general trout fishing

[johnmckenzie3499]

Evening all, looking to treat myself to a new trout rod.
be fishing the Don up here in Aberdeen probably general nymph fishing for trout and was looking at this rod

ORVIS CLEARWATER® 5-WEIGHT 10' FLY ROD​

It's selling for about £239 from Orvis and Sportfish web site, what your thoughts please

take care

 

[sightbob]

Dont know much about the Don or river fishing,
but youll be hard pushed to find a better Guarantee.
And they are true to there word.John

 

[eddleston123]

Nothing wrong with an Orvis, as said previously a good guarantee.

10' is fine, though many may argue that a 5# for nymphing may not be sensitive enough. having said that, you may want at times to fish dry for some of these magnificent trout of the Don.

I think that a 10' 5# would be a good compromise all rounder.

I have never fished the Don - so can I ask you if and were I can purchase a day ticket - I will be going up to Aberdeen next year - sorry, this year.



Douglas

 

[eddleston123]

////////////////

 

[jaybeegee]

I had a Clearwater 8’6” #4 and I liked it a lot, only sold it on because I was offered a Sage SLT... no contest, but I do wish I’d kept it as a back up. Personally I would prefer 3 wt for nymphing, but a 5 wt should be fine for bigger rivers.
B

 

[BobP]

I have 4 8'6" #5 rods for work and they are very good rods indeed at that price.

 

[wjg]

I am new on this board. What kind of work do you do BobP?

 

[johnmckenzie3499]

Nothing wrong with an Orvis, as said previously a good guarantee.

10' is fine, though many may argue that a 5# for nymphing may not be sensitive enough. having said that, you may want at times to fish dry for some of these magnificent trout of the Don.

I think that a 10' 5# would be a good compromise all rounder.

I have never fished the Don - so can I ask you if and were I can purchase a day ticket - I will be going up to Aberdeen next year - sorry, this year.



Douglas

Hi Douglas you can purchase a ticket at Somers Fishing Tackle if you google that their web page explains all, it is our only local fishing tackle shop left in Aberdeen sadly, but they are very helpful if you pop in or phone.
if you google ADAA that is the fishing club for the Don and the Dee and click on beat maps you will see 35miles in total of fishing for members.

 

[benisa]

for nymphing the length is right but you are better with a 2 or 3 weight as this is a better weight for nymphing

but for a all round rod orvis 10t 5w is a good work horse

 

[tierradelfuego]

I am new on this board. What kind of work do you do BobP?

One that we are all jealous of, pretty much

 

[eddleston123]

Hi Douglas you can purchase a ticket at Somers Fishing Tackle if you google that their web page explains all, it is our only local fishing tackle shop left in Aberdeen sadly, but they are very helpful if you pop in or phone.
if you google ADAA that is the fishing club for the Don and the Dee and click on beat maps you will see 35miles in total of fishing for members.

Thanks a lot for that john.



Douglas

 

[BobP]

I am new on this board. What kind of work do you do BobP?

At the risk of getting snide comments I am a fly fishing guide on the chalkstreams. The company I work for supplies me with 4 complete sets of Orvis Clearwater rods and reels with lines already set up. It is up to me to maintain them in a fit and usable condition. I also get 4 landing nets which I don't use that often as I prefer my own net. There are also 4 hats and 4 pairs of polaroid glasses as we consider these items to be mandatory. Leaders are down to me and I use 7' 6" tapered leaders with a tippet ring to which I add 3' of tippet. Flies are also supplied if I wish and as many as I wish, but like the leaders I prefer my own.

The Clearwaters are decent rods that put up with quite a lot of abuse, especially from some of the younger clients.

I enjoy the work very much and get a lot of fun from helping inexperienced rods catch a fish or two to make their day. I think the best day of 2020 was guiding an elderly chap and his grandson on the Kennet just after the mayfly. It was one of "those " days when the old timers would have said that the fish were stuffed and just didn't need to feed, but it certainly had that sort of feel about it. The grandson lost a good fish in the morning - inexperience cost him that one - but caught one soon after but smaller. This was from a carrier that I would have rated a certainty for at least half a dozen between them before lunch as I've done it before several times with clients, but not today.

After lunch we tried a few other spots to no avail and in the mid-afternoon the old chaps family showed up as it was his birthday and they brought tea down to the river which they set up on the bank close to where we were fishing. Superb cakes & gateaux- the whole 9 yards.

Almost right in front of the whole family the birthday "boy" got into a fish which turned out to be quite a large brown. The bank was a bit unstable and I needed him to be as close to the edge as he could get as browns have a nasty habit of burying themselves in the overhanging bankside reeds etc. and once they get in there it is almost always the end. The guy was unsteady on his feet and for some time it was a case of whether the trout came out or he went in! Eventually I was able to net the thing - 4lb 6oz. He said it was the biggest trout he had caught since 1963 - 57 years before. The family made a huge fuss and had been filming the whole show which I expect he watches every week!

It would take a rather sad case not to get a buzz out of that.

 

[johnmckenzie3499]

At the risk of getting snide comments I am a fly fishing guide on the chalkstreams. The company I work for supplies me with 4 complete sets of Orvis Clearwater rods and reels with lines already set up. It is up to me to maintain them in a fit and usable condition. I also get 4 landing nets which I don't use that often as I prefer my own net. There are also 4 hats and 4 pairs of polaroid glasses as we consider these items to be mandatory. Leaders are down to me and I use 7' 6" tapered leaders with a tippet ring to which I add 3' of tippet. Flies are also supplied if I wish and as many as I wish, but like the leaders I prefer my own.

The Clearwaters are decent rods that put up with quite a lot of abuse, especially from some of the younger clients.

I enjoy the work very much and get a lot of fun from helping inexperienced rods catch a fish or two to make their day. I think the best day of 2020 was guiding an elderly chap and his grandson on the Kennet just after the mayfly. It was one of "those " days when the old timers would have said that the fish were stuffed and just didn't need to feed, but it certainly had that sort of feel about it. The grandson lost a good fish in the morning - inexperience cost him that one - but caught one soon after but smaller. This was from a carrier that I would have rated a certainty for at least half a dozen between them before lunch as I've done it before several times with clients, but not today.

After lunch we tried a few other spots to no avail and in the mid-afternoon the old chaps family showed up as it was his birthday and they brought tea down to the river which they set up on the bank close to where we were fishing. Superb cakes & gateaux- the whole 9 yards.

Almost right in front of the whole family the birthday "boy" got into a fish which turned out to be quite a large brown. The bank was a bit unstable and I needed him to be as close to the edge as he could get as browns have a nasty habit of burying themselves in the overhanging bankside reeds etc. and once they get in there it is almost always the end. The guy was unsteady on his feet and for some time it was a case of whether the trout came out or he went in! Eventually I was able to net the thing - 4lb 6oz. He said it was the biggest trout he had caught since 1963 - 57 years before. The family made a huge fuss and had been filming the whole show which I expect he watches every week!

It would take a rather sad case not to get a buzz out of that.

sounds like a great job you have there Bob and was great reading your story, you never mentioned what length ie 9ft 10ft and weight leaning more towards #4 and like you prefer leader tippet and 1 or 2 nymphs any info appreciated

 

[BobP]

John,

It is a great job, and I consider myself very fortunate to do it and to have the likes of the Test and Itchen as my "office."

On the chalkstreams we fish single fly only until grayling time when more than one is allowed. Some beats allow nymphs from the off, others only after the mayfly is over, usually 1st July. Fishing is done upstream or up & across.

The old boy was using one of the "company" rods so 8' 6" #5. That is a more or less standard length, but I do prefer a 9' #4 myself and also use a Grey's 9'6" Streamflex #3 in its 10' format for my autumn grayling.

He caught his fish on a shrimp pattern I have been using for many years and has caught an enormous number of trout & grayling since I first tied shrimp Mk 1 in 1971. I'm now on Mk 10 as more modern materials have come along. I don't expect there to be a Mk11, but then I didn't reckon on there being a Mk10 as Mk 9 was very successful. Never say never applies to fly tying as well.

Tippet strength is going to depend on what fly is being used. No point in trying to push a big bushy mayfly pattern 20 yards across the Test on 3lb tippet; you'll need 6lb at least for that, Similarly no point using that 6lb stuff for size 16 klinks later in the year.

It is a mistake to go too light on the chalkstreams. The fish are strong and they have plenty of cover in the form of bankside overhangs, tree roots and of course the classic chalkstream weedbeds to go and bury themselves in, and the b*ggers in any given spot know exactly where every likely bolt hole is. You have to be prepared to bully a fish sometimes. I generally use 4lb as a starting point. I don't like going down much more than that especially for inexperienced rods.

I prefer nymphing myself on the basis that trout & grayling get 80% at least of their food "downstairs" so sticking to the dry fly only rule is to hamper oneself a bit too much for my taste. I will also use a wool indicator attached New Zealand style because most rods simply can't see any but the most obvious fish in the river. So, trying to get them sight fishing just isn't going to work. Despite telling them right from the off what to expect to see the indicator do it would amaze you how many rods just stand there while the indicator disappears.

It's all good fun!

 

[johnmckenzie3499]

John,

It is a great job, and I consider myself very fortunate to do it and to have the likes of the Test and Itchen as my "office."

On the chalkstreams we fish single fly only until grayling time when more than one is allowed. Some beats allow nymphs from the off, others only after the mayfly is over, usually 1st July. Fishing is done upstream or up & across.

The old boy was using one of the "company" rods so 8' 6" #5. That is a more or less standard length, but I do prefer a 9' #4 myself and also use a Grey's 9'6" Streamflex #3 in its 10' format for my autumn grayling.

He caught his fish on a shrimp pattern I have been using for many years and has caught an enormous number of trout & grayling since I first tied shrimp Mk 1 in 1971. I'm now on Mk 10 as more modern materials have come along. I don't expect there to be a Mk11, but then I didn't reckon on there being a Mk10 as Mk 9 was very successful. Never say never applies to fly tying as well.

Tippet strength is going to depend on what fly is being used. No point in trying to push a big bushy mayfly pattern 20 yards across the Test on 3lb tippet; you'll need 6lb at least for that, Similarly no point using that 6lb stuff for size 16 klinks later in the year.

It is a mistake to go too light on the chalkstreams. The fish are strong and they have plenty of cover in the form of bankside overhangs, tree roots and of course the classic chalkstream weedbeds to go and bury themselves in, and the b*ggers in any given spot know exactly where every likely bolt hole is. You have to be prepared to bully a fish sometimes. I generally use 4lb as a starting point. I don't like going down much more than that especially for inexperienced rods.

I prefer nymphing myself on the basis that trout & grayling get 80% at least of their food "downstairs" so sticking to the dry fly only rule is to hamper oneself a bit too much for my taste. I will also use a wool indicator attached New Zealand style because most rods simply can't see any but the most obvious fish in the river. So, trying to get them sight fishing just isn't going to work. Despite telling them right from the off what to expect to see the indicator do it would amaze you how many rods just stand there while the indicator disappears.

It's all good fun!

Morning Bob again great to read your story, i am of the same opinion as yourself down stairs all day long and i have looked at the streamflex and the #3 or #4 would do me and i have the NZ style pack with the tool and the length of tubing, but never used it yet will give it a good go this year with a new lighter rod and your shrimp sounds intriguing a pic of them would be good lol gonna trawl the net today see what i can see 9ft6 or 10ft #4 is what im gonna target so here's hoping i see something
thxs again Bob and if you have any spare shrimp pass them on lol

 

[BobP]

John,

Haven't got any photos of the shrimp handy. I might play around with the camera later on to see if I can get a decent shot.

The dressing of Mk10 is as follows:
Hook: Fulling Mill 5065 size 16. This is a largish hook for a 16.
Bead: Copper or black tungsten 2.5 - 3.0mm. Try pink in water with a bit of colour
Tail: half a dozen microfibbetts. I'm using fibres from a clear paintbrush at present.
Rib: Copper wire.
Shellback: Clear Nymphskin about 3mm wide.
Body: Seal fur mix. (see below)
Thorax. Disco pink mix (Funky fly tying)

Slip on the bead and vice the hook. Use brown or olive tying thread and run this down to just around the bend of the hook. Catch in the tailing fibres & leave them quite short. Catch in the rib and then the Nymphskin. Dub on the body which is a base of Frankie McPhillips seal fur in Donegal olive to which is added 10% red seal plus about 5% of chopped pearl Litebrite. Spin this up in a coffee grinder.

Dub the body up to just short of the bead, bring the nymphskin over the top and rib with the copper wire. Trip off and then dub on a thorax of the disco mix. That's it.

Like I said this design has caught an awful lot of fish over the years.

 

[johnmckenzie3499]

John,

Haven't got any photos of the shrimp handy. I might play around with the camera later on to see if I can get a decent shot.

The dressing of Mk10 is as follows:
Hook: Fulling Mill 5065 size 16. This is a largish hook for a 16.
Bead: Copper or black tungsten 2.5 - 3.0mm. Try pink in water with a bit of colour
Tail: half a dozen microfibbetts. I'm using fibres from a clear paintbrush at present.
Rib: Copper wire.
Shellback: Clear Nymphskin about 3mm wide.
Body: Seal fur mix. (see below)
Thorax. Disco pink mix (Funky fly tying)

Slip on the bead and vice the hook. Use brown or olive tying thread and run this down to just around the bend of the hook. Catch in the tailing fibres & leave them quite short. Catch in the rib and then the Nymphskin. Dub on the body which is a base of Frankie McPhillips seal fur in Donegal olive to which is added 10% red seal plus about 5% of chopped pearl Litebrite. Spin this up in a coffee grinder.

Dub the body up to just short of the bead, bring the nymphskin over the top and rib with the copper wire. Trip off and then dub on a thorax of the disco mix. That's it.

Like I said this design has caught an awful lot of fish over the years.

sounds easy enough Bob i have most of that just not the nymphskin, i love tying my hares ear and pheasant tail nymphs, but i normally only go to a 14 more fingers and eyes not what they were reason lol but yes small does pay off when struggling. o i am looking at the streamflex rods just now, is there a point it the plus ones ???

 

[BobP]

John,

The problem I find with many hook brands these days is that one company's 16 is another's 14. This is one of the reasons I like to go to the BFFI so that I can SEE what I am getting. Fulling Mill are fairly consistent once you know the hooks you are using. The 5065 16 is definitely on the large size for a 16 and suits the shrimp pattern very well. The 14 is more like a 12 elsewhere, but is fine if you need to step the bead size up to a 3.5mm for deeper and faster water.

I've been using the Streamflex for about 3 years and enjoy using it. I've used it on combination with the Snowbee Thistledown 2-5 line and in it 9'6" when I've been nymphing on Farmoor. That's an environment that can really put a rod through its paces!

I have four or five days grayling fishing each October on the upper Itchen and this year I decided to try the rod in its 10' mode and really enjoyed it when using a WF3 line. I then decided to try to get to grips with this euronymphing method because I am sure that sooner or later some smarty pants client is going to turn up and demand to know how it's done. Luckily we don't generally wade on the chalk rivers so that will reduce the opportunities. I had a day on the Avon just before lockdown 2 using the 10' Streamflex and managed well enough. Caught 16 grayling plus a few OOS browns so must have been getting the basics right at least. I was hoping for a day on the Upper Test to further develop the method, but Covid had b*ggered that!

Try the Disco pink as a thorax on PTN's & hares ears. Lights 'em up a treat.

 

[South Fly Fishing]

I prefer nymphing myself on the basis that trout & grayling get 80% at least of their food "downstairs" so sticking to the dry fly only rule is to hamper oneself a bit too much for my taste. I will also use a wool indicator attached New Zealand style because most rods simply can't see any but the most obvious fish in the river. So, trying to get them sight fishing just isn't going to work. Despite telling them right from the off what to expect to see the indicator do it would amaze you how many rods just stand there while the indicator disappears.

It's all good fun!

Hi Bob, more so in the South Island, and particularly on our smaller waters, the trend has been to move away from that 'NZ wool indicator' to a classic dry fly dropper.

I'm just back from a glorious week of backcountry fishing where, despite offering a nymph to almost all fish, caught over half on my indicator-caddis-style deer hair floater. The wool indicators on longer leaders tend to not offer enough immediacy and any fluro freaks out the fish.

 

[BobP]

Hi Bob, more so in the South Island, and particularly on our smaller waters, the trend has been to move away from that 'NZ wool indicator' to a classic dry fly dropper.

I'm just back from a glorious week of backcountry fishing where, despite offering a nymph to almost all fish, caught over half on my indicator-caddis-style deer hair floater. The wool indicators on longer leaders tend to not offer enough immediacy and any fluro freaks out the fish.

The chalkstreams do not permit the use of more than one fly for trout fishing. OK in the autumn/winter when grayling fishing. But even so I have not found the duo to offer any advantages over the straightforward NZ style. If anything when grayling fishing using a caddis-type pattern as an indicator it is more likely that left-over stock fish will take the dry which sort of defeats the object.

It is the clarity of the water plus the heavy angling pressure on many of our chalkstreams that made me switch to using natural sheep's wool as an indicator, the thought being that the wool, being white, will look like a feather and those are part & parcel of daily life on our rivers. So far that seems to be the case.