Snail Patterns-How do you use them?
Rob L
some of the stillwaters that we have fished in the past. I have a pattern to
use, however, I have never fished with snails before. Can someone with
experience using snails provide me with a few techniques that may be
effective.
Thanks in advance
rob L
Mike Connor
"Rob L" <rlon...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:a8scmv$8oj$1...@nnrp.atgi.net...
Snail patterns are sometimes quite deadly for a number of reasons. One
reason is, they often look like trout pellets! Snails occasionally
migrate, and can be seen hanging by the "foot" to the surface film. It is
not unusual for trout and other fish to gorge themselves on snails at this
time.
Snails are slow-moving creatures, and so are trout pellets! Fish such
patterns extremely slowly, preferably just using the natural drift. When
the snails are actually migrating, a pattern suspended just below the
surface ( grease the tippet to achieve this) will often work well. Using a
dry fly as an indicator is a good idea, and may take its share of fish as
well. Trout will only take pellets while they are sinking. In this case fish
the snail in the same way, allowing it to sink slowly, with no other
movement.
One might also move the snail very slowly along the bottom, on a sinking
line.
There are no other methods I know of for fishing snails. All the methods
described are basically "static" methods, and require considerable patience.
Fishing the snail as a "pellet" will only work on stock fish. Although you
might get lucky and some wild trout might think it is a snail! :)
TL
MC
Fred Blair
> "Rob L" <rlon...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:a8scmv$8oj$1...@nnrp.atgi.net...
> > A friend asked me to tie him some snail patterns. he said they will work
> on
> > some of the stillwaters that we have fished in the past. I have a pattern
> to
> > use, however, I have never fished with snails before. Can someone with
> > experience using snails provide me with a few techniques that may be
> > effective.
Does anyone have a picture or link to a picture of a Snail?
Fred
Mike Connor
"Fred Blair" <fbl...@firstam.com> wrote in message
news:95c7049.02040...@posting.google.com...
> "Mike Connor" <Mi...@somewhere.com> wrote in message
news:<a8shff$t48$01$1...@news.t-online.com>...
> > "Rob L" <rlon...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> Does anyone have a picture or link to a picture of a Snail?
> Fred
Artificials, info etc.
http://www.flyline.com/1flys/flot_snl.htm
http://www.aquahabitat.com/trouthooker/trout_tips.html
http://www.geocities.com/devonportfly/flytying/patterns.htm#Snail%20-%20Blac
k%20and%20Peacock%20Variant
http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/fotw/92198fotw.html
http://www.newmexicotrout.org/NM%20Fly%20Patterns/NMFlyPattern_LakeFlies.htm
http://www.fishnhunt.co.nz/shopping/flies/nymphs/nymph2.htm
http://www.google.de/search?q=cache:WYxmBe8Oi7IC:www.flyfishamerica.com/Nati
onalArticles/JasonBorgerEscargot/BorgerEscargot.html+fly+patterns+snail&hl=d
e
http://www.fineflies.com/Nymphs/nubilenymph2.htm
Naturals
http://www.abc-kid.com/snails/
http://www.covingtoninnovations.com/cathy/photos/snails.htm
http://www.photovault.com/Link/Animals/Aquatic/lGastropods/AALVolume01.html
http://www.aquariumfish.net/catalog_pages/misc_critters/snails.htm
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Valley/6210/links.htm
That ought to suffice.
TL
MC
JeffC
They are fished *very* slowly.....
JeffC
"JeffC" <sp...@not.com> wrote in message
news:D3Ls8.14438$je5.1...@nnrp1.uunet.ca...
In case that wasn't very funny, I have no idea how to fish them.
George Gehrke
> > They are fished *very* slowly.....
>
> In case that wasn't very funny, I have no idea how to fish them.
Ye-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-ssssss. Ve-r-r-yyyyy slo-oo-o-o-o-o-owwwwly.
gg
BassCreel
snail pattern and it is fished as a dry fly...no shit...evidently snails float
or at least they do during this, so called hatch.. My friend Gary told me that
the lake has a huge snail hatch. Rainy, recently in one of the fly fishing
mags, had her snail fly in there...its made of closed cell foam...
Chris Fanning -- love to hear if you have any success with snail patterns...
Mu Young Lee
> Fishing the snail as a "pellet" will only work on stock fish. Although you
> might get lucky and some wild trout might think it is a snail! :)
I remember reading something by Borger where he said he's caught trout
which had gorged themselves on snails. The accumulation of shells could
be felt in the abdomen. Their anus' were bloodied by the passing of the
shells.
Mu
Mike Connor
"Mu Young Lee" <muy...@umich.edu> wrote in message
news:Pine.SOL.4.44.020410...@rastan.gpcc.itd.umich.edu...
Many years ago, in a small beck not far from where I lived, there were some
large trout, which was in itself fairly unusual, as most trout in such becks
rarely exceed half a pound. These were wild browns, and there were some of
three pounds and more in weight. It took me a very long time to catch one of
these, although I was able to observe them occasionally. They never rose to
flies and I never observed one actually feeding, although I spent very
considerable time at it. There was one place ( half way up a tree as it
happens), where the light and angle was such, that it was sometimes
possible to observe two or more of these fish in the same pool. Also
unusual, as large trout are normally extremely territorial, and will attack
intruders. I spent hours up that tree.
Eventually I managed to catch one of these fish, on a worm, and discovered
that it was chock full with snails. It also had a rather larger and reddened
anus, ( no blood though, the flesh around the opening was simply red, it did
not seem inflamed or damaged), and very deep pink flesh. These fish also
made crunching sounds when handled, they were so full of snails.
When the fish were cleaned, some of the snail shells were partly digested,
and others not. I suppose this depends on the makeup of the shell, the
amount of time spent in the trout愀 gut, and the relative strength of the
digestive juices. It is certain that the very large amount of keratin in
the shells was responsible for the deep pink flesh. Trout feeding on
shrimps ( gammarus, and similar) display similar pink flesh, but it is not
so deeply pink in my experience. They do not have large anuses or the red
colouring at this point either. It seems the shrimps are more or less
completely digested.
In the years that followed, I caught a few of these fish, eventually also on
a weighted snail imitation, rolled along the bottom in some of the
(relatively) deep pools. The imitation was peacock herl wound over dark
brown and dark green mixed seal fur, the whole wound around a small split
shot, which was clipped and glued to a size twelve hook. The snails were
relatively small, about 6mm in diameter, and there was often a massive
number in the trout's gut.
Snails represent large chunks of protein for trout, and some fish may key
onto these almost exclusively. Such fish grow rapidly, waste little energy
in hunting food, and are also very well shaped fish. The large head and
teeth of cannibals are absent. Doubtless practically all trout will take
snails occasionally, but these fish obviously took little else. The usual
assortment of stuff was not in their guts, more or less exclusively snails.
If you know a place which contains snails, ( running water), then trundling
an imitation along the bottom of a deep pool might be very rewarding.
In stillwater, I have had the best luck with a "Black and peacock spider",
with a short heavy hackle as a "foot", the foot and the leader greased to
keep the fly just under the surface film. It can be boring, as when the
naturals migrate, there are large numbers of them, and it is a matter of
pure luck whether a fish takes your imitation. Apart from which, I prefer
more "active" forms of fishing.
There are not many snails where I now fish. We have plenty of shrimps
though, and I basically use the same tactics. A hares ear, tied with well
mixed hare fur, over a lead body, ( I used to use the "scud" and similar
bent hooks, but now no longer bother, it does not seem to make any
difference), I brush the hares fur into the shape of a shrimp.
( You can see a picture here;
http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/authors/mike03.htm
These have proved quite deadly, and nobody can suggest that you are using
"trout pellet" imitations. ( Not that that would bother me unduly). Very
dark olive, brown, or black, dyed hares fur, will also make a good snail
imitation, but the body should be dubbed more tightly, and not brushed out.
TL
MC
Mike Connor
you should use either a red or orange underbody, which shines through, or
incorporate some red or orange fur. If you look at a snail against the
light, it glows orangey red.
For subsurface patterns this does not seem to matter much, but could not
hurt either. ( a bit of red or orange included in the shripms is also
sometimes very effective, esepcially when they are mating).
Whatever you use, snails are best fished statically, or dead drift.
Doubtless an indicator would be a good idea, although I have never used one
for this ( just watch the end of the fly-line). Dragging a snail upstream
at a rate of knots may well catch a fish, ( practically anything will
eventually catch a fish), but it is unlikely to be a big clever old brown.
TL
MC
Mike Connor
at last today, he might well manage to fulfull his dream,
to his delight, large numbers of his favourite flies were hatching,
taking out his box, he pored and pondered, in hopes of matching.
An olive dun seemed right, and mounting one, he tried a cast,
just at the seam, where a slower eddy, met the water flowing fast,
if he tried once, he must have tried a hundred times at least,
alas, alack, he saw neither hide, nor hair, nor sign, of finny beast.
He tried, and tried again, with many flies, but then ceased defeated,
his hat and drying patch well full of flies, and his fly-box sore depleted,
another angler walking down the path, heard his moans and wailing,
took pity, and informed him. "Dry flies are no use, the trout are
snailing!".
"Would you like a weighted snail?" he asked, offering his open box,
and was rewarded with a look that might have shook him to his socks,
"Weighted flies!!!?", was the reply, combined with scowls of almost hate,
"Before I succumb to such abominations, I would rather fish with bait!".
The friendly angler, not subdued, hefted his large fish, and took his leave,
the dry fly buff, viewed his empty creel, and sat there brooding in a peeve,
"Its just not fair, this is dry-fly water after all", he moaned, really
quite put out,
This was true of course, but somehow, nobody had thought to tell the trout!
TL
MC