answer. If you want some more specifics please tell us what species and types of water you are currently fishing. Trout and bass or saltwater approaches can differ greatly. I wish I could say: Put this fly on and fish these types of water" but that is just too simplistic.

You might not have seen this part of the board before but there is a nice fly fishing basics section here: http://www.flyanglersonline.com/begin/101/ Part 11 is a short section on finding the fish.

Good luck,

Rick

[fresnoflyman]

im here in Fresno, not much good lakes or river but we have some lakes and rivers. but it's not something like what you see in movies or youtube where you can really see the fish. you just tend to guess and cast. well at least that's what i do most of the time. i see fish getting the flies but most just small. bought this new sink tip line and man it cast so smooth....... i am loving this new taper.... my cast are farther, the striping is better. but now im catching even smaller fish.
here the picture i just cought earlier.




thanks for the info, i will use it.
i will have to get bigger flies.