Need suggestions

This time of year will see black stone flys size 18, gray black stone flys size 14, perhaps some black caddis. Soon we should should start seeing grannom caddis and hendricksons. Botomline is almost any dark colored size 14 wet fly should catch many of the rissing fish, Crappie and other pan fish are not particular this time of year. You can use a water bobber with about 6 feet of 4 lb. between the bobber abd fly. Either a weighted wet or a size 4 shot will keep the fly under the surface in the strike zone. Just move the fly just a little faster then needed to keep a tight line. Perhaps a litle faster as the water warms up. Most fly shops can help with a few flys to catch lake fish this time of year. I enjoy using my flyrod with wet flys and streamers when the fish are in shallow water or surface feeding but it can limit the casting distance when shore fishing. The water bobber with light line can cast a country mile.

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Originally Posted by addictedangler

This time of year will see black stone flys size 18, gray black stone flys size 14, perhaps some black caddis. Soon we should should start seeing grannom caddis and hendricksons. Botomline is almost any dark colored size 14 wet fly should catch many of the rissing fish, Crappie and other pan fish are not particular this time of year. You can use a water bobber with about 6 feet of 4 lb. between the bobber abd fly. Either a weighted wet or a size 4 shot will keep the fly under the surface in the strike zone. Just move the fly just a little faster then needed to keep a tight line. Perhaps a litle faster as the water warms up. Most fly shops can help with a few flys to catch lake fish this time of year. I enjoy using my flyrod with wet flys and streamers when the fish are in shallow water or surface feeding but it can limit the casting distance when shore fishing. The water bobber with light line can cast a country mile.

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addictedangler,

Thank you for the response.
The insects we saw were dark in color. Your suggestion makes a lot of sense.
Is the water bobber you suggested made from clear plastic? With that type of bobber, is the strike felt more than visual?
I was thinking that the fish could see the orange/yellow bobbers we were using and the hair jigs were a little too big.

Yes the clear plastic bobbers work the best however any type of water dynamic shape can work. Some tackle stores stock them but they can be hard to find. I got my last ones online. Some are solid clear plastic and others are hollw to fill with water then reasemble. As a youth we used them to catch trout in ponds aswell and panfish. Some lakes did not alow boating so the water bobber with 4 lb. line cast a long way. Usually most lake feeding fish are not extreamly particular on the exact fly. Match the size and color and you will get positive results. Usually. If you can catch a bug and see what it looks like. Early season sees mainly dark colored flys. As we get warm weather we used to switch for grannom caddis and hendrickson nymphs and wet to light cayhills. You can do the same in streams for trout in the open water. Although not quite as efective in streams it is another tool in the shead. Usually you will fell the strike but watch behind the bobber and you will see a swirl behing it to help with timming to set the hook.