Dry Flies or Wet Flies

by Rob R.
(Wichita Falls, TX )

Since starting this Tenkara journey I have caught many fish carp, bass, sunfish, bluegill and of course many trout. In regards to the flies, I have caught fish using dry flies but I have caught many more fish using wet flies, in particular nymphs. One of the things I quickly noticed in Minnesota was I would spot fish surface feeding and there were obvious insect hatches occurring at the time. I had a variety of flies in various sizes so I was trying to match the size of fly to the hatch. Nothing was happening. I got fed up with that approach. I switched to a bead head nymph and cast to the surface feeding trout and guess what? Started catching fish. The two most successful flies I used were Ishigaki Kebari and the bead head nymph. What does this mean? It means I don't worry about whatever is hatching. I won't waste my time watching for the hatch, searching the flies and retrying. Now I just keep the fly in the water. Seems to catch more fish.

“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten” - Benjamin Franklin

"Be sure in casting, that your fly fall first into the water, for if the line fall first, it scares or frightens the fish..." -
Col. Robert Venables 1662

As age slows my pace, I will become more like the heron.