{"id":13042,"date":"2021-06-02T07:08:06","date_gmt":"2021-06-02T05:08:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/?p=13042"},"modified":"2021-06-02T11:57:37","modified_gmt":"2021-06-02T09:57:37","slug":"the-fly-shrink","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/?p=13042","title":{"rendered":"The Fly Shrink"},"content":{"rendered":"
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How smart do you think fish really are?<\/p>\n

I mean it\u2019s not as if they\u2019ve managed to crawl out the water\u2026…yet we seem to spend an inordinate amount of time trying to figure them out.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a lot to consider when throwing a fly at a fish and some might say a little too many variables when it comes to the temperamental movements of Trout<\/p>\n

So what is real food for thought and what is just giving the dumb fish too much credit?<\/p>\n

If you take the time to read just a fraction of what has been published over the decades, you\u2019ll soon realise that there are not too many startling secrets about catching Trout on fly yet to discover, but there\u2019s always a lesson you\u2019ll learn on every outing.<\/p>\n

In the fisherman\u2019s bible of excuses we\u2019ll blame everything from wind direction to the alignment of planets, for why we didn\u2019t score, however, some anglers just seem to a floating four leafed clover on the water, so what are they doing different?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div>

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Now, I\u2019ve been extremely fortunate to have thrown a line with some talented fly fishers over the years and observed their consistent, and to be honest, annoying habit of netting a brace irrespective of conditions, which begs the question why?<\/p>\n

1. They are by and large organised, from the gear they bring to the table down to the layout of their fly boxes. So before heading out on your next fishing expedition, put some preparation time in. You don\u2019t have to have every toy to play, but you don\u2019t want to arrive at the water without the right gear either. If in doubt, to give you the basics for Winter dam fishing in the mountains just contact stuart@wildfly.co.za who will give you the right advice to make sure your fishing session is not a fruitless one.<\/p>\n

2. They always put the time in! I\u2019m a self confessed social fly fisher, but when it\u2019s time to dabble, I make my time on the water count. We all know that the more one practices the \u2018luckier’ one gets, so make sure the time you spend is fishing and not unravelling birds nests. Polish up on your knots, rigs and even get your casting arm well oiled on the front lawn. Time on the water should be productive.<\/p>\n

3. They have a plan before launching. As opposed to drift aimlessly around hoping to bump into a Trout, scope out the water and decide where to concentrate your efforts. Inlets, outlets, structure and weed beds will be your focal points with consideration for time of day and depth at which you\u2019ll retrieve. On Fishtube, you\u2019ll find a little free tutorial that\u2019ll steer you in the right direction, www.fishtube.tv\/findingtrout<\/a><\/p>\n

4. They fish with the right fly, but ask them which one and you\u2019ll get a multitude of different patterns. That\u2019s because we\u2019ve invented more flies than the food they feed on. So establish are they feeding or fornicating? If the latter then spawning fish will naturally attack colour more than pattern, so your disco imitations should get more attention. If feeding, then remember when fishing in the colder months, insect hatches are a lot smaller\u2026\u2026so the size of your fly is a major factor. The fact is Trout rarely completely stop feeding, even when chasing tail.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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5. They know how to fish their fly of choice. Stripping a little Zak nymph at the same pace as a Zonker just doesn\u2019t make any sense. Knowing how to work that specific fly through the water in terms of the depth and retrieval method \/ speed is key. Too many details to delve into, but here\u2019s a list of essential fly patterns for still water trout fishing and how to fish them.<\/p>\n

6. They are patient, knowing that it\u2019s only a matter of time. You gotta have faith in what you\u2019re doing. Second guessing your strategy and tactics will have you peddling around the dam creating wake that will spoil any potential action. The more time you spend casting and changing fly the less time your pattern is in the strike zone. So slow it all down, keep your fly in the water longer and be confident that the fish will eventually find your fly!<\/p>\n

7. They enjoy every moment on the water, some due to their competitive streak, but most great anglers I\u2019ve met treat a piece of water like holy ground. It is their sanctuary, where they can relax and all they have to think about is the fish. There\u2019s no real pressure, nothing at stake, just the mystery of what will induce a strike to unravel, which really is a fisherman’s process, so remember above all that fishing is a pastime, not a profession.<\/p>\n

We all think it\u2019s all in the fly, but quite frankly it\u2019s all in your head, hence be prepared, have a plan, be patient and appreciate the moment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div>

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<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How smart do you think fish really are? I mean it\u2019s not as if they\u2019ve managed to crawl out the water\u2026…yet we seem to spend an inordinate amount of time trying to figure them out. There\u2019s a lot to consider when throwing a fly at a fish and some might say a little too many variables when it comes to the temperamental movements of Trout So what is real food for thought and what is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":13084,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[22,23,70],"tags":[231,46,260],"class_list":["post-13042","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fly","category-fly-fishing","category-south-africa","tag-fly","tag-fly-fishing","tag-flyfishing"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/The-Fly-Shrink-copy.jpg","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":15634,"url":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/?p=15634","url_meta":{"origin":13042,"position":0},"title":"Fly Fishing for Bass","author":"Rhuan Human","date":"November 1, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"A species that is often overlooked by local flyfishing fanatics, I feel, is the Largemouth Bass. There is a contingent of trout hunters that see them as the enemy or a pest, especially when they share the habitat with our beloved stippled beauties. I'll admit that on occasion, even I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Bass"","block_context":{"text":"Bass","link":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/?cat=97"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Untitled-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Untitled-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Untitled-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Untitled-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Untitled-1.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Untitled-1.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12317,"url":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/?p=12317","url_meta":{"origin":13042,"position":1},"title":"Lazy Boyz","author":"Gareth","date":"March 29, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"To tube or not to tube is a shouldn\u2019t be a dilemma. Although targeting Trout from the bank and stalking a fish is the way to go on arrival at any dam (as long as you get their at the proverbial crack of), to not jump in your float tube\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Fly"","block_context":{"text":"Fly","link":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Lazy-Boyz-Banner.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Lazy-Boyz-Banner.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Lazy-Boyz-Banner.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Lazy-Boyz-Banner.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Lazy-Boyz-Banner.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Lazy-Boyz-Banner.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15031,"url":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/?p=15031","url_meta":{"origin":13042,"position":2},"title":"Habits 7 of Successful Fly Fishers \u2013 Part 1 Winter","author":"Gareth","date":"July 1, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Mindset might be everything, but I\u2019m no shrink and I\u2019m not going to pretend that the positive laws of attraction are going to get you more fish. But what is proven, is if you fish with confidence, you don\u2019t second guess what you\u2019re doing all the time and hence stick\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Fly"","block_context":{"text":"Fly","link":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/?cat=92"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Banner-copy.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Banner-copy.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Banner-copy.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Banner-copy.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Banner-copy.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2526,"url":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/?p=2526","url_meta":{"origin":13042,"position":3},"title":"Grunter on Fly – Fighting The Spotted Flats Ninja","author":"Rhuan Human","date":"April 21, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The terms \"Holy Grail\" and \"Fish of a thousand casts\" have been flung around excessively in the world of fly fishing lately. So much so that it's almost hard to take them seriously\u2026 When a group of accomplished anglers who are well respected spend an inordinate amount of time and\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/b2ap3_thumbnail_DJI_0003.JPG?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":7159,"url":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/?p=7159","url_meta":{"origin":13042,"position":4},"title":"Yellow Fever","author":"Gareth","date":"February 20, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Yellow fever is not to be trifled with. It starts off with mild itching, that at some stage you have to scratch, which needless to say only makes it worse. Pretty soon your heart is racing and before you know it you\u2019re sweating bullets. You really should have stayed in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Fly"","block_context":{"text":"Fly","link":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/yellow-fever-banner2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/yellow-fever-banner2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/yellow-fever-banner2.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/yellow-fever-banner2.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/yellow-fever-banner2.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2589,"url":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/?p=2589","url_meta":{"origin":13042,"position":5},"title":"Flies for Midlands Lakes","author":"Gareth","date":"June 5, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 The debate around what flies works best is as old as the art itself and one that becomes most animated over a dram or two. Tying pundits the world over will swear blind on their unique patterns, with the multitude of variations now requiring one\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Flies-for-Midlands-Lakes-copy.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Flies-for-Midlands-Lakes-copy.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Flies-for-Midlands-Lakes-copy.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Flies-for-Midlands-Lakes-copy.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Flies-for-Midlands-Lakes-copy.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pa8sv9-3om","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13042","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13042"}],"version-history":[{"count":46,"href":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13042\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13047,"href":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13042\/revisions\/13047"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13084"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13042"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13042"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13042"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}