I fish a small river sometimes for pike and smallmouth bass, and i use 50# power pro as a tippet to guard against bite offs. i was just curious if this would affect the number of bites , depending on if it was a surface or subsurface fly. i dont think it will make a whole lot of difference, especially in cloudy water, but this river can get awfully clear, and the smallies and pike can be as wary as trout on some days.
Yea it works fairly well, especially if the water is a little off color. my experiments in clear water havent gone so well, but thats mostley because the fish take off before i even get five feet of line stripped off the reel. Ive seen smalmouth be skittish like this but ive been fishing this river for easily seven years and the pike can be more skittish than any pike that ive ever fished anywhere else. there is very little rain for most of the summer and the water gets incredibly clear. you can see the pike quite easily in the small river during the day, but they wont even follow a fly until the sun starts to slip behind the trees, then if you put it in the right place it gets hammered. does anyone else fish a river like this?
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In clear water like that you may have to use a bit more stealth. I have fished many small rivers and the fish often get a look at you before you get a look at them. A bit of cloudiness in the water makes it a bit easier. I fished some Brook Trout streams yesterday that got their first rain in about two months. They were much easier to fish than they have been. Overcast skies, a bit of turbidity in the water and shadows make you more invisible.
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power pro
Does it work?
50-lb?
I've used 30-lb mason mono for the same reason. I have yet to see it scare off pike. Not so sure about smallmouth, though.
And be sure to check your leader after each fish. After a couple, your leader isn't in too keen of shape, so look for abrasions.
Yea it works fairly well,
Yea it works fairly well, especially if the water is a little off color. my experiments in clear water havent gone so well, but thats mostley because the fish take off before i even get five feet of line stripped off the reel. Ive seen smalmouth be skittish like this but ive been fishing this river for easily seven years and the pike can be more skittish than any pike that ive ever fished anywhere else. there is very little rain for most of the summer and the water gets incredibly clear. you can see the pike quite easily in the small river during the day, but they wont even follow a fly until the sun starts to slip behind the trees, then if you put it in the right place it gets hammered. does anyone else fish a river like this?
In clear water like that you
In clear water like that you may have to use a bit more stealth. I have fished many small rivers and the fish often get a look at you before you get a look at them. A bit of cloudiness in the water makes it a bit easier. I fished some Brook Trout streams yesterday that got their first rain in about two months. They were much easier to fish than they have been. Overcast skies, a bit of turbidity in the water and shadows make you more invisible.