# Swinging into Fall



## rickerd (Jul 16, 2008)

Anyone care to offer me a tried and true pattern for our Fall fish? I've been swinging the last 3 seasons and for some reason, all my streamers for dead drifting that used to work, just don't anymore in the fall. I use many of the zonker patterns and they work during spring. Do I need to tie more sparse patterns for fall in Ohio and PA like skunks or sparrows? I'm swinging most of the time now until the water is around 38 deg. F or less.

thanks for helping,
I've got to re-energize my fall fishing again. Seems I used to do 3 times better in fall when the New Londons were still around.

Rickerd


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## ReelPower (May 18, 2009)

Clouser minnow tied with some flash in there, or clouser minnow tied as a strait-up flash fly with silver and blue. Don't be afraid to strip it, especially in slacker water.

Small olive sculpins or olive cone-head buggers too.


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## Bwana J (Sep 12, 2010)

I've had good luck swinging Estaz minnow. I just tie a red marabou tail and wrap pearl mini estaz for the body and a silver or gold bead for the head. Usually tie on 3x length size 8 hook.


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## mdogs444 (Aug 29, 2012)

In the fall I use a sparser patterns like fish taco. In the winter, I resort to large profile marabou intruders and lady gaga/popsicle variations.


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## rickerd (Jul 16, 2008)

thanks guys.
Sounds to me like "keep it simple and cover lots of water."

best,
Rickerd


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## mdogs444 (Aug 29, 2012)

rickerd said:


> thanks guys.
> Sounds to me like "keep it simple and cover lots of water."
> 
> best,
> Rickerd


The truth of the matter is that with hatchery fish, its all presentation, not substance.

They don't care about the color or style of fly, as opposed to the speed of the drift and the depth.


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## ReelPower (May 18, 2009)

rickerd said:


> thanks guys.
> Sounds to me like "keep it simple and cover lots of water."
> 
> best,
> Rickerd


That and "they like flashy minnows!" Ever try to imitate a Mepps #3 Aglia silver spinner? Bunch o' flash on a hook with lead eyes will get in the ballpark. Quick tie, too. Purists hate me.


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## iggyfly (Jun 30, 2012)

Wooley buggers always work. But like mdoggs said, presentation is everything. And fishing the right water, and fishing it correctly.


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## Indybio72 (Nov 6, 2013)

Id like to try to swing for some steelhead, but am not very familiar with this technique. I have a 9' 7wt (not ideal I know, a switch rod is high on my wish list). My question more involves the terminal part of the line. I'm assuming you use poly leaders? I have a orvis fast sink poly leader, is that appropriate? And then what about the flies for swinging. I know about intruders, but thats above my skill level to tie right now. I have lots of wooley buggers, will those work? and should the fly itself be weighted too? Thanks in advance guys


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## mdogs444 (Aug 29, 2012)

Swinging is more about the method than the hardware. The difference between swinging and dead drifting is two fold:

1. Fly going perpendicular to the flow of the water as opposed to with the flow of the water
2. Imitating a live baitfish pattern as opposed to a non-moving object that is just going with the current.

When swinging, you are taking a fly, and going from one side of the flow to the other, in which the bait is actually swimming against the current which causes the fish to chase and hit from the side/rear, as opposed to waiting for the bait to come down to them. For this reason, baitfish patterns using shanks, tubes, and streamer hooks are used. You can use wooly buggers, but most people use articulated flies and tubes.

I am not familiar with Orvis products, but I assume the sinking tip line you have is similar to a streamer line for trout. In that case, it would hypothetically work to get the fly down and across. You will be limited to the types of flies you use though. Most people use T8, T11, T14 and spey tips like Type 3, Type 6, and Type 8 because they match the grain weight with the weight of the fly. The bigger and heavier the fly, the heavier tip you need to turn the fly over. 

With that being said, your setup should work fine for wooly bugger and clouser minnow type flies. However, if you choose to move into larger profile flies like articulated spey flies, you will most likely need to switch to Versileaders.

A single handed rod is a bit limited as you are not using a heavier skagit/scandi head with a heavy sink tip to cast large flies far and turn over, but it still can be done.


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