When the bite shuts down...

[Stan Wright]

Got this letter from Steve, sounds like a plan.

Hi Stan,
Here's a tactic that might be worth trying when the bite shuts down: Rub baitfish scent (the thick, sticky good stuff like Smelly Jelly) on the hairs of your fly. Try a 300-grain sinking line in dark green or brown color (to mimic waterweeds or thin branches) and just s-l-o-w-l-y drag the fly along the bottom or lower water column. Pause it now and then, like it's really on it's last leg. This might resemble a dying fish just ready to be sucked in by a predator. Maybe the slow presentation will be like a meal too easy to pass up - especially if it passes right in front of them. A smelly offering like this along the bottom may also catch a catfish on the fly!!
Or, try this tactic: I used to do this long ago during my days on the river - put a whole, small earthworm (live and wiggling) on a small circle hook (1/0 or no. 2, preferably dark bronze hook) and lob it where you think fish may be sitting. Just let the thing sink slowly (wiggling) down vertically on it's own through the water column all the way to the bottom (freefall on it's own). Then just let the worm sit there on the bottom wiggling. Don't impart any action at all. Let it sit there wiggling like crazy for a full minute, then reel in and do the whole trick over again. Hook the worm only once through the thickest midsection of the body, so it wiggles like crazy. I did catch a number of tucunares this way. You may even hook into a catfish (on the fly rod - yes!!). The best rig to do this with is an an ultra-light spinning setup: What seemed to be really fun to me was to use a very short rod, like 4'6" or 5'0", and just sort of 'pitch' the worm out underhand or sidearm lob. I like the old-fashioned solid-glass rods (ultra-light rating).
Use 6lb. line, just in case the fish is over a few pounds. A 1 to 2-pound fish also feels like a whale on such super-light outfits. I use an underspin reel myself, also called a triggerspin (looks like a spincast reel with a lever for the forefinger) in the ultra-light or micro-light size. Wow! Fun!
Best Wishes and Good Fishing - Aloha, Steve Y.