[Bigfoot]

So I posted the question if you could skate caddis for trout, back in the late winer and got a lot of YES's. So now Im going to give it a try on the Missouri river near Craig MT ( will be spending most of the summer just outside Helena MT). From a technical standpoint- is it any different than waking dries to steelhead?? any tips or things to do or not do will be appreciated.
Bigfoot

 

[yellowlab03]

Nope, just downsize everything. There are a few posts about skating for trout on here.

 

[matuka mike]

start with a good cast. full turnover, so fly is under tension on touchdown. slightly elevated rod tip, drop tip on the take, slip line to prevent breakoff.
oh yeah, duh, everything I try to do for steelhead
i'm usually using 2-3X mono w/ a small loop knot, rarely do I feel the need for 4X.
goddard caddis is by far my fave. if your there in the fall, October caddis seem to bring out the worst in fish :saevilw:

 

[Bigfoot]

Mike
Are you using a 12-15' leader ( assuming you are using a 11 1/2- 12 1/2 rod) and then the 2-3x mono as tippet?

 

[SLSS]

I like to skate trout with my 11'6 45 Meiser. Prefer a longer leader- 15 - 16 ft.

 

[matuka mike]

Mike
Are you using a 12-15' leader ( assuming you are using a 11 1/2- 12 1/2 rod) and then the 2-3x mono as tippet?

scandi w/1.5x rod length mono leader, including an 18- 24" tippet. unless skating a bulky mouse. usually 11-12.5' rod.
ps: try the blackfoot and clark fork too

 

[808steelheader]

Lately I've been skating for trout with a 9'5wt and a 7wt SA bass bug taper. I use miniature versions (sz 10) of my foam steelhead skaters. I fish them just like to do for steelhead, cast across and down, gentle twitches. Sometimes I cast more upstream for some dead drift before the swing. Been having fun skating for my local trout, it's like skating for steelhead on a smaller scale, love seeing those surface rises.

 

[flytyer]

Bigfoot,

The answer is no, it isn't any different than skating flies for steelhead. I spent a lot of time on the Missouri between the dam and Cascade during the 7 years I lived in Cascade and the 4 years I lived in Boulder. Any summer evening when the Hydropsyche caddis egg-laying is in full swing, use a #16 ginger, tan, or yellow-brown Elk Hair Caddis tied with Antron or Z-lon dubbing, ginger (or dyed ginger grizzly) hackle, and light or medium elk hair wing. Grease the elk wing, cast across and down so the fly starts to skate almost immediately.

I used 9' and 10' leader with a 3x tippet (to protect it from being broken on the take of an 18" Arlee Strain Bow on a 9' or 10' 5 or 6 wt rod.

 

[Sunkfly]

.

I agree with most of what flytyer said, above. But there's usually no need to allow your fly to swing through a large arc. Actively feeding trout will let you know where they are, and larger trout will generally be easy to identify. Casting so as to have your fly swing through a short arc that passes over a chosen fish is usually a better approach. This will allow the fish to see the fly coming and decide to intercept it, and also gives the fish a chance to chase and take the fly should it 'make up its mind' as the fly begins to 'get away'. The short arc approach also minimizes the number of smaller fish that can pester the fly before it ever gets to a larger fish.

 

[cebe]

On smaller flies that are not foam flies, it might help if you also grease your leader or at least your tippet, with floatant.

 

[MT Box]

I try to play around with the speed of the swing when skating. Sometimes they want it fast sometimes not. Grease everything and brush some Frog's Fanny into that fly. Watch out for the slurp n burp!