Best way to fish in a Belly Boat

[fishingfan]

I usually just use a sinking line with a little nymph and troll it around. I have some success with this but not as much as I think I could. Is there a good technique that works best from a belly boat in a pretty deep lake. I've heard about chronomid fishing but I don't really know how to do it? advice on flies and line types would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[0liver]

Get a bobber. try hanging the fly under that, no split shot.

[jpohlic]

That's about what I do. Sinking tip line with a brown wooly worm works good for me most of the time.

[drifter]

Tons of stillwater info on the net.

[Kingfisher]

Chironomid fishing is generally done with a boat that is double anchored to keep you from drifting around. Not to say that you can't fish them from your belly boat. Because your certainly can.

Use your full sink line and just dangle the fly down below. For your leader tie on 7 feet of 8lb test mono. Then attach a 2 foot section of 5lb florocarbon. I usually use Rio Floroflex. It's not cheap. If you can't afford the expensive floro just buy yourself some Burkley Vanish. Use a surgeon's knot to tie the florocarbon to the mono. Click on the link to see how to tie the surgeon's knot. http://www.animatedknots.com/indexfishing.php Then tie your chironomid to the end. Connect some hemostats to your fly and strip out line until the hemostats hit the bottom of the lake. Don't reel in just lift your rod and pull your line back up by hand. Take off your hemostats and drop your fly line right down. Hold your rod out where it will keep the fly about a foot off the bottom. Some other techniques can be found here. http://www.flyfishingtechniques.co/

One of the best fly lines that I have found for trolling is a clear intermediate line. There are several on the market. Rio Aqualux, Cortland clear camo are a few of them. Use that line for trolling around in your belly boat. They can be very effective.

One thing to be sure is to use 2 feet of florocarbon line at the end of your leader. The fish can't see it and that will increase your hook ups.

As for flies you can try leech patterns. Black, green and maroon are probably your best 3. Dragon fly nymph patterns like a goomphus can be very productive or a damsel nymph pattern. As far as nymphs go you can never go wrong putting on a hare's ear nymph or a pheasant tail nymph. Foir chironomid flies be sure to have a few different colors. Black with a red rib is my favorite one. But try green with a black rib or red with a silver rib. There are lots of other chironomid colors just as there are with leeches and other flies. Be creative and don't be afraid to switch up. Even put a leech on with that full sink dangle method.

I have had friends outfish me in my boat while they kick around in their belly boat. The kicking action with a pause can be deadly for trout.

Tight lines,
Rob

[Dust1n]

trolling leeches and double scuds with a back kick

[Doc]

Float Tubing (http://flyfish-edmonton.webs.com/floattubing.htm)

[tacklerunner]

Chironomid fishing is generally done with a boat that is double anchored to keep you from drifting around. Not to say that you can't fish them from your belly boat. Because your certainly can.

Use your full sink line and just dangle the fly down below. For your leader tie on 7 feet of 8lb test mono. Then attach a 2 foot section of 5lb florocarbon. I usually use Rio Floroflex. It's not cheap. If you can't afford the expensive floro just buy yourself some Burkley Vanish. Use a surgeon's knot to tie the florocarbon to the mono. Click on the link to see how to tie the surgeon's knot. http://www.animatedknots.com/indexfishing.php Then tie your chironomid to the end. Connect some hemostats to your fly and strip out line until the hemostats hit the bottom of the lake. Don't reel in just lift your rod and pull your line back up by hand. Take off your hemostats and drop your fly line right down. Hold your rod out where it will keep the fly about a foot off the bottom. Some other techniques can be found here. http://www.flyfishingtechniques.co/

One of the best fly lines that I have found for trolling is a clear intermediate line. There are several on the market. Rio Aqualux, Cortland clear camo are a few of them. Use that line for trolling around in your belly boat. They can be very effective.

One thing to be sure is to use 2 feet of florocarbon line at the end of your leader. The fish can't see it and that will increase your hook ups.

As for flies you can try leech patterns. Black, green and maroon are probably your best 3. Dragon fly nymph patterns like a goomphus can be very productive or a damsel nymph pattern. As far as nymphs go you can never go wrong putting on a hare's ear nymph or a pheasant tail nymph. Foir chironomid flies be sure to have a few different colors. Black with a red rib is my favorite one. But try green with a black rib or red with a silver rib. There are lots of other chironomid colors just as there are with leeches and other flies. Be creative and don't be afraid to switch up. Even put a leech on with that full sink dangle method.

I have had friends outfish me in my boat while they kick around in their belly boat. The kicking action with a pause can be deadly for trout.

Tight lines,
Rob

x100. I was gonna share my thoughts but Rob covered it.

Here's some good info from the other stillwater master Denny Rickards.

http://www.flyfishingstillwaters.com/

[fishingfan]

Thanks everyone for the advice and tips. I will have to try some of these at Blood Indian this weekend.