Trolling flies from a boat

mattcullen

just wondering is this a common method in Ireland? As a total beginner to fly fishing I was surprised when I realised the main method was to cast in front of the moving boat continuously ... I imagined that the flies would be left behind the boat. This seemed appealing being easier for bad caster! and leisurely. Also surely with the flies being in the water more there's more chance of catching. There's obviuosly some very obvious reasons why people don't generally fish this way?? Can someone enlighten a bemused novice! Also, just wondering what method is generally used for dry fly on the lough?

dvae

iv fished from a boat many, many times but have never thought of fishing this way. if I'm getting you right, i think the problem you may have is, the boat will be constantly drifting over the water your about to fish before the fly. when you fish straight out on a drift the first thing the fish should see is the fly and not the boat. the way you describe may work on stocked fishery's were the fish are not as easy spooked but, id have my doubts with wild fishery's such as corrib or mask.

Zzippy

Quite a few people do it on Corrib, usually for a break from flyfishing, and it catches too, same as trolling a fish bait or a Rapala. Worth trying it anyway...

Daroxtar

Cant tell you too much about other places but when I was younger and not too proficient at casting the common method we used when the old man took us out in the boat in Sligo was to let off the flies (Wets) at the back of the boat as he rowed slowly up the lake. We'd let them a good distance out, 25 yards or more and we usually caught plenty. Not a very skillful method but it kept us catching trout as youngsters......

No6

We used to do it on Lough Cara when I was young and my dad got pissed off with the constant tangles we would get in when drifting!!!

mattcullen

Great stuff, so it works! Nice to be able mix it up a bit and try different techniques.

realrebel

ya it works alright but mostly small fish seem to be caught this way dont know why
we used to do on currane when it was flat calm and got plenty of seatrout to 2lbs

seamusmcspud

We did this on Corrib last year to take a break .Quite prolific. fish up to 2lbs. seen another angler lose a large trout with this method too last year. best of luck

ironbluedun

realrebel wrote: »

ya it works alright but mostly small fish seem to be caught this way dont know why
we used to do on currane when it was flat calm and got plenty of seatrout to 2lbs

yes you can do it and yes it will work but i have to agree that anytime i have ever trolled flies the brown trout caught were small, cant remember ever catching a big one with this method. so i dont do it much, really casting from a slow drifting boat although harder is far more effective, as you are not 'driving through' the ground you are fishing.
some flies will twist the leader when trolled so watch that.

mattcullen

Would it follow that if spinning from a boat, best to spin in front of the drifting boat also (if not trolling that is)?

Sfinn

Zzippy wrote: »

Quite a few people do it on Corrib, usually for a break from flyfishing, and it catches too, same as trolling a fish bait or a Rapala. Worth trying it anyway...

It can work, but there is a fine line between whats legal and not!! The difference been 3/4 files vs team of 12 which i have seen. The words otter board spring to mind.

Zzippy

Sfinn wrote: »

It can work, but there is a fine line between whats legal and not!! The difference between 3/4 files and a team of 12 which i have seen. The words otter board spring to mind.

Agreed. That's why when the trout byelaws were introduced in 2008, there was specific reference to a limit of 4 flies when flyfishing or trolling flies.

ironbluedun

Zzippy wrote: »

Agreed. That's why when the trout byelaws were introduced in 2008, there was specific reference to a limit of 4 flies when flyfishing or trolling flies.

must say i did not realise that there was a limit of 4 flies. But there are so many byelaws now............