Equipment Outfitters

In the dying rays of the afternoon sun, I watched as trout porpoised softly on the surface. A Suspender Midgehad produced several fish up to two pounds in size, and earlier a large fish had stitched my leader through a thick mat of floating weed, forcing me to paddle over to the growth to retrieve it. The fish had been working a hatch of tiny midge pupae in the surface film, providing several hours of exciting fishing.

As it began to get dark, a warm, gusting wind started to blow, effectively ending a superb afternoon’s fishing. My three companions, all of them from the Cape, had failed to capitalise on the frenzied surface action and between them had released only a few of the lake’s residents. It had been a learning experience for them, as the lakes of the Western Cape do not provide anything like the consistent surface action of those in KwaZulu-Natal.

When the wind began to blow consistently and my companions in their float tubes displayed their obvious intention to head for the bank and call it a day, I realised that the midge fishing was truly over. Scanning the lake from my central position on the water, I could see no further movement. Suddenly a fish boiled some fifty yards away and, galvanised into action, I hastily hitched the midge pupa imitation to the hook keeper of my rod. Placing the rod at the rear of my float tube, I selected another heavier, stiffer-actioned rod equipped with a floating line. Clipping off the dragonfly nymph imitation which I had used to great effect that morning, I replaced it with a large, black, mylarbodied Surface Muddler pattern. Once the pattern was securely tied to the stout 2X tippet, I coated it liberally with silicone paste and began to scan the choppy water.

Several minutes passed. Having seen no further surface action, I decided to prospect the water rather than wait for a fish to show itself at the surface. The large, wind-resistant pattern was difficult to cast into the strong wind, but I was satisfied with the twenty yards I was attaining. Once the fly settled in the water, I allowed it a few seconds to float around in the chop before starting a fast, erratic retrieve of a few rapid, short strips, interspersed with pauses of a few seconds. The pattern created a considerable disturbance on the water — in the same way that a popping bug does for bassand the sounds it made were clearly audible. Several casts produced no surface action, but I had great confidence in the fish-producing qualities of the pattern and continued to pitch it out into the strengthening wind.

Midway through the retrieve on a long cast, during one of several lengthy pauses, the water suddenly erupted behind the fly and a huge rainbow cleared the surface in a graceful, vaulting arc. Even in the inky gloom I could make out its massive bulk as it crashed down on the Surface Muddler, taking the fly as it re-entered the water. The disturbance caused by the trout sent ripples lapping onto the bank closest to me, and I knew I had hooked a very good fish.

The trout did not bolt frantically in a bid to escape but took line with powerful determination, jarring the rod as it peeled line off the reel. The rod bucked and bounced in my hand, but just as I settled down to do battle with the trout, the line suddenly went slack for no discernible reason.

Retrieving the fly-line, I discovered that the fly was missing. A closer examination of the end of the tippet revealed a tiny series of corkscrews in the nylon, the result of a knot tied in haste. Disgusted with my neglect, I reeled in the fly-line and made my way slowly towards the bank where my companions patiently waited.

Exciting surface takes such as these are often experienced by anglers who have discovered the secrets of fishing large, buoyant attractor patterns on the surface. Often, when no other patterns will produce trout, I clinch on a large Surface Muddler and work it back erratically on the surface. The action is some of the most exciting of the season, as these patterns frequently entice trout to the surface that would otherwise not be prepared to rise.

I first discovered this exciting fishing technique over a decade ago during a particularly warm summer day on a lake in the Impendhle highlands. The lake was one of a series set on the terraces of a gently rolling hill. When we started prospecting the water in the late afternoon, the surface water was a warm twenty-four degrees Celsius. We managed a few trout on small damselfly nymph imitations fished slowly along the weed, but when small minnows started taking to the air along a weedbed on the fringes of the lake, my companion handed me a small but bushy Muddler Minnow pattern and advised me to try it. It saved the day, and despite the rain from a squall line which passed over the lake and provided some relief from the hot weather, we continued to take trout at the surface. An autopsy of a small trout proved my companion correct: it was crammed with small minnows, several of which I was able to return to the water.

I use the Surface Muddler in situations such as these when trout can be seen feeding on small minnows near or at the surface. This exciting form of fly-rod angling, that provides opportunities to take large trout at the surface, occurs far more often than most anglers suspect. Trout often herd minnows into the shallows where they attack the t rapped prey. Minnows leaping wildly into the air are a sure sign that trout are in the vicinity, even though the trout may not be visible at the surface. A Surface Muddler pitched into the area of disturbance will often draw savage strikes from the feeding trout, and it pays to be armed with the correct tackle, as large fish can be hooked using these patterns.

The Surface Muddler is not effective only when trout are feeding on small minnows; it can also be used effectively to search the water when a lake appears devoid of fish. I have found that the best time to fish this pattern is during windy weather when the ruffled surface conceals the fly-line. A stripped fly-line can cause a reasonable disturbance on the surface, and choppy water helps to conceal this. Moreover, trout are often inclined to move to the surface during rainy, windy days because the upper layers become well oxygenated as a result of the disturbance caused by these elements.

I prefer to gear my tackle to the pattern being fished and almost always use the Surface Muddler on a stiff-actioned five-weight outfit, which makes the task of throwing these large, wind-resistant patterns much easier. The fly, the tippet and the leader should be well greased with a silicone floatant to ensure that it fishes on the surface and stays there throughout the retrieve. A floating line in conjunction with a reasonably long leader of twelve feet will ensure that the trout is not able to connect the fly to the disturbance caused by the stripped fly-line.

I cast the pattern out, wait a few seconds for it to settle in the water, then retrieve it with short, erratic strips, interspersed with long pauses of up to five seconds. This causes the pattern to move a lot of water, creating a surface disturbance in the same way a bass bug does, thereby attracting trout. This particular method of retrieval gives the impression of an injured minnow, and trout can attack the pattern at any point in the retrieve. I use 2X to 4X tippets, depending on the prevailing conditions, but even with these heavy tippets trout still may manage to break off the fly.

Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)
Flying fishing with Surface Muddler

• Marabou Muddler Fly Fishing
• Fly Fishing with Home Made Para Ant
• White Death Fly Fishing Bait continue...
• Fly Fishing with Home Made Trico Spinner
• Fly Fishing with Home Made Dave's Hopper
• Stillwaters Fly Fishing with Home Made DDD
• White Death Fly Fishing Bait
• The Zonker, a Baitfish Imitation
• Fly Fishing With Home Made Para Damsel
• Fly Fishing with Home Made Trico Spinner continue...