Spinner Fly?

[FT. DRUM GUY]

Has anyone ever tried to fish a fly on a spinner rig? If so....what do you use?

[cliff-OH]

There's a lot of that if you mean fishing a fly from a spinning rod. I think a lot of folks would call it drift fishing. I prefer a 9-10 ft noodle rod ... you need a decent spinning reel with a very good drag ... for salmon, 10-12 # main line, 6-8# leader ... for steelhead, 8-10 # main line, 4-6# leader ... pin slinky to a #10 snap swivel or hang 1 #1 (or smaller) split shot from the swivel on 4-6 # mono loop ... four foot max from swivel (weight) to fly ... tick the weight along the bottom as you would with high stick nymphing and set the hook when (1) the line stops moving, or (2) the line moves upstream, or (3) tap-tap-tap (steelhead) or bam (salmon) ... anybody have diagrams they can share ??

Advantage: light mono gets the weight/fly down quicker in the deepest holes, fast water, heavy water flows. Also, you may find it easier to handle when the temperature is below freezing. Disadvantage: cast ... drift ... retrieve ... repeat, repeat, repeat ... and it's not really as much fun as more traditional fly fishing with a sink tip or sinking line ...

HTH -- Cliff

[FT. DRUM GUY]

Thanks for the info.

[tree-on]

[QUOTE=cliff-OH] ... pin slinky to a #10 snap swivel or hang 1 #1 (or smaller) split shot from the swivel on 4-6 # mono loop ... four foot max from swivel (weight) to fly
cliff-OH, how are you tying a mono loop on you rig, I clip the shot to the tag of one of the knots I used for the swivel. The loop of lighter mono sounds like a better idea.
thx

[cliff-OH]

I like to tie these up ahead of time and carry them in a small plastic box in the fishing vest or chest pack (whatever) along with regular slinkies, and other weight type stuff... I make just a small loop of cheap (usually) 6# mono tied like a dropper loop (total length of the loop about an inch, less if you can get away with it) and pinch on the split shot ... usually I like to try to catch both strands of the mono with the shot near the knot. When you rig up, just attach the loop to the snap swivel, leader to another snap swivel, etc., just as you would with a slinky rig. The knot keeps the shot from departing just like you've been doing with the knot in the tag end of your connection ... I've been surprised at how few times the dangling shot tangles with anything else in the terminal tackle ... when the shot hangs up on the rocks, the lighter mono breaks at the snap and all you lose is the shot ... it works less well with more than one shot (tends to tangle) a bit more. It works with a spinning rod setup, but I think you'd need to tie up a bunch of different sizes to get away with it with a fly rod ... I think you need to be able to customize the shot size for conditions with the fly rod ... spinning, you just have to have enough weight to cast and get down ... the drift is a bit different than a slinky drift, more of an honest ticking as it hits the rocks ... I don't know if steelhead are more likely to be spooked by 2 swivels and a slinky or 2 swivels and a ball of lead ... and I really can't say I have been able to observe any difference in whether or not a fish will take the fly under either circumstance ... nothing really works that well on the limbs/branches in the water, but the shot/loop seems to save flies in rocky but limb-less areas ... you know how it is, you buy a pound box of #1 shot at Cabela's and very quickly decide that you don't want to ever join the folks short-lining salmon with their 3 or 4 shot ahead of a 1 or 2 foot leader and sponge setup ... helps to get rid of that light line that isn't good enough for leader material, too ... HTH ... cg

[Ditchrat]

Disadvantage: cast ... drift ... retrieve ... repeat, repeat, repeat ... and it's not really as much fun as more traditional fly fishing with a sink tip or sinking line ...

HTH -- Cliff

That is the best reason I've heard anyone give for fly casting and not chunk and dunk (on a fly rod or a spinning rod)

Dont forget the indy though

[cliff-OH]

Right, Ditch ... indy is the only way out here in Ohio (slower waters) ... nice report on the 15th BTW Cliff