Fryingpan River · fly box
Twenty-three kilometres of cold, clear water that made mysis shrimp famous in fly fishing.
| Pattern | Imitates | Size | Technique |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mysis Shrimp | Mysis relicta | #12-14 | Dead-drift it under a tiny indicator right below the dam; the shrimp come through the penstock. |
| Blowtorch | Chironomid pupa | #18-20 | Point fly on a two-nymph rig in the flat water of the Bend Pool. |
| Sparkle Dun BWO | Baetis dun | #20 | Downstream drift to sighted fish in the shallow flats above the bridge. |
| San Juan Worm, red | Aquatic worm | #12 | A high-water fly only; useless when the release is clean and low. |
| RS2, black | Baetis emerger | #22 | Fish in the film, 4.5-metre leader, no indicator, watch the tippet. |
The dressing plate
On this river
The Mysis drift
Dead shrimp come out of the dam continuously and drift like translucent flakes about 1 cm long. Fish a #12 Mysis on the point, 60 cm under a small indicator, and concentrate on the first 400 metres below the outlet. The take is often a slow, heavy stop rather than a tap because the fish is turning on a large mouthful.
Fishing to sighted fish on the flats
The flats above the bridge are shallow enough that you can see fish 20 metres away. Do not cast to the nearest one. Find the fish moving, get upstream of it by walking the bank, and put a single small dry three metres ahead of its nose. A fly that lands on top of a flat-water fish ends the opportunity for the whole pool.
Two-nymph rigs without tangles
Use a 60 cm dropper tied off the eye of the point fly rather than a separate tag, and keep the weight difference between the two flies small — one size up on the point is enough. On a river this narrow, a rig that casts cleanly is worth more than a rig that sinks 20 cm faster.