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3. Isos in Riffles

Hi, I don't know if anyone else has any experiences blind casting Isonychia dun or emerger patterns in riffles in the fall, but I just tried it for a couple of days with exciting results. I had read about doing this in several different sources, and just decided to give it a try where there were few fish working sporadically, probably taking little olives that were hatching. The fish took the Iso flies confidently, at times where there was no previous surface activity in a spot. It's something I'll certainly try again anytime that Isos are active. Does anyone else have an experience like this one?

Thanks for the account, Louis. I'll certainly try this if I have the opportunity.

-Shawn

Hi: I tried that last week in slow water with no success. I'll give it another go in the next few days in the riffles. Why the riffles?
Bruce

Bruce, I hope Gonzo and others who have some experience with Isos will also reply, since I'm a novice with all this. It would seem that in general at this time of year streams may be low and clear. Also, fish are well-educated. Riffles mask both the angler, her or his line, and errors in drift. Blind casting in thin or flat water may be less productive because of the above reasons. It is also hard to know where fish are in a big pool. I did hook up with a fish in flat shallow water at the head of a pool, but I had watched him eating Isos before casting to him. Reading the water well may help some in pools, but riffles offer many kinds of lies, and when food is available fish may gather in a riffle to feed. Also, to increase your odds, it may be a good idea to try to spot a few Isos in an eddy or elsewhere to be sure they are available to the fish.

I agree with louis but I've also kind of adapted the theory that riffles make an imitation Iso look more like a live Iso. Lots of motion. I have far better luck with them in slower tailouts if I move the bug with very short jerky strips, but I can dead drift them in the riffles w/ equal success. From what I have seen they are a very active bug and should be fished as one.
Jeff

Hi Jeff,

Are we still talking about duns and emergers or are we moving on to nymphs? I've been moving my Iso nymphs a good bit, as per John S.'s guidance, but typically aim at dead drifts for duns and emergers which I fished mostly during most recent outings. However I did have one fish hit an emerger as it started to swing in the tail of a pool. And I'm sure wet flies swinging or stripped also could elicit some interest when Isos are darting around trying to emerge.

I guess that's what I get for reading the posts to fast, I missed the whole point.......Sorry

No problem, Jeff. It got me thinking about the other aspects of Iso fishing as well and about fishing wet flies, which I've had good luck with too during Iso emergences. What works best certainly varies from day to day and from angler to angler.