Bubble and Fly on the Bow...any tips?

[deerless]

Since the critters of the woods are safe from me until september, I've decided to give this fishing thing a shot. So far, pretty frustrating.

Trying the bow river in calgary for trout (around carburn park area). Using one of those adjust-a-bubbles, 6 pound trilene and some dry-flies the guys at the fishing hole sold me. Putting the bubble 2 to 3 feet up the line from where I tied my fly. Doing my best to cast just upstream from little calm spots and let my fly drift past where I think the fish are hiding. A couple problems I've noticed:

A) My line will get all tangled up around the bubble, so I have to stop and untangle it every couple of casts. Is that normal or am I doing something wrong?

B) The bubble (half-full of water for distance) and fly tend to land in the same spot and float down the river just inches from each other. I thought the whole point of the leader was so the bubble didn't spook the fish, but I can't seem to get the two to separate when they hit water.

C) It's really hard to see my fly if it's more than a few meters away from me. Yes I have polarized glasses. How do I know when to set the hook if I can't see the fly?

D) My dry-flies keep sinking. I have this white powder that supposed to make them float, but I have to douse my flies in that stuff every few casts. Is that normal?

Just came home empty-handed again after hours of fishing this morning. Any tips would be appreciated. Thanks!

[millsboy79]

The only thing I feel confident to comment on would be "D" I would think the liquid dry fly "stuff" would work better for you since you are not actually fly fishing and using your false casts to get the water out of your fly the powder might not cut it.

Either way I would expect the fly would sink every few casts simply from getting water logged.

[Squidlips]

90 percent of successful fly fishing is sub surface. As a beginner I would try different tactics.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Red Bullets]

I use an adjust a bubble float and 6 or 7 feet behind use either a royal coachmen or a 2 inch streamer with good success on the Bow. Find an edge of water and let your float drift down as far as you want. Then retrieve, against the current, erratically and slowly so as not to leave a wake with the float. You don't have to be way out in the middle of the river either. Lots of trout feed close to shore.

Put a good swivel above your float to prevent line twist.
When casting stop the line before the float hits the water and usually the fly and line will straighten out behind the float.
If you retrieve your hook and float from downstream the hook will be stretched out behind the float and you can feel the hit better than trying to watch the fly.

[huntsfurfish]

You could try using an actual tapered fly leader tied into your main line with the torpedo close to where it is tied on. Try to slow or stop your cast to get the fly to turn over(flip past the float). Would go with a 7.5 foot leader. Can join leader with back to back uni or nail knot.

And as Red Bullets suggested add a good swivel might be a good way to join the two together(and help combat line twist) then slide the float right up to the swivel (but not tight against it).

Could also add a small indicator on the line to help, but not sure how it will work together.

Hope that helps.

[weedhaul]

Try nymphing...use a San Juan worm and a Prince Nymph, a couple bb shots to get it down and set your float about 7-8 feet up, or 1&1/2 times the depth of the water your fishing. The Bow is hell to learn on though.

[bobalong]

I would abandon the dry fly setup, and try a slip bobber with a clouser or conehead leech with a about a 24" trailer line with a prince, tungstud, sanjuan tied on the end of it. Set your slip bobber at 6' and keep adjusting until your setup is just bumping bottom every few feet.