[Bucksnort]

I love nymphing Colorado's many rivers with pocket water. I use the the short line, high sticking with a strike indicator method. For many years, I used only one nymph but one day, I decided to use two nymphs and I have done this for about twenty years or more.

I have caught a lot of fish using the high sticking method with one fly and I've caught a lot of fish using the high sticking method with two flies but Icannot say I have caught more fish using two flies so I cannot explain why I use two flies except that old habits are hard to break.
Regardless of the method you use and the type of water you fish, can you honestly say you catch more fish with two flies? Yeah, I know, one fly canbe an attractor for the other.

 

[Bucksnort]

Slabseeker,


And just how many more fish have you caught? Give me some examples? Do you keep records?


If your comment about stupidity is directed at me, I will say your opinion of me is none of my business.

 

[Bucksnort]

waterfowler,


My first impression was it is his signature but I think it's a bit out of taste.

 

[Bucksnort]

SlabSeeker,


As I said, I've been using two flies for a long, long time. I don't want to seem disrespectful but your first response falls into the category of TMI - Too Much Information.


For seven years, I taught fly fishing at the now defunct Lowry Air Force Base through the outdoor recreation department. I would teach three to four classes during the summer with three to six students in each class. I never had a class when I wasn't asked about the myriad fly patterns available at fly stores. It was always, "which one do I choose?" I taught students to keep things simple and not get caught up in splitting hairs or to be inundated with information overload. I taught the basics. Of course, you can't teach much more than the basics with only five nights of three hours each and a one day outing to a river of my choice.


As a side note, I now live in Arizona. I had almost 40 years in Colorado to explore but at 75 years old (damn, did I say 75?), I do not have the time to explore so I'm up against a wicked learning curve trying to find where the locals go. I am not doing well here. Believe me, it's different.


I still cannot say fishing two flies caught more fish but I will say I caught one hell of a lot of fish in 40 years.

 

[Bucksnort]

I will say I found one negative aspect about using more than one fly - more tangles. And when you are untangling line, or dropping a deuce, or eating lunch, or at home mowing the yard, you are not fishing.


By the way, I mentioned the power curve I'm up against in Arizona. I do want to say, although Arizona doesn't have the locations to fish like Colorado, these anglers are a tough bunch. When you are on your knees sneaking up to a run in a creek that's small enough to spit across just to hook a trout, you are a dedicated and experienced angler.

 

[Bucksnort]

SlabSeeker, trust me, I'm not sitting on my patootie. I have all the AZ Forest Service maps and a bunch of books and articles and I have been out exploring. I am an information junkie. When you are retired, every day is Saturday so I have plenty of time to explore.

You forgot to mention the Desert Fly Casters, which meets in Chandler, AZ monthly. I am a member.


Apache and Gila trout are on my bucket list (at my age, I hate the term, "bucket list"). Last October, I caught my first Apache in the Black River in the White Mountains. On that same trip, I met two gents from Tucson at Frye Mesa Reservoir in southeast Arizona. Frye Mesa has/had Gila trout but most, if not all, were killed by ash and silt from a fire up stream, last summer. We did not catch anything. What we did see, which is grounds for justifiable homicide, is gold fish. Someone dumped gold fish in the lake.


Apache and Gila are the only native trout to Arizona. There is another lake northwest of Phoenix, Goldwater, that has Gila. I may give it a try this summer. Gila are more rare than Apache. I have no desire to fish Lee's Ferry. For one thing, it's a four hour drive and is the only trout body in the area. I would rather drive 4.5 hours or more to the White Mountains in eastern Arizona where there are lakes and some decent streams.

 

[Bucksnort]

Slab,


Ok, ok, I am now not offended by your signature line since you mentioned stupidity relative to the gold fish situation. My favorite signature line, which I rarely use is, "Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati" (when all else fails, play dead). If you are a Red Green fan, you will recognize this.


The forest fire above Frye Mesa Reservoir also had/has a negative impact on Gila trout in the creek above the res. There were many people who volunteered to go to the creek after the fire to help remove as many Gilas as possible. Those fish were taken to a hatchery in western New Mexico. Gila are also found in western New Mexico. I don't know if it's a native trout.


Before my trip to Frye Mesa, last fall, I contacted Arizona Game and Fish to inquire about the status of Gilas. I was told they restocked the lake. An angler said, on another forum, he saw hundreds of dead fish after the stocking but AZ Game & Fish said they saw only a few. We did not see any dead fish.


I will watch for positive reports about the recovery of Gila trout in Frye Mesa then consider another trip.


Last summer, an angler caught what might be a record Arizona Gila trout from Goldwater Lake. I don't know the status of this.

 

[Bucksnort]

Slab,


Ok, I've come to this conclusion about two fly rigs. The ultimate proof an angler catches more fish with two flies on the same rig is if two fish are caught on the same two fly rig at the same time.


I am addicted to Red Green. The local Public Broadcasting station in the Phoenix area does not air the show. You Tube is loaded with the shows.