Spinning Flies

Trout fishing with artificial flies are one of angling's most time honored traditions. This can really dishearten a spin fisherman when bugs are hatching and trout are on the rise all around him. These times are when they swear they will learn to fly fish.

Many swear to learn to fly fish but few do. Instead of learning a whole new kind of tackle and techniques there's a much easier way to get in on the fun and catch trout on a fly. You will be able to start casting flies, even delicate dries and nymphs, with your spinning rod in very short order.

By adding a "spinning bubble" to your tackle box or fishing vest your ready to go. The spinning bubble has been around for decades and little has changed in its design or use. They are easy to find since they really do stand out from the other floats and bobbers. It is made from clear plastic and is built to to be partially filled with water.

The bubble is actually very simple to rig and use. Most of the ones you will find egg-shaped, though I prefer the more tapered, tear-drop designs, which offer improved casting dynamics and minimizes the water disturbance during the flies drift and retrieve. It will take some searching but worth the effort to find one or should I say two. Always have a spare!

There are several ways to rig a bubble, but the most basic setup is easy: Fill the bubble half to three-quarters full of water (enough so that it casts easily yet still will ride in the surface film), and then thread or clip it (depending on the specific design) onto your main line, with the narrowest end of the bubble facing the rod. Knot the lure-facing end of the line onto a small, preferably dark (black or brass) two-way swivel. This secures the float in place while providing a connecting point for your leader and fly.

The simplest and most effective leader is usually 4 to 6 feet of limp 2- or 4-pound-test monofilament line. Better yet, there's no reason you can't take advantage of the superior tippet materials used by flyfishermen for your leader. These tend to be finer and stronger than standard mono. Either way, with this basic rig you can fish dry flies, wet flies, and nymphs of all sizes and styles that "match the hatch" for your local stream. With dry flies the bubble serves mainly as a casting weight; with wet flies and nymphs it does double-duty as a strike indicator. (If the bubble twitches, darts, or dips, set the hook.) Another real advantage of this rig is that you can, and often should, fish two flies simultaneously: for instance a dry and a nymph, or two dries, or two wets. These increase both your odds of luring fish and also of finding the best fly for for producing more hook ups.

Try this technique the next time you take your spinning rod to your favorite trout stream and you will be ready for any hatch that might appear.

Article is written by Mark Treager. Mark is a professional outdoorsman, fly fisherman, instructor and lectures frequently across the country on various topics related to the great outdoors. You can contact him at [email protected]