San Diego & SoCal Fishing Forums

Exciting! It's a floating fly, but I used a split shot to get some cast distance and so turned it into a midwater fly today. Hastily constructed with a #8 hook, some wine cork, duck feather, funky bead and black thread. My first attempt at fly tying, not pretty, but I caught something!

As you know, being the “kastmaster”, it’s not always the prettiest lure that catches the fish… Very cool…
Butch

Caught a 2nd, then the fish seemed to say, "oh we have seen THAT before!" I really want to get a surface fly to work on these fish, as they are picking off swimming bees in this pool. I did add a clear float to get some distance from shore, but twitching the float to get movement on the fly is a mixed blessing, though I got some interest. Something I need to figure out with spinning gear at this spot.

That's a perty fish

I used to use a section of floating Fly Line, to throw Nymphs at the Owen’s River, a 1 foot section casts a long way on light line and acts like a Bobber(Strike Indicator). Just stop it in the air to get the Fly past the Fly Line before it lands. Good luck!

Managed 3 more fish on the DIY fly. One was a male fanning a nest that I spent 10 minutes aggravating, pulsating the fly in front of it, letting it die, repeat. The other two fish were blind casts with an extremely slow retrieve along the bottom. This is actually a floating fly, but I use a split shot to sink it. Started the session topwater fishing this same fly, as fish were hitting honeybees vibrating on the surface. I didn't have any luck with that method, it's not easy to mimic that honeybee vibrato. Vibrating bees don't last long on the surface of this pool.

kastmaster wrote: Wed Apr 22, 2026 8:23 am it's not easy to mimic that honeybee vibrato.

You need a little motor in that thing. ....
Butch

Congrats, now get yourself some real fly tying thread.

Neuroshima wrote: Thu Apr 23, 2026 5:57 am Congrats, now get yourself some real fly tying thread.

Decades old sewing thread and Elmer's glue for the win!