Fly tying fishing Strategies - Dry Line Leech
One of the interesting "fly tying fishing strategies" to emerge form the "Kamloops Lakes" over recent years is the use of a micro-leech "trout fly pattern" on a dry line with a "strike indicator".
Traditionally, the black or blood leech is usually fished with a sinking line, either casted along the drop-offs beside weed beds or trolled in open water. In shallower water, I would use a weighted fly on a dry or intermediate line.
These days, one of the popular ways to fish this trout fly pattern is to suspend the micro-leech just above a weed bed or shallow bottom area using a strike indicator. It seemed odd at first but when you think about it, it make's good sense.
The leech is a staple food for fish throughout the season with high interest in the spring and the fall when hatches of other insects are unavailable. Fish cruise along dropoffs beside or over the weed beds looking for any food that may stray from their natural shelter. Using the strike indicator on the leader with a slow retrieve or drift allows you to serve up dinner while reducing the risk of getting caught up in the weeds.
Here are some strategies and a few other little rules of thumb to employ when attempting this micro-leech fly tying fishing strategy.
1) Know the depth that you want to fish. If you are fishing above the weed bed, then find the depth of the water to the top of the weeds. If you are fishing the bottom, then find out the true depth. If you are just letting the line sit, set the indicator within 1 foot of the desired depth.
2) If you are casting and retrieving, extend the leader below the strike indicator about 1'-2'more than the depth that you intend to fish. When you start your retrieve, which ranges from really slow to slow, the line will is find it's level. If you are catching weeds just simply adjust the strike indicator. I found that my success is best if my retrieve rate is just fast enough to keep the dry line straight.
3) If you are drifting or trolling (slow) then set the distance between the strike indicator and the fly from about 1.5 to 2 times the depth you are intending to fish. This allows for the angle of the leader. Again, adjust the indicator as required.
4) When we think of leeches, we think of those big black things. Well, those are large blood leeches and although fish will feed on them, they also feed on smaller leeches that we call micro-leeches. Generally a micro-leech will be no larger than a size 8 9672 Mustad (1.25" long) and as small as a size 12 9672 (0.75" long). Micro-leeches can be effectively fished in shallow water from about 3' to about 20 feet deep. This fly pattern may or may not have a bead head depending on the depth you are fishing. I tend to stay away from bead heads until I'm fishing water more than 8 feet deep.
