When a pool looks good and I dont get any hits, I will seldom leave without dragging the fly across at all angles. I call it scratching the pool. I got the idea from watching the Seinfeld 'opposite' episode. I decided that if a precise dead-drifted fly wouldnt catch a fish in a fishy pool, I would do the opposite. Big splash in the center, then semi-aggressive strips out of the pool. I get probably somewhere around 30% success with this. (Success is defined as at least one rise to the fly) which is pretty good considering Ive "fished out" the pool in my mind.
Favorite Accidental fish: On the Elwha, I had my 5wt jerked out of my hand as I was fording the river. The fly was 'dapping' about 3feet away from me, as I was splashing my way across. Talk about unexpected.. I was making more rukus than a gear thrower during the Pink Run. -----Original Message----- From: David Holmes [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Saturday, July 12, 2003 11:59 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: The Accident Fish : Bane or Boon I went out on the Middle Fork Snoq a couple of days ago. Fishing was a little slow and I was a little perturbed to find that, at the end of the day, 3 of the 5 I caught were "Accident Fish." I define an "Accident Fish" as one I caught when I wasn't trying to. Typically I get one like this: 1. I've fished a lonely spot on the Middle Fork for 20 minutes with nothing to show, so I've decided to move to a new location. So I start reeling in while looking up and down the river for a new location. OF course, Wham! Accident fish. 2. I've just tossed a wooley bugger into a lake Langloise from my little boat. I set my rod down to adjust the radio and Wham! Accident fish. 3. I'm talking with a buddy, slowly stripping my line in but not paying attention. Wham! accident fish. My quandary: Should I try to "turn off my brain" and catch only accident fish since I seem to be pretty good at it? Or should I view accident fish as evidence that I need to be paying attention? Any advice for a struggling newbie would be much appreciated. -- David __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? SBC Yahoo! DSL - Now only $29.95 per month! http://sbc.yahoo.com
