Pocket Water: Nymphs or Dries?

[randyflycaster]

I was reading Art Flick's chapter in The Masters on the Dry Fly. I was surprised to learn that he always fishes dry flies in pocket water.
I always believed that nymphs are the way to go.

What do you folks think and why?

Randy

[narcodog]

I fish drys with my Tenkara rod in pocket water. It's easy to control the fly with out any drag.

[sagefisher]

Randy,

For me, when I fish pocket waters it is on a very small mountain stream. Short casts into really small areas with very short drifts. Often the water is bubbly and being able to see under the water is obscured by the foam and bubbles. Nymphs are often eaten by rock fish or stick fish in those conditions. I prefer to use dries, a nice Parachute Adams is my favorite, when fishing pocket waters. Short cast, short drift, pick up and cast again slowly working my way up the hillside.

Larry ---sagefisher---

[NJTroutbum]

Pocket water....I fish dry attractors or something that will pull up fish in short order.

Satsop Stone
Yellow or white Humpy
Blonde Wulff
EHC

[ScottP]

Dries; either bushy, foamy or a combination of both (visibility is important, too):






Plus CDC & Elk 'cause they work just about anywhere:




Regards,
Scott

ps - got to admit the biggest cutt I ever hooked was on a bead head pheasant tail in the Lamar canyon; it was early in the morning, cold, and nothing was happening on top. Once it warmed up I got back to some proper fishing (lol).

[chewydog]

Pocket water is the perfect condition to fish both. Dry on top, nymph dropper.

[Rocketfish]

Y had fantastic success fishing pocket waters (pretty fast and with diverse size rocks, boulders and stones) just with a #12 Royal Wulff. Four hours of fishing just with that pattern and the browns jumping like rockets to catch it on the current. Not nymphs necessary and lot of visual fun.

[Silver Creek]

Depends on the water depth and speed. If the water is less and 3 ft deep and of a speed that a fish will come up through that depth for a dry, I'll fish a dry dropper combo. Sometimes the fish will come up for the dry and take the dropper.

Any deeper and faster, the fish will not come up UNLESS there is a hatch, then look for rises and fish the dry or emerger.

[JohnScott]

... on the situation.

During the winter, when there is no way a fish will come up for a dry, I fish weighted stonefly nymphs almost exclusively, including pocket water situations.

During the spring through fall, I fish dry flies almost exclusively, including pocket water situations where a fish would as likely take a nymph as a dry.

Scott makes a good point on early morning fishing after a cold night, even in mid summer - a nymph may well be the only way to catch a fish whether pocket water or other.

John

[Mike Thomas]

Pocket water is the perfect condition to fish both. Dry on top, nymph dropper.

Thats how I would go and the dry fly is a better indicator as well!
All the best.
Mike