VULNERABLE

The Vulnerable Prey Image (Part 2)

in Articles / Flyfishing Blog / News  by March 19, 2016 0 comments

The Vulnerable Prey Image (Part 2)

In part one we looked at what predators are instinctively programmed to recognise as not only prey, but easy to capture prey. The most gain for the least effort, banking on the sure thing, minimising wasted effort, are the cornerstones on which pike, salmon, and trout approach obtaining food. With the evidence in the photograph of the trout with the fry imitating fly in its mouth, it is not too hard to agree with the Vulnerable Prey Image theory, as it is easy to imagine our predatory trout launching the attack on our fly as we jink, stutter, or maybe wobble it during our retrieve. The application of the theory gets a little harder to visualise, and more complex, when we try to apply it to trout feeding on insects.

 

It’s not so much what this trout saw, as what it thought it saw
The fly is bait fish imitation called a Minky

  In the Vulnerable Prey Image (Part 1) we have looked primarily at predatory behaviour, when fish such as trout and salmon target bait fish, or fry. This involves the predator in actively chasing, and aggressively capturing the prey, but trout are not only aggressive chasers, as their survival demands they be flexible enough to adapt, and maximise their feeding opportunities to include a wide variety of food items.
Trout feeding in rivers often hold their position, and allow the current to bring their food to them. This type of feeding behaviour can probably be best described as static harvesting, or interception. The principals of predatory behaviour are still being adhered to by the trout in this situation, as they are using the energy of the current to bring food to themselves, and are obtaining food for little effort. It is a little harder however, to accept the concepts of predatory behaviour, and the vulnerable prey image, when we try to apply other principals, such as-banking on the sure thing?, easy to capture prey?, why is this food item/nymph/ insect a sure thing?, what is it about this insect that makes it look vulnerable, and easy to capture?, what triggers the trout to target certain flies as they swim over them?, why do small trout seem to target everything that passes over them, but larger trout seem to be more selective? . In trying to come up with answers to these questions, we must take into account that when we present our dry flies to rising trout, we must as a rule try and achieve a drag free float, in other words our fly must swim totally naturally downstream at the same pace as the water current. (The exceptions to this rule would be when imitating some species like caddis/sedges which can often skitter across the current flow) We are now unable to add any physical techniques to enhance the Vulnerable Prey Image of our fly, so we must rely heavily on fly design, and any properties that we can incorporate into that design, to enhance the image of vulnerability.

Frederic Halford, “The Father of Modern Dry Fly Fishing”

Dry flies in all the various styles we have at our disposal today are the product of many years of observations on trout feeding, analysis of trout stomach contents, and the inventiveness of clued in, observant anglers translating all this into new fly designs at the fly tying bench. Frederick Halford was born into a wealthy Jewish family of German ancestry in 1844 in Birmingham, England. He is generally recognised as the father of modern dry fly fishing, and was part of the upper class elite which had privileged access to the best trout fishing on the famous English chalk streams. Halford along with this privileged elite encouraged a very narrow view on what they thought fly fishing should be about, and especially dry fly fishing. The dry fly fished only upstream, and only to trout that were actually rising was the order of the day. This dogmatic, so called purist approach was also held to be the most sporting way to fish for trout and to a certain extent lives on to the present day. Even today we occasionally hear statements like- the dry fly is the pinnacle of sportsmanship, or that it takes more skill to fish dry fly. Mr Halford may have been a little too dogmatic, and elitist, but he did help to start a much more sophisticated approach to tying artificial dry flies, and was one of the first to try and tie exact imitations of the natural insects hatching on the chalk streams. This exact imitation school of dry fly angling eventually widened its scope in later generations to become what is now known as-Matching the Hatch.

 A fully hatched upwing fly also called a fully hatched Dun

The insects Halford was trying to imitate were mostly upwing flies, and it was the fully hatched dun resting on the surface that received all the attention. The almost total disregard for the different stages of emergence of these upwing flies prior to the fully hatched dun stage, was probably the greatest failing of the Halford era, and because this total focus on the fully hatched dun was reinforced in Halfords own books, it became the gospel to follow for other writers, and anglers, even many years after Mr Halford’s death.
Before we continue in our study of the history, development, application, and importance of fly design, as it applies to, and enhances The Vulnerable Prey Image, we might just take a quick look at the reality of why all this stuff is so important. One of the first things that a beginner has to get to grips with is which fly to use, and why.
As our knowledge and experience grows, we start to become more observant about what is really occurring as trout feed in front of us. We start to become aware, and interested in all the various stages in the life cycle of the insects that trout feed on. This study of the life cycles of insects is very interesting in its own right, and we don’t have to get too wrapped up in all the Latin names and terminology, we just need to acquire a reasonable working knowledge of the insects where we fish.
There are many variables involved, with even the most experienced anglers occasionally reading the signals incorrectly, and choose the wrong fly design to match the specific stage of emergence of the natural. You see I have emphasized the term – wrong fly design-, as opposed to saying the wrong fly, because I believe it is the design of the fly and where sits in relation to the water surface film that often makes the difference between success, and failure.

A selection of dry flies for the loughs-but how do we chose which one to use?

Down the years as strict adherence to Halfords doctrine of only concentrating on the exact imitation of the fully hatched dun floating on the water surface started to wane, and observant, thoughtful, anglers became fully aware of the importance of the emerging insect as it struggles to break free of its shuck. They also observed that some of these hatching flies actually died, or were injured during the process, and the term-stillborn emerger was invented along with other various descriptive names, such as, the crippled emerger, or drowned dun. People like Ward, Mottram, Tinbergen, Marinaro, Richards, Swisher, Caucci, Lawrie, and La Fontaine to name just a few, all added to the overall knowledge that we have at our disposal today. The main thrust of which points us in the direction of the importance of the emerging fly/crippled fly/ being at least, if not more important than the dun

 

Dibbling the top dropper fly in the waves of an Irish Lough imitating an insect struggling to hatch or one that has begin battered into the surface by the wind and rain

 

Before we try and answer some of the questions asked earlier in this article. It might be good to have a look at some relevant aspects of trout feeding behavior. Small hungry trout have to learn what is edible and will have a go at almost anything that floats over them. This trial and error feeding routine becomes less prominent as our young trout gradually learns and becomes more competent. Our trout also learn to use their energy wisely when harvesting this food, so as to maintain a positive balance in favor of the energy gained from the food, versus the energy expended in obtaining it. Trout feeding behavior is partly learned along with being partly genetically imprinted from previous generations of successful members of the species. Large trout don’t get large by chasing, or harvesting prey items which are too small, or which are available in insufficient quantities.  They hone in on insects that they know are in trouble, crippled, stuck in the surface film, drowned, struggling to emerge , or are being battered into the water surface through wind ,and rain. All these unfortunate insects will create a particular image of vulnerability, depending on each situation, and it is up to us to provide the correct illusion with our flies/presentation, which might incorporate such triggers as, attached shucks, jumble of tangled legs, wings horizontal in the surface film, among others. Also the flies position on, in, under, or penetrating the surface film is very important.

The artificial fly above is a Klinkhammer invented by Hans van Klinken .  It is one of the best flies ever invented as it suspends the abdomen and thorax of an emerging insect just under the surface film.  A vulnerable time for most insects and in fact we could if we wished, add a shuck or trailing legs to the fly above to make it look even more Vulnerable

Even if we wanted to, we cannot tie an artificial fly that is a perfect copy of a natural fly. Even if we could it would not be a major advantage to us because then our perfect imitation would just look like all the other natural flies when we fish and our perfect imitation would be just one in the crowd. Big trout are often looking for flies that are showing signs of Vulnerability and that means flies that are less than perfect. If you go to any river or lake on any given day during a big hatch you will meet many successful fly fishers who were actually using quite different flies. The reason they were successful was not because they were fishing with perfect imitations of the natural fly, but because they were fishing with imperfect copies of the real insect, but their flies must have had a few good trigger points that portrayed the illusion of Prey that was Vulnerable in some way.

We all have heard of the local fly fisher that catches lots of trout but sometimes the flies they tie don’t look great or as some might say – look scruffy!- well take my advice, and if possible,  politely ask these successful fly fishers for second look into their fly boxes!

 

One of the greatest dry flies ever invented The Grey Duster seen here on the left.

This one has had its hackle clipped underneath to let it fish flush in the surface film, imitating a trapped insect. If the hackle is left as normal (fully wound), then it will fish more on the surface. The fly at the top is a Mc Carthy Buzzer. Extra turns of hackle in this pattern allow it to be fished right on the surface, imitating a female buzzer laying her eggs, and any light breeze will make it tickle about a little, mimicking the swirling action of the female. In calm conditions a gentle stutter of the rod tip will move it just enough to draw attention. The Shipmans Buzzer is our third fly. This fly was designed to represent a buzzer hatching, right in the surface film, a position, and period of emergence that screams vulnerability. If this fly is being fished correctly (well sunk in the film), it should be difficult to see. Some anglers find this inability to see their fly as a handicap, but don’t worry; you just need to sight down along your floating line and imagine approximately where you think your fly should be and you will be right most of the time. Even if you are not exactly accurate in your calculations you will always see the rise! .

 Two great dry fly patterns from my English reservoir days

The top fly is a pattern called Bobs Bits, invented by Bob Worts, and once again it is meant to be fished well sunk in the surface film. The second fly, with its knotted pheasant tail legs trailing back, and down is a Bristol Hopper. A super fly that can represent hatching buzzers, terrestrials, or olives, all we have to do is vary the size, and colour. The simplicity of these hugely successful patterns goes a long way in proving the theory that trout are only looking for 2-3 triggers when targeting insects near the surface. Some of the triggers incorporated into these simple to tie flies are-translucency by using seals fur in the bodies, sparse insect like profile, sparse undercut hackle to let them fish flush in the surface film, knotted legs representing either emergence,, crippled emergence, or pupal shuck, colour matching the hemoglobin that the natural buzzers pump into their wings as they hatch, but most of all it is the design of the fly which allows it to be fished in the insect trap that is the surface film, and creating that Vulnerable Prey Image.

Some of the fly designs that catch more than their fair share of big trout annually

On the right we have a mayfly dun incorporating cdc, and without any hackle underneath, especially good in calm conditions, where delicacy of presentation is crucial. The sedge fly on the left is well hackled, and has a substantial cdc wing, making it a specialised weapon when we want to create the fish attracting vee wake that large natural sedges make as they scurry around, or when swimming strongly for the safety of shore. The design for function being probably more important than, say colour. There are few Vulnerable Prey Images which advertise their presence so openly as sedges furrocking around in the fading light of evening time.
Our last fly is a spent mayfly pattern, with its outstretched wings tied in a final delta shape of total submission. The ultimate in vulnerable design, a fly that the trout knows is dead or dying, and will never escape Trout Heaven !.

The fully hatched dun is of course taken by trout, and it is always wise to have some in your box, but often it takes a heavy hatch before the trout will become totally locked onto them. Most trout that will take a dun imitation will also take an emerger pattern, but trout that are zoned in on pre dun stages, will very often totally ignore the fully hatched fly. There have being many elements on the history of fly design, trout behavior, and general dry fly technique that I have had to omit in this article, but then the main focus was on trying to emphasize the importance of , and the application of the concept that is vulnerability.
All successful dry fly anglers have the same attributes in common, and they are, correct choice of fly design to match what the trout are actually feeding on, delicate, and accurate presentation, along with the ability to accurately gauge what amount of movement to impart to the fly if any .

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All the best

Paddy

The Vulnerable Prey Image (Part 1)

in Articles / Flyfishing Blog / News  by March 12, 2016 2 comments

The Vulnerable Prey Image (Part 1)
The big question that I often get asked is – What is the most important thing of all in fly fishing?. In my opinion it’s a close call between fly casting ability and the ability to create a Vulnerable Prey Image. Some anglers maintain that salmon fishing is completely different to trout fishing, and that pike fishing is even further removed again. While I can agree that we may use different flies, lures, rods, reels, lines, when targeting any one particular species, it is the ultimate goal of our fly presentations that we induce a fish to take. All things been equal, and without undermining the importance of all the many variables involved, I believe the single most important thing of all when we present our flies to Salmon, Trout, and Pike is creating a Vulnerable Prey Image

Mother lion had been yawning as she rested in the shade of a tree, watching her half grown cubs unsuccessfully chasing everything that moved until they exhausted themselves, but as soon as this unfortunate Vulnerable Prey Image limped past dragging an injured leg, she was in for the kill immediately. The most gain for the least effort, banking on the sure thing, minimizing wasted effort, that’s the name of the game if you are a predator. When we look at this picture of a lion swooping in for the kill most anglers would have no difficulty imagining a Pike in a similar attack scenario in some weed fringed lake or river. It is when we try to put trout and salmon into this picture that some fly fishers have difficulty in accepting that both trout and salmon are just as voracious, aggressive, and efficient as the lioness in the picture.

This bird is pretending to be injured by dragging its wing along the ground and is successfully enticing a predator (Fox) away from her nest. This just shows how strong an impact that creating an image of vulnerability can have on a predator.

Why is it that Game anglers find difficulty in accepting that salmon and trout are voracious, aggressive killers? One explanation could be that many angling writers down through the years have depicted trout as a highly educated, intelligent species only daintily nibbling down a succession of perfectly formed floating natural dry flies. Added to this we have some salmon angling writers offering no plausible explanation about salmon taking/feeding behaviour in freshwater except to seemingly through their arms up in despair at the mere thought that there could be any real logical explanation . The common reason given for their frustration is that because salmon are scientifically know not to feed in fresh water, and it all must be some huge mystery why salmon ever take our flies at all! . This must be very frustrating and confusing for beginner salmon anglers because depending on where they investigate to obtain a good basic understanding of the sport, they are offered either good sound advice at one end of the scale or some form of mystical wishy washy drivel at the other end, and everything in between. There is a logical reason why salmon, trout and pike take our flies and most of it concerns presenting a Vulnerable Prey Image.

 

The two main types of flies that we use when fly fishing for salmon or trout are small bait fish imitations and insect imitations. When we look at a famous salmon fly like the Gold Willie Gunn and imagine it under water in our favorite pool darting in short spurts as we strip it over the lies we realize that we are really imitating a little fish trying to evade capture. At the same time somewhere in the USA you will have a trout fly fisher fishing a very similar fly called a Mickey Finn in his favorite pool. In fact there is quite a lot of interchanging of bait fish imitating fly patterns between trout and salmon anglers. Many originally trout based imitations such as the zonker/minkie style flies have now been adopted fully into the salmon scene. I remember years ago fishing a falling flood on the river Easkey managing to land four nice fresh fish on a rainbow trout style minky fly. As I was unhooking my fourth fish a man approached me for a chat. As it turned out it was a client who I was going to be guiding the next day. He seemed to be very interested in the fly that I was using and when I showed it to him —well lets just say he nearly fell into the river!. “But it’s a rainbow trout fly” he said, “why would you dream of using such a fly”. His reaction to my choice of fly really brought it home to me that we salmon anglers are often too constrained by tradition and peer pressure to logically asses the prevailing river conditions and fish whatever fly we have at our disposal that gives us the best chance of a fish. That day on the Easkey the water conditions were more suitable for spinning than fly fishing and the only fly in my box that came close to imitating a yellow flying c spinner was a 75mm yellow Minky .

Can you replace the pike in the photo above and imagine a salmon taking a fly in the same situation and for the same reasons.  If you can then you are well on the way to understanding the major part of  salmon taking behavior

Getting back to the Vulnerable Prey Image – what’s the difference between what normal prey look like and what vulnerable prey might look like? . I would think that normal prey try to look as inconspicuous as possible using their camouflage and any available cover when possible. Normal prey likes to blend into the background of their underwater world, and not draw any attention in any way from the local predators. Vulnerable prey are just normal prey that stand out from the crowd. This standing out from the crowd, or if you like, looking different from the norm, is a strong trigger for predators like salmon, trout, and pike to attack. Our poor unfortunate prey may be injured, may have been washed away in a strong current, may have been separated from its shoal and be alone, may be diseased, may be diseased and this may have changed its coloration making it more conspicuous, may have been feeding on insects at the surface over deep water leaving itself vulnerable to an unseen attacker launching from below and I am sure you can think of more. Salmon , trout, and pike all feed on both normal prey and vulnerable prey from a young age but as they grow and their bodies need proportionally more return in nutrition than they are expending in energy accessing this food, then they gradually develop the vital ability to spot weakness and take advantage at every opportunity. In fact salmon, trout, and pike are hot wired to instantly react and attack prey that is displaying symptoms of vulnerability. I suppose you could call it an automatic natural reflex action. Salmon lose their sea teeth before entering fresh water on their homeward journey. If you were to see a salmon with their sea teeth then you would fully realize that they are supreme predators and the next time one comes to your fly you can admire one of natures most lethal and efficient killing machines.

Mr Dave Anglis putting it all together on the Ridge Pool, river Moy

We can incorporate mobile materials such as rabbit or mink fur strips into our salmon flies along with many other modern synthetics to help us make our flies look more alive in the water. Is this necessary? — well in some situations it will be important but lets not forget our Gold Willie Gunn mentioned earlier . Our Gold Willie Gunn is not tied with very mobile materials but still continues to fool salmon every season. This is because it’s what a salmon thinks it sees that really matters and its up to us to manipulate our flies and offer up a Vulnerable Prey Image.

Skilfully presenting a fly that drops back erratically as it enters, and swims across a strong current gives the strong impression of a creature unable to hold its place, and is struggling to survive. This impression of weakness makes the fly look like an easy target for a trout, or salmon. When we fish artificial flies that are supposed to represent prey fish over trout, salmon, and pike there are a variety of things we can do to help create the required illusion of vulnerability. We can incorporate weight in the fly tying process that if positioned near the head of the fly will help to give it an undulating swimming action mimicking the action of a distressed fish. Another way to achieve the same action without adding the weight in the tying process is to add a heavy split shot to the leader just up from the fly. There a variety of plastic lips, discs, vanes, and cones etc that can be added to our flies to make them dive, wobble, pulse, stutter, and if combined with various floating/sinking fly lines, we can then add different styles of retrieve, varying from short strips to full hand over hand, and all the variations in between, helping us to adapt to any given situation. Remember we can also make use of various river currents to control the angle and speed of our flies along with various presentation casts to help mimic the action of Vulnerable Prey.

 

How does the Vulnerable Prey Image apply in this situation?

In the second part of this study we will take a close look at the Vulnerable Prey Image and its relevance to fish feeding on insects.

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All the best

Paddy