Tips and tricks for fly fishing Indiana rivers
Developing Solid Flyfishing Technique: There is nothing like the repetition of correct casting technique to build muscle memory. And while flycasting is a group of elementary movements of the hands and arms, the part that needs practice is putting those disparate motions together into a well-timed flow to generate a smooth cast with enough line speed to get the fly to its target. After you master the basics of flycasting (on the lawn, ponds, etc.), there is simply no better way to really learn to cast (and fish) than to take float trips with guides who are good casting and fishing instructors. On the average, you will cast 90-120 times per hour for the duration of the trip. You'll will be asked to put the fly tight to cover, against logs, under trees and right over rocks. Meanwhile, the boat is moving, there are trees behind you, the flyline needs to be adjusted on the water (mending), the flyline inside the boat needs to be managed (because you are probably standing on it), and there is usually another person 10 feet from you trying to do the same thing. There is no other flyfishing "situation" that will accelerate your learning curve the way fishing a river from a moving boat will. Oh... and its great fun!
Clousers and Leaders: The up & down swimming motion of Clouser Minnows and other "jig" type flies can be improved by using longer, lighter leaders than would normally be recommended for flies of their size and weight. ex: A size 6 Clouser would normally be fished on a 9-10ft 1x or 2x leader, however, the action of the fly is better when using a longer leader with a lighter tippet. If you are fishing good water and the fish aren't responding try changing to a longer leader (12-15 ft) and a 3x or even 4x tippet. When extending you leader, don't just add more tippet or the leader will not turn over a heavy fly very well. Extend the butt of your leader, keeping your tippet 2.5-3 ft long, and you can get away with a much longer leader that will still turn over heavy flies (if your casting is well-timed). You can also use this approach in slower moving or still water to avoid using sinking lines, which don't impart as much jigging action to a weighted fly.
Nymphing in Warmwater: We all like the visual take of a fish slamming a topwater bug or chasing a streamer. Unfortunately, the fish are in control of this game and our job is to present the flies they will eat in the manner they want to see them. Indicator nymphing can be effective when other methods are not producing. Try a lightly weighted crayfish pattern, Wooly Bugger, Hellgramite, or even a small Clouser Minnow. Put the fly under an indicator about 1 foot deeper than the estimated water depth you are fishing. Look for the fly to tick the bottom while being pulled downstream by the indicator. You can impart more action by twitching the indicator a bit or mending it upstream for a dead drift. Since this method is usually used when more active tactics (streamers or poppers) are not drawing strikes, don't just float the fly through a hole or run once, but rather anchor up and "nymph" the water, adjusting your presentation and fly offering until you have fished the water thoroughly.
High Water Smallmouth: In high, off-color water, using larger flies (sculpins, large baitfish patterns and crayfish) on sinktip lines can entice hungry Smallmouth and other warm water species when smaller baitfish patterns may not be visible. Two fly rigs can also be effective, such as a light-colored Halh & Half with a dark Wool Bugger as a trailer.
Low Water Smallmouth: Switch to less visible (more impressionistic) fly patterns as the water drops and clears. Try Clouser Minnows or Murdich Minnows tied sparsely with synthetics. Also, reduce the size of your topwater poppers and use the quieter poppers such as deerhair bugs and Sneaky Pete's.
3 Season Crayfish: As crayfish molt, they are most susceptible to being eaten by Smallmouth. After shedding their exoskeletons they are light-colored, tasty little morsels. Fortunately for us, the different types of crayfish resident in Indiana streams molt at different times of year. So fishing crayfish patterns can be successful anytime. But don't think that Smallmouth only eat crayfish when they are molting. I've seen 10 inch Smallmouth inhale 4 inch crayfish and then attack my fly with the crayfish still stuck in its throat!
Poppers on Sink-tips Lines: You can offer a unique diving presentation by fishing a floating popper on a sink-tip line. This presentation makes the bug dive when stripped and causes it to suspend below the surface when left to drift. This can be effective when fish are aggressive but surface-shy. This can be very effective with Todd's Wiggle Minnow as well.
Popper With a Dropper: Add some extra spice to your popper presentation with a dropper 3-4 feet behind. Use a Clouser Swimming Nymph, Wolly Bugger, a Spoon Fly or other "swimming fly" on 3-4 feet of 2x to 4x tippet tied to the bend of the popper hook. Each time you twitch the popper the trailer does it's dance and can draw strikes from fish that won't come up for the popper. I use this technique during the transition season into late-Spring to test the waters and see if the fish are "looking up" yet while still fishing below the surface to maximize the chance of catching fish.
Rod Tip Down! When fishing streamers or poppers, put the tip of your rod right at the surface of the water or even in the water and inch or so. This creates a direct connection between you and your fly, which does 2 things...it maximizes the number of takes that turn into hooked fish, and it enhances the action of your fly. When you have slack line between you and your fly, you are really just retrieving the slack and the fly is being pulled in by the slack, which imparts little action to the fly. Also, fish are incredibly fast at taking in and then spitting out our flies. If you are directly connected to the fly, chances are much better that you will have the opportunity to set the hook when a fish takes.
Use the right equipment for the job: Flycasting all day can take alot out of you. An adequate flycaster can throw a popper or weighted streamer with a 5wt rod. But can you (or would you want to) throw that heavy fly 90-120 times per hour for the duration of a 9-10 hour float trip? Probably not. Many anglers bring "trout rods" to fish for Smallmouth. They usually wear out quickly or get frustrated with the extra false casting required to move a larger fly with an underpowered rod. Most end up using my boat rods, which are 7wt rods with bass taper lines and heavy-butt leaders. These rods provide the efficiency you need to cast 1000+ times during a long float trip, and you'll actually fish more because you are limiting the false casting and are able to cast farther, quicker. I believe the most useful all-around rod/reel setup (if you live in smallmouth bass country) is a 7wt. It will work well for streamer and popper fishing for bass, and, if you buy a good reel with a disc drag it'll work for Great Lakes Steelhead and light inshore saltwater fishing such as bonefish/redfish/snook/trout.
Structure: Cast deep into “the woods”. Tangles of wood cover in deep, slow water are “high-density housing units” for fish year-round. In order to reach them, use floating line with long (but stout) leaders. Use weedless bead-head leeches, crayfish, or baitfish and cast them straight into the structure or just beyond and crawl the fly back through. Plan on losing flies… even weedless. Traditional fishing techniques such as throwing a rubber worm or a weedless jig are more effective for this but it can be done with fly rod.
Ambush points: Actively feeding fish will set up in places where they can hide from their prey and jump out for the kill. Examine the water for such places. Common ambush points are behind rocks, at the end of sweeper logs, holes downstream of anything that interrupts the current (points, logs, rocks), on the downstream side of a sunken log laying across the current, etc. Think like a predator to catch a predator.
Start with a surface fly if water temp is above 60 degrees and water flows/color are normal: Since surface fishing is so much fun, you may as well start there when the water temp/condition is conducive to a surface attack. You can always go to a streamer if the surface bite isn’t active enough. I usually prefer sliders/divers over poppers for a more subtle disturbance. Sneaky Pete’s, Dahlberg Divers, etc.
Reduce fly size as water drops and clears: During high and/or off-colored water, larger flies will tend to draw more attention as they disturb more water and are more visible. As the water drops and clears, fish smaller flies and use a more careful approach and presentation. For streamers such as Clousers, I find synthetic materials create a most ghost-like appearance and get eaten more often in clear water. For low water popper fishing, I find that small deerhair poppers in dull, natural colors draw more strikes.
Night fishing: Try quieter surface flies first, as sometimes fish are spooked by big noises, even in the dark. Go to the noisier flies if quieter presentations don’t draw strikes.
Fishing the spawn: Don’t pester actively spawning fish. In the time they are away from their nests, bluegill, crayfish, etc. can strip the nest of eggs or Smallmouth fry. During spawning season, fish the faster, deeper water for non-spawning fish and leave the shallow spawning beds alone. Expect a few weeks of lull in the fishing during and after the spawn.
Mend/twitch retrieve: When retrieving a streamer or popper, try moving the fly by doing small, quick mends of the fly line. Draw a quick “C” in the air (very low to the water) with your rod tip and then quickly recover the slack you have created. This type of retrieve imparts a more jerky action to the fly than the tradtitional “strip and pause” retrieve.