What am I doing Wrong?!?

[hutjensmpg]

Some people just have issues with certain flies.

For me, Its catching something on a prince nymph, thing never has worked for me.

I've had that same problem with prince nymphs around home here, but others do fine with them. But last summer in MT on Rock Creek, a big prince was about all I caught a fish on. So I think a lot of it has to do with what fish find to eat in a certain river.

[Janus]

I've never had luck with clousers either. Muddlers , zonkers and buggers are very good for smallies here so I just stick with them...or variations of them.
Janus

[Fly Tyer]

Hey dont feel bad,

I dont like fishing clousers either for some reason. Where I fish smallmouth, wolly buggers are the way to go, I have had more consistent luck with them. Maybe its just the water.

[littlebrook]

hutjensmpg,
Your comments re Rock Creek rang a big bell. A few years ago, thanks to my generous familyl, I met two of my sons for a couple days fishing on Montana's Rock Creek. Magnificent experience! I'd tied many flies in preparation and my two boys caught abundant trout on my Prince nymphs. What did I catch? Zip!! Nada!! I tried Prince nymphs, October caddis, (it was the right time) and several other patterns. They caught loads of fish, I "caught" exercise. But it was certainly time well spent in beautiful country.

Thanks again to my generous family, my wife and I floated the Bitteroot one day and the Madison a few days later, had wonderful guides and caught many beautiful troutfish. A few exceeded two feet. What memories!!

But it was still pleasant to come home to my 6-10, maybe 12 inch brook trout.

God lives in northern Michigan. And probably in few western drainages.

Bill

[fishin' fool]

I guess I understand trying something new, but if you're catching fish doing what you're doing, why change? Why bother with a new pattern when you seem to have a nice, simple, complete lineup of flies to use and catch fish with already. Just my opinion.

[waynep]

I actually understand his "problem" . . . LOL . . In our local Trout rivers, the Sowbug is a goto fly for everyone. However, I have never caught a trout on a sowbug pattern. Makes me feel like I am missing something . . . A pattern everyone uses and I can't catch a fish with it. I catch trout on other things, but have never done it on a sowbug . . .

-wayne

[cheli38]

I have a different take on why the Clouser isnt working for you. My guess would be the size of the river you are fishing. You stated the river was shallow, up to 4 feet and usually less. I would bet the clouser sticks out like a sore thumb in that kind of water. I find them to be more effective in larger rivers with strong currents giving them more action. If you are fishing them in that shallow of water, are you downsizing the dumbell eyes? If that Clouser is riding too "heavy" it probably doesnt look like much of an imitation of anything, in that it is just "sitting" there with little action.
I have a river here that sounds similiar to yours, and while I have changed flies out of boredom of catching fish after fish on a simple pattern, nothing has been as effective as an unweighted woolly bugger. It is light and therefore has a ton of action in the mild current and doesnt sink too fast. If I cast even a light clouser in that water, it would spook the smallies no matter how delicate my cast.
On the contrary, I think of a river like the James in Virginia (wide, fast, with deep pockets and lots of current) and the clouser is spot on for that type of water. Those fish are used to seeing "larger" baitfish and that current will make a heavier fly come to life.
This is not to say the clouser cant work on that water, but I would guess it to be more effective in the largest of pools or fastest of the currents that river presents.

Just a thought!

[cycler68]

This thread reminds me of the first time I went on vacation with my parents to a favorite lake of theirs. My older brother was catching walleyes on a spinner with a bumble bee like fly behind it. I couldn't catch anything with that rig. I was soooooooo frustrated. Dad finally gave me a lazy ike to troll with and I caught a nice walleye with it. Felt much better after that.
Fishing is just weird sometimes. Probably because of chaos theory. Gotta be that cause people didn't make it weird did they?

[Greg H]

Andrew - are you fishing the lower Grand at Caledonia? or further up near Kitchener? or ??
I have had success with Clousers in Ontario, but never the colours mentioned here or the ones I tied like BND or perch. White in the pattern was the kiss of death for success.
The one that works for me is brown bucktail over gold flashabou over yellow bucktail. Even though golden shiners are not common where I fish (mostly Jack Lake in the Kawarthas).
George at Angling Specialties once told me (after some frustration on the Grand) that streamers there had to be yellow and on the bottom. I have only been back there to fish emergers, but the pattern I suggest should be good.
Please let me know more, either here or with a PM.
Greg

[Andrew Mann]

Hey Greg,

Actually, I fish the Maitland...I only visit the Grand to catch browns - what a river!!

Cheers,
Andrew