A novice flyboy here. I wanted to get some input on fishing high, fast, dirty water. I live in the NE and it rains often until July. Streamers are what I have been fishing - with some success, but it seems I have far less strikes in this water versus gin clear. Thoughts?
Dark water, dark fly. Make sure you fish whatever pocket water you can find…fish will hold close to the bank in high fast water.
LadyFisher, Publisher of
FAOL
I see that you’re from the same place I used to live and when the water was high and off color I usually would swing a large dark colored thing that would push a lot of water. Like a bugger, or a muddler type thing. I would do that in slower streatches with limited success, however, I caught all of the biggest fish I ever caught in PA with this technique during periods of high water. They will eat in the chocolate milk you just have to work methodically with a deep swing so that sooner or later your fly meets up with a trout. Best of luck to you, I’m having the same problem here right now.
You’ve got the right idea fishing streamers. And, yes, dark flies as LadyFisher suggested. Dark and Big so the fish can see it.
Stoneflies, larger nymphs.
Also, work the water by inches. By that I mean work every bit of the water because fish can only see a few inches with that type of discoloration and swift water movement. Work in a grid, if possible, like tic tac toe, maybe 6 inch or so increments so you’ll gradually put the fly right to them.
Find a deep slow undercut bank… one that you could see during periods of low water and just looked at it and said “dang I bet fish would hold there if the water is high”. Work the above, dark leech or large stone nymph, and work hard. I never get a lot of fish in high water unless I hit the jackpot (some banks like I described have given me dozens of large fish). You will almost always get some very large fish for the waters you fish in…
Good luck!
Brian
[url=http://bowcrow.tripod.com:053e0]Bowcrow Fishing Adventures[/url:053e0]
Dear paflyfisher,
Try salted minnies. 
You got good advice. If the creeks are really high don’t even bother to wade unless you are familiar with the stream.
Swinging a big black wooly bugger or Zonker along the bank will get you a couple of trout.
Regards,
Tim Murphy
The advise above is good. Depending on the time of the year and if a hatch has been going on. If the stream just comes up and there was a good hatch going before the high water there will still be fish feeding on those flies in the shallow water in riffle corners and runs close to the backs. I stay on the bank using nymph’s or emerger’s of the flies I know were coming off and do very well this way. Fish will lose there fear and come very shallow when a stream gets dirty.
I did this just this last week. We got low snow melt and the river was muddy. You could see about 8 or so inches into the water. All the guides went home and so did the other fishermen. I waited until later in the afternoon letting the water get as warm as possible and then went fishing at about 5 in the afternoon. The Mothers Day caddis was on the day before so I knew the fish were on them. I started with a caddis emerger on a droper and fished this in 12 inches of water and I caught several nice fish in about and hour and a half. While not as good as the fishing can be on this hatch it was better than staying at home.
Now I am not saying that a streamer or larger nymph will not work as they will but if there was a good hatch going be prepared to copy the nymph’s and emerger’s of that fly fish them shallow and I think you will be suprised. Ron
[This message has been edited by RonMT (edited 28 April 2005).]
Hi,
If you can get (or find) a copy of the Oz magazine “Flylife”. issue #39 has an article “Big Bad & Ugly” which addresses your question exactly, and provides a recipe for the appropriate fly (“troll” from memory). Or you could try the forum site
[url=http://www.flylife.com.au/:96e2c]http://www.flylife.com.au/[/url:96e2c]
I think they keep an index of their articles online.
tight lines
“If fishing is a sport, then I must be an athlete!”
All above on the money…and you’ll be surprised how large a fly will work.
Consider a sink-tip or a light integrated head, as well. Use maybe 4’ of 3-4X fluoro as your whole leader/tippet. This will keep the fly down.
Thanks for the info. What about fishing depth? Do I need to use more sink during these times or just swing the fly?
Big Muddler head patterns, black and white colors with Flashabou (ex.: Black/ White Marabou Muddler) That’s what works here in not clear waters.
Rocketfish
Argentina
I’d probably go somewhere else until it clears some or work in the shop on a project…
You have to understand that you are the one that has to decide what you will need to fish the stream you are on when it is muddy. Is it a big stream a little stream or a large river ?
If it is small then no weight will be needed in most cases. Medium streams will need some weight and so on. Each type and situation is different and you need to just learn by doing. You can tell by looking at the banks of the stream or the run if it is real deep or shallow. Or how fast the water is? All of these things come into play when fishing dirty water. On larger rivers and streams I may use a sink tip but for most streams a weighted fly and some split shot will be all that is needed.
Pay attention to the stream and it’s depth when you fish it and it is clear. Then when it muddy’s you will have an idea of what the depth’s of the different runs are and then know how much weight you will or will not need. Do to the depth and the speed of the water.
Remember nothing in fly fishing is written in stone. Things that worked yesterday may not work tomorrow. Keep an open mind and go fishing. Ron
[This message has been edited by RonMT (edited 29 April 2005).]
Re: greater depth:
Starting right on the bottom works for me, where current is slowest. That’s why I suggest using a short leader/tippet. If you don’t, current will make fly ride up, even with a sink-tip/head.
maggots, waxworms, minnies, Power-bait…
good luck!
Which particular streams are you thinking about?
RonMT - Thanks for the comprehensive reply. I agree that every day is different and it takes a little common sense - thanks!
Benjo - I was not thinking of any stream in particular - just PA’s fine small creeks and streams in general.
I do like Loyalhanna in Lingonier - but it is gin clear most days.