10-28-2012, 09:34 PM
Lot of good advise on fishing small streams. When dries aren't producing don't be afraid to use nymphs. The key to not spooking the fish with a heavy nymph is just to cast upstream a bit further than where the fish most likely lie. I frequently use size 10 tungsted bh nymphs in all but the very smallest waters I fish (< 10 cfs) and even then a size 12-14 works well on the smallest waters for me. Train your dog or dog(s) in my case well not to spook fish by not running upstream and being obedient on commands. I remember once on tiny Leeds Creek my dogs running up the right side of the creek despite my commands not to. Being the only castable water for a hundred yards because of the brush around I fished it anyways. Caught 3 footlong cutts in the next 20 yards. They all I had a right eye cataract and hadn't seen my dogs run up the right bank. It was a little freaky catching 3 in a row but figured they all where from the same brood and had something genetic going on.
As far as fishing hearing/ feeling vibrations from you I'm not sure it's much of an issue when in the water downstream from them. I've yet to see a fish spook from me yelling at my dogs not to cross the stream. I've done that hundreds of times when fish are in front of me. Sometimes I'll have the fish literally a foot or 2 directly upstream from me and even then they don't react.
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As far as fishing hearing/ feeling vibrations from you I'm not sure it's much of an issue when in the water downstream from them. I've yet to see a fish spook from me yelling at my dogs not to cross the stream. I've done that hundreds of times when fish are in front of me. Sometimes I'll have the fish literally a foot or 2 directly upstream from me and even then they don't react.
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