fly changing?

[Travis C.]

Just a question guys,

I never change a whole lot while fishing as I would venture to say quite a few fall in the same boat. What I caught them on last time stays tied on until fear of a skunk sets in or the guy down stream gets the better of me watching him pull in fish on top of fish.

How do most of you change flies while on the water efficiently. I have always been told to change pretty often to find what they are truly eating or to stay on top of the changing food chain for better ensuring constant catch of fish.

What are some keys to accomplishing a quick turn around on the water for changing flies?

Do you keep a selection of flies for the day out in the open?

Do you pre-tie tippet on some?

Or do you just get that good at knots that the down time between is small?

Just wondering to better help me and maybe others out there....

 

 

[grumpy]

There's always a few proven patterns, cover all the depths with them or go to a larger or smaller fly of the same pattern if it's working.
Knots, sometimes i tie them right, sometimes i don't

Grumpy

[Steve H]

I keep a "go to" box of flies, then I have all my other flies. For me, I just cut and tie on again. I know this shortens the tippet but I try and be conservative with the amount of extra material that I use so that I don't shorten my leader and tippet too much.

As well, make sure if you are indicator fishing that you can quickly move or change for depth or speed of water so that your fly gets in front of the fish.

I am pretty quick with knots, so I can be back up and running pretty quick. Now if I get a birds nest or a big cluster due to lazy casting or help from the wind then I might got to the bank or anchor up and make the change if it is going to be longer.

[wm1]

Great questions Travis.
First, I will admit that my experience is limited and this may all be very elementary, but....
1) I have started changing often. In our tailwaters I know that the fish are there, so I have to find them and interest them in what I offer.
2) The first thing that I try to do is find where they are feeding as far as depth is concerned. Sometimes I do this by fishing two or even three flies. Other times I change flies, weighted, emergers, etc, or presentation; stripping across the surface, fishing the swing, high sticking, bouncing a weighted fly along the bottom,etc. (I hate using strike indicators so only use them as a last resort.) I do fish a dry fly with a dropper occasionally. Usually if the fish are feeding on the surface, it is apparent.
3) I do keep a separate box of flies that I plan to fish any given day. Often I tie these the evening before. For some reason, a freshly tied fly for a particular outing catches more fish. I know, this is psycological, but it works.
4) No, I have no quick turn-around time for changing flies. I hope that others post some ideas in regards to this.
5) The one thing that I have learned lately is: "if it ain't working, change something"! I may get skunked this evening, but I can almost always find something that works at least for a few fish.
That's my two cents.
I hope that others with much more expertise than I have will respond.
William
p.s....I agree with Grumpy; depth, presentation and size.

[DriftWooD1]

I just tell my guide I wanna change flies 

[grumpy]

I just tell my guide I wanna change flies 

i need to git into real estate

Grumpy

[MikeA]

If they are biting I fish what I got, if not and I can see fish feeding I change flies every other drift till I start catching.

[Travis C.]

I am definitely not very good at bug life. 

My usual day will start with my go to fly that always catches but sometimes the numbers just aren't there. For me, I should maybe keep some flies out where I can get to them easier.  Conventional gear I sometimes change so much the lure changes before it is even hits the water. Can't understand why that doesn't translate over in fly fishing. It could be that I don't know all the different bugs and their applications as well as I should. When dealing with a midge, I know what it is and it's role in their diet because that is most fished out my box on any water for trout. The only way I will ever know is to just  try some then figure out why they ate it.

I agree with Grumpy though, changing depths before writing off a pattern as them not biting it.

[wm1]

ELK REPORT!
Well, today was on of those days.
After two and a half hours of trying, wooly buggers (weighted and less weighted), soft hackles (white, brown, black and yellow in various sizes), midges (various sizes and colors) droppers under dry flies (midges, soft hackles, phesant tail nymph) and all of the possible presentations that I know, I HAD CAUGHT ONE (1) 5" RAINBOW!!!
So, I dug out my old standby fly box and put on a gray scud/sow bug and WOW! I started catching fish regardless of presentation. Most fish hit it as soon as it hit the water. I caught fish stripping across current, on the swing, casting upstream and letting it dead drift, high sticking it (lost one big brown that hit it right on the bottom; thought at first that I had hung up), and by normal casting down stream.
Yes, one has to keep changing flies on days like today.
By the way, I have carried a couple of these flies for a couple years and only caught one or two fish on them one time at Bettys Island; also on a slow day.
Go Figure.
William

[kaisersoze]

Driftwood,

Next time you get to do the rowing.  I'm tired of rowing back up river a mile or so and changing yo flies just so you can cast to those 10" fish.

[icthus]

Funny Kaisersoze,

You can row, but when it comes to running a trolling motor you have hard time.

 

Lets go dude!!!!

[kaisersoze]

I row 'cause the trolling motor is never charged!   I'll holla, maybe fish monday.

[wyomingtroutbum]

I generally pick one fly that i want to keep on top, and change the bottom fly. That way I don't have to keep tying on new tippet all the time.

And yes I think you have to keep changing until you figure out what they want. Or else it's just a tough day slapping the water.....