Chester Frost- willow flies

[G-MAN]

Night fished (10-20-05) at Chester Frost Park. Found two live May flies on my boat that hitched a ride with me back home. I only fished the first slough on the left after leaveing the ramp. I didn't notice them while fishing- must have been tight on the bushes. I'll keep on the lookout at the ramp on my way home from work this week.

Fishing was slow. Three of us fishing and we probably had four keepers and three shorties. Used carolina and texas rigs w/ 1/8oz to 1/4oz weights. Not productive enough to tell if one thing worked any better than another.
Fish that were caught were not tight to bank. They were probably about 10 to 15 feet off bank in about 8-10 foot of water.

If anyone sees some willow fly hatchs let me know. My middle son got his first taste of fishing when the willow flies hatched last year. He enjoys talking about it and can't wait to go again.

 

[DHaun]

Great report - Thanks for sharing that info!

 

[fisherwayne]

I hate to be dumb here (or anywhere), but how do you fish when may flies (willow flies) hatch. I've been out there when fish are tearing them up but how do you fish it? Thanks

 

[sbrannon]

Fish a popping bug on a fly rod, or tie a popping bug on a ultra light set up and use a float as weight for casting. Leave about 18 inches between popping bug and float.

 

[brewm]

Thanks for the info....I had the same question!

 

[G-MAN]

I checked a couple of times this week at Chester Frost Park for some willow fly action. Negative... I new it was awful early, but I have know idea how they got on my boat.

My son and I actualy like to fish useing the willow flys. We sometimes scoop them off of the bushes in a coffee can, no need for lid, they stay in the can pretty well on their own. If were in the boat, we usualy use the ones that fly onto the boat. We use a small brass #6 true-turn hook, a small pinch on type weight about a foot above the hook and a float just high enough to keep the hook off of the bottom. I've found that when their not tearing it up, if I just very so slowly real it in, that it will trigger some bights. As far as the variety of fish, there usualy in the brim family. Sometimes, but seldom, I'll catch a small bass, stripe or cat.

My father-n-laws favorite way to fish when the willow flys are out, is with a cane pole and crickets. He'll slightly beat the bushes with a paddle to stir up the flys and then make a pass with the cane pole.

I still can't figure out where I picked up those two willow hitch hikers last week! Oh well....

Lots of luck!
Greg...

 

[DHaun]

Thanks for that great advice! I remember doing something similar as a kid night fishin - they would all line up single file & paralell on the dock posts facing upward towards the light. We would just pick them off one by one as we used them and grab a handful on occasion to chum beneath the light. Maybe those two hitchers were just to get you to thinking about what to do when they all hatch!

 

[macG]

How to fish it in a mayfly hatch? Fly rod and artiificial mayfly.

Green mayflies were hatching off Hwy 58 (Harrison) this week, simulataneously with brim popping - evenings. But I was bass fishing.

MacG

 

[polo-dog]

I have fished the hatches with a fly rod before, it can be a blast, litterally. I have also fished them with worms, and tube jigs, anything chartreuse if they are the yellow ones and brown if they are the darker ones. Sometimes you can fish just about anything because the fish are fired up to eat.

 

[macG]

What about putting a fly ahead of a bobber with a spin rod, or has someone mentioned that? Seems though it orta work? (One sure way to find out,I guess). I don't have any fly rods here - yet. But I think you're right - when they're hot, they're hot, and almost anything seems to work.
macG

 

[sbrannon]

macG - 6/11/2005 8:36 PM

What about putting a fly ahead of a bobber with a spin rod, or has someone mentioned that? Seems though it orta work? (One sure way to find out,I guess). I don't have any fly rods here - yet. But I think you're right - when they're hot, they're hot, and almost anything seems to work.
macG

Yes it will work. That's how I was taught when I was a kid.

 

[polo-dog]

That technique can be good but I think that it's a bobber in front of the fly, (reel, line, bobber, fly).

 

[macG]

Yeah - that's how I meant it to come out... fly the last thing on the line. Anyway, I have to try them both out, now. Fly and or popper, bobber! What the heck. Maybe I don't really need a fly rod. (Mine are in Maine, I think). I sure nuff caught a wild 3 foot gar last weekend below Chickamauga dam! Big top water lure thrown half way out! Or so. No fly rod stuff there. Don't they have some awful teeth! Spotted gar, most likely?