Fishing A Cinder Worm Hatch? Presentation is Key

Fishing a Cinder Worms Hatch? Presentation is Key

Several posts back, I mentioned that the cinder worm hatches here in Southern New England would be getting underway soon. Well, they’re underway. Now if you have never seen or fished a cinder worm hatch be sure to view my earlier post. It has important information about these events, a clear photo of the worms, and some flies as well. Check it out.

Cinder worm hatches are always exciting, but they are not always easy. In fact, they can be downright frustrating with refusal after refusal. Sometimes your fly simply gets lost in the enormous cluster of worms. Sometimes your pattern isn’t quite right. But many times, it is all about your presentation! Yes, presentation is key

Cinder Worm Swarm

Schools of baitfish tend to swim together and often in a single direction. Worms never do that. They move erratically – stretching, contraction, bending, and wiggling as they go. In the above photo there are 7 or 8 worms. Note that each has its own shape and trajectory. Mimicking this is no easy task, especially in areas of no current. For that reason, I suggest you search for any moving water you can locate. Slow retrieves at, or very close, to the surface are usually best. Next, try to watch a fish feed and place you fly in its path. Lastly, make your fly out of soft flexible material. And a surface fly that causes a tiny wake on retrieve is a good bet. Go get them!     Warning: Clinging jellyfish found in salt ponds

 

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Your Boat’s Name Says A Lot

Your Boat’s Name Says A Lot

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Upperman Joe Brooks Popping Bug

Upperman Joe Brooks Popping Bug.

The popper in the photograph below is part of the earliest series of saltwater flies ever created in our country. It was tied by Bill Upperman of Atlantic City, New Jersey to Joe Brooks’ specifications and appeared in Joe’s Salt Water Fly Fishing published in 1950. Joe would use a white version of this same fly to catch his world record 29 pound 6 ounce striped bass out in Coos Bay, Oregon.

The Upperman Joe Brooks Popping Bug rode a 3/0 Z nickel hook, the finest of its time, and is through wired. The painted body is a 1.5″ piece of round balsa wood. The face is flat, and the tail is 3″ of bucktail. The eye is painted on. And check this out! I think there is  a tooth hole from a bluefish under the eye! You got to love it.

 

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Short Casts are Successful in the Salt

Short Casts are Successful in the Salt

There is a tendency to think that saltwater fly fishing is all about booming out long casts. Thousand dollar fast action performance rods, special taper lines, and double hauling.  Right? And this is especially the case went fishing from shore. Aren’t the fish out yonder? Sometimes.

Generally speaking, when fishing from the beach casts of 65/70 feet are adequate for covering the water. And that may be casting too far! Really. Short casts are successful in the salt too – even very short casts. In fact you may have to back away from the water’s edge to properly deliver a fly.

How is this possible? Waves and longshore currents tend to dig a drop-off along the water’s edge. See it in the photo above? Note where the tan colored band at the bottom of the image joins the aqua colored band. This color change marks the edge of we call the trough. This drop-off may only be a foot or two deeper, but it is a fishy spot. Why? It is constantly being stirred up by the coming and going of the waves. Which in turn attracts silversides, sand eels, and crabs to feed right here. Which draws striped bass – particularly in low light. And you if you fish long enough, the day will come when you hook a bluefish, fluke, bonito or false albacore on this edge. Yeah short casts are successful in the salt.

(Did you see the dark blue band at the top of the photo? Its a deep hole out about 60 feet. You can reach it.)

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The UFO Fly

The UFO Fly

Recently a friend of mine, who lives on the Farmington River perhaps the best trout stream in the northeast, sent me a text message containing a blurry photo of a fly, claiming it was the best fly he had ever used.  Fish on every cast, he extolled. Really? Every cast? Sure sounded worth investigating. But get this. He didn’t know the name of the fly or even what it was made of it? It was a complete mystery. All he knew was that he found it in a box of stuff given to him by fly tying impresario -Mark Lewchik.

The UFO Fly

With precious little to go on, I drove over to speak with Mark about the best fly in the world. He got a laugh out of that. He told me he had made the fly, but it had no name and he wasn’t even sure he had ever fished it? The mystery depended. Figuring it was up to someone to name the best fly in the world, I called it the UFO – an unidentified fly-fishing object. Now as far as the material used to create this killer fly, Mark pulled out a special type of dubbing comprising of rabbit fur and tiny pieces of rubber legs. What was it called? Hareline’s Wiggle Dub Dispenser. In short order, Mark whipped me up a squadron of UFOs and I left itching to launch one. Thanks Mark.

 

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