# flyfishing and trolling



## campfire (Sep 9, 2007)

A few weeks ago I took a mental health day and road up to Smith and Morehouse with my canoe. The weather was perfect, the lake quite murky but the fish seemed to be hungry. I caught 20 + fish and had a great day. I was fishing with a 5 wt graphite fly rod, 5 wt medium sink line and I was trolling streamers. The most productive pattern seemed to be a black marabou "Pistole Pete" pattern. I was fly casting only to get my line out then trolling in my canoe with my electric trolling motor. Like I said I had a great time which is really all that matters to me but just for the sake of discussion, was I fly fishing?


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## DeadI (Sep 12, 2007)

Yes. I do that all the time out of my kick boat. Maybe to a few of the "Purist" fly fishers out there you were not but most of the people I see out on resivours are doing the same thing you were doing.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

yes, you were fly fishing


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## scott_rn (Sep 11, 2007)

campfire,

I've said it before, I'll say it again, I think you are using a fly rod for the sake of using a fly rod. I did the same thing two nights ago, except we were under paddle power, but I don't feel like I am fly fishing while I am doing it. I'm going "fishing" with a dipnet next week, how sporting is that?

Fishing until midnight and getting up for work at 5 am was a little stupid.


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

campfire said:


> Like I said I had a great time which is really all that matters to me but just for the sake of discussion, was I fly fishing?


Remember this golden oldie?

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=20013

Some purists consider your actions the equivalent to bait fishing. Might as well have trolled a gob of powerbait around. 

I love fishing the way you did. Just leisurely kick around the lake trolling a Pete and usually having the trout knock the stuffing out of the (fly/lure/bait/evil, unethical,impure) offering. Nothing beats it.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Hey Catherder, Pistol Pete is a lure, everyone knows that.


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## scott_rn (Sep 11, 2007)

goob,
I forgot to give campfire a hard time about it being a pistol pete. At least he's fishing more than rapalas, renegades and scuds. Yes, he has admitted to fishing rapalas on his fly rod.

Disclaimer: you can fish rapalas all you want, but I wouldn't call it fly fishing


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

wyogoob said:


> Hey Catherder, Pistol Pete is a lure, everyone knows that.


Well, OK, if you say so, just don't call them "Bait fishing". O*-- <<--O/


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## tkidder (May 31, 2011)

Sorry I wasn't around yet for that little debate!!! 

I think trolling a fly with a fly-rod is fly fishing, but I've been known to do the same on a spinning rod with a bubble...


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## campfire (Sep 9, 2007)

tkidder said:


> Sorry I wasn't around yet for that little debate!!!
> 
> I think trolling a fly with a fly-rod is fly fishing, but I've been known to do the same on a spinning rod with a bubble...


Brings back a whole lot of memories most of them great. I remember rowing around Mirror Lake in one of the row boats from the Lodge ( I'll bet that out dates all of you.) on a beautiful summer evening tolling a fly behind a bubble on my spinning rod. But like Scott said, I would rather catch fish on a fly rod.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

scott_rn said:


> goob,
> I forgot to give campfire a hard time about it being a pistol pete. At least he's fishing more than rapalas, renegades and scuds. Yes, he has admitted to fishing rapalas on his fly rod.
> 
> Disclaimer: you can fish rapalas all you want, but I wouldn't call it fly fishing


I don't get it. I can use a 5"-long articulated 2-hook fly for pike or largemouth but I can't use a Rapala. Fly fishing is so complicated.

Hey, they're making #1 Rapalas now that cast with a fly rod as well as big attractor fly that has a dropper nymph below and a bobber, excuse me, a strike indicator above.


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## flyguy7 (Sep 16, 2007)

Trolling a sinking line with a pistol pete is a lot more fly fishing than some of the cannonball bounce rigs with balloons we fish on the provo: that i'll give ya!


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