Slide Inn Q&A #2 - Unweighted vs. Weighted Flies with Kelly Galloup

Dan Wenner writes: "I recently saw your youtube video for q&a and I had a question for Kelly. I noticed that he has progressed from advocating for completely weightless flies to tying beadhead nymphs and dumbbell eyes in his streamers. Why the change? Thanks for your time and the great videos!"

[@jasongray9411]

It seems to me that what Kelly is advocating is, in many cases, simply getting a streamer quickly below the surface so the sinking or intermediate line can then do its work - sort of like a weighted belt scuba divers use to give neutral buoyancy and make swimming underwater easier.

[@prestoneasley3959]

Just something I’ve run into when fish are willing to eat beaded nymphs; I like a good tungsten nymph in slower water as it seems to provide more immediate strike detection as the fly itself is what is creating tension on the indicator.

[@BrianOHanlon]

I mentioned Skagit salmon fly lines in another comment. What is described here is not a million miles away from the use of super heavy sink tips in Skagit salmon fly fishing, where the sink tip is being used to bring something like an intruder pattern quickly underneath the fast current, in rivers such as on Olympic penninsula. The intruder patterns used for steelhead and salmon incorporate lead dumbells a good bit, but I'd come to the conclusion, that probably it is the sink tip, which is bringing the large intruder down in the water column. Large intruder patterns having quite a bit of natural buoyancy too, as would the larger articulated streamers shown.

[@geraldg7420]

In a boat, zooming down a fast moving river, I use tungsten weighted streamers. The fly heads down before the current takes away the natural action of the bait escaping from the bank. Hope that makes sense.

[@BrianOHanlon]

Taking on board, of course, the points explained in another tutorial by Mr. Galloup, that really, really a stream sinking line and a 'sink tip' - either in the nymphing world, or salmon fishing world - are not the same thing at all. I have a feeling however, that there are some salmon and some nymph fishers out there, who might be able to borrow some lesson, somewhere, from these streamer fishing technique lessons.

[@ricgua2]

where do your get your magnum spools of thread? I got a magnum bobbin but cant find the thread anywhere...great topic! TY

[@dariuswhite3002]

So what about articulated streams with only a rear bead does it sink level

[@messenger8860]

Billiant videos!! I fish for wild brown trout from the boat on the lake here where I live.. can you tell me what weight of rod would u recommend to throw flies like the ones you have there in this video? And on a sinking line? I really want to get the right rod for this. Thanks