Pay Attention

Had this happen a few times yesterday

So yesterday the weather was so nice that I just couldn't stand to be at work so I took a "mental health" day and went up the hill to my new favorite pond.  I have fished the pond a number of times this spring and while I haven't always caught a lot of fish I have always caught something.  Yesterday, I caught lots and the rest of the fisherman on the pond (maybe 6 or 7 other guys) caught almost nothing.





More than a couple of the fisherman asked me what I was using to catch them and I was completely honest.  I told them I was fishing a chironomid pupa pattern and even the specific pattern I was using.  Their response was to quickly change flies, continue fishing, and continue to not get bit.     

Fish taken on a midge pupa pattern, a Chromie

So I must have been using some incredibly effective new stillwater tactic...nope.   I was fishing 2 midge pupa flies beneath an indicator akin to fishing a bobber which has been an effective stillwater tactic since time out of mind. 

Well, I must have killer new fly then....sorry try again.  The pattern I was using was a very common patten most stillwater fisherman have in their box. While my pattern might have been tied more cleanly, even the most rudimentary midge pupa pattern will still catch fish. 

So what was the difference?  I was using a common technique and an equally common pattern.  The difference was where I was putting my fly, obviously!  The average fisherman will simply troll aimlessly picking up the occasional fish.  A slighly more advanced fisherman will use visual shoreline structure as a guide point to where fish might be lying.  An even more advanced angler will utilize a fish/depth finder to locate underwater structure and possibly even where fish are lying. 

I'm not saying that every fisherman needs to run out a buy a fish finder, but if you see someone nailing fish and he has a depth finder then you would do well to pay attention to WHERE he is fishing.  If any of the anglers who had asked me what pattern I was using had actually paddled out to the depth I was at and put their fly near the bottom they would have gotten bit without a doubt. So in summary, PAY ATTENTION!!!

Pay attention!  You're doing it wrong!