Summer Fishing Tips: The Fly-and-Bobber-Rig

Hot summer evenings often are loaded with insect activity, something people hate and fish love. Watch most bodies of water right around dusk, on a warm evening, and chances are you will see ripples and splashes all over as hungry fish devour insects unlucky enough to fall in the water. For many traditional anglers, taking advantage of this evening feeding session remains a mystery. I have been fishing during this time and seen countless other fishermen continuing to dunk doughbait and worms, with or without a bobber, while the fish are clearly interested in something floating on the surface, not underneath. Many anglers do not switch over to fly's during this time of the day simply because they either do not own any flies or they do not have a fly rod/reel setup. Plenty of fishermen mistakenly belief that flies can only be fished with a fly fishing setup. While I do own a fly rod and reel, I often fish the evening bite using flies on a spinning rod and reel. It's simply a matter of using the clear bobber and fly rig effectively, thus allowing traditional anglers to fish with flies as well. How? Read on!

People casting lures or bait with a spinning, baitcaster or spincaster fishing setup realize quickly the importance of using weight to get their presentation out to the fish. Not enough weight, and the stuff simply won't cast far enough to make it worthwhile. Most fly fishing flies weigh about as much as a bare hook, and cannot be casted by themselves on traditional fishing equipment. Fly fishing line overcomes this problem by being heavier than monofilament and thus is able to be casted, acting as the "weight" in fly fishing. This weightless problem is fairly simple to overcome when fishing flies on "normal" fishing gear. A simple method is to attach a bobber about 1-2 ft in above the fly. However, one of the most important parts of fly fishing is to present a realistic imitation of the natural insect, thus the normal red and white or orange bobbers available at Wal-Mart simply will not do. Instead, purchase a clear see-through plastic bobber. These can be found online at Bass Pro Shops, Cabela's, and in most sporting goods stores that sell fishing equipment. One brand I use quite often is the Camal Tackle Adjust-a-Bubble bobber. This bobber requires the line be threaded through the bobber, then the rubber guide is twisted tight to secure the bobber to the line. These Camal bobbers sell for around $2 each at Wal-Mart.

Secure the bobber about 1-2 ft above the fly, and at dusk, cast out in shallow waters, and let the ripple reside. Then, after 15-30 seconds, tighten the line and twitch the bobber and the fly. Let the ripple subside, then repeat the twitch, occasionally reeling in to keep the line tight. Work shallow water and areas near cover (lily pads, logs, rocks, trees) in this manner. Vary your retrieve to find what works best. Fish, often large sunfish, will hit the fly right after the second or third twitch. Sometimes the fish will completely leap out of the water to take the fly, but more commonly the fish will suck in the fly, and you will see a large swirl, ripple or splash where your fly is. These fish can be tricky to hook, make sure you have a tight line and gently set the hook. Too many tiems I have witnessed anglers "power slam" the hookset, missing the fish and the bite. Instead, a tight line and a gentle hook set usually gets the fish in these situations. The trick is to not yank the fly out of the fishes mouth, instead almost reeling the hook in works the best.

For fly selection, I prefer using a adult damselfly pattern. However, dry fly ants, Adams, and other dry fly patterns all may work well. While I have hooked a few fish using nymphs and other sinking patterns on hot summer evenings, I usually rely on dry flies.

The clear-bobber-and-fly technique requires a little bit of practice to get down right, but once you figure it out, you may often be rewarded with many successful catches. This fishing tactic is one of my favorites for evening fishing. Grab some clear bobbers, dry flies, and go try this great fishing method out!