11/3/12 LFZ

Not a real report , but more of an experience today.  I would say a decent crowd down there today.  I was able to find a decent spot fishing wise , but  I just happened to luck out in the company.  I fished next to a guy tried to" help" several people.   He was quite nice and shared what he was using and tried to teach me his technique.   Here it was:   Never cast up stream always cast straight across from you or downstream a bit,  keep  all slack out of the line never let your fly line touch the water.   To cast bring your line in to almost to the leader and cast out "let the lead take the line out" he told me.   I politely said thanks and kept fishing after a few moments he came over again and said "would you like me to show you how"   I humored him and said sure.  He took my pole and attempted to cast and said " here's your problem you don't have enough weight on"   he even offered me some.   I politely declined and politely told him that I was close to the 1/8th ounce limit and that's why I cast UPSTREAM a bit and MENDED my line once or twice to get the fly down.   I also said that with that much weight it was tough to roll cast and if the weight propels the line  "technically"  it was against the law. I also told him of the new 1/8 ounce rule.    He looked at me as if I had 2 heads.   Problem is that the guy was really trying to be nice and "help" me and I did appreciate it and was very polite throughout the whole thing, but he had no clue to the regs.  He was not a blatant snagger  (although a fish he landed was foul hooked)  just C and Ding and using too much weight.  After I told him the regs he left me alone and started "helping" another guy .   I think many folks did not read the new fishing reg because from
 what I saw only about 50% of the guys down there were below the weight limit.

That's the one from Wednesday,  I wish we had gotten all of the jaw.  I may get that one framed.
Lucky yes the LFZ and  I sometimes do venture out , but due to the rain I wanted an easy exit strategy.    There are usually fish there and it's a good place for a novice like me to hone my skills with a good shot at hooking up .  Honestly, I sometimes  don't mind rubbin' elbows with folks.  I like seeing the fish jump, seeing how people cast and drift  and peeking at what they are using.
Yes, the 1/8 is in the zones only.

Same thing earlier this week  in the Upper, Clint.  I must admit there was a number of guys, good fishermen all, casting upstream, pinning their drifts with quick roll casts and  fishing within the weight  limits at 900, let alone less than half that flow. Some swung  flies. Everyone hooked up at some point.   I don't mind the zones when they are relatively free of crowds, but I'll go elsewhere when it's a zoo.  I'm done fighting for my little rock.  I think you can start trusting your water reading skills.  You do as well on the rest of the river as you do where they're supposedly stacked up.  Since you'll be using some  brownie  eggs, I'm guessing it won't be the same place tomorrow. Hope you have a great one. x2 on the avatar pic.
 

Would 1/8 oz. of weight added be about equal to 1 #5 lead and or #4 Tin?
A fly freind of mine said that was approx. correct. Anyone know for sure? 
I called a local shop and they said they didnt have a scale.
On a humorous note:
Do I weigh the leader-tippet, swivel, knot, hook and also, weigh the fly when it is dry or the material is wet?
Best Fish's,
Randy

That's a handy chart HT.Since I rarely would go above 2 #7 lead on my line I guess I'll pass the test.Now I've got to add the #7 and 5 lead to see if I'm illegal.Does anyone think they are going to watch this closely when they miss all the slashing and ripping down river?

i think the reg was put in place so the slopes with3 #2 on the leader can't say they thought it was within the limit.
much like the shot strings of pinner if you are scene to be fishing fair even though by definition you are breaking the law being a bb shot or two over the limit i think they will let it slde.
now if you are cding with 3 times the limit i would expect to see a ticket written.
especially if you are ripping it out of the water to avoid getting snagged on bottom.

Thanks!
I highly doubt the DEC will be carrying scales.
I like the guys who use floats, then rip in L.F.Z.
Or, some guys say, Im water hauling to load my rod for the recast. Combining the lift with the recast. Those are the best and the average guy has know idea what they are really doing.
Or, the spey guy, who is roll casting, but always prep's it when his fly-drift is in the middle of where the fish lay. (lifting rod)
Best Fish's,
Randy
 

would be nice if they put enough heat on the dragger snaggers to get them out of the zones.
make a little room for people to actually manipulate their lines and get good extended drifts and swings.
take the lowest common denominater fishing out of the equation and half the people there will go and try to find another place to ply their flyfishing.

Nice chart HT.
 
And I believe it is only in the zones that you have the 1/8 total.  The rest of the river a fly can be no more than 1/8, but you could add more to the leader, as long as it is not more than 4' away.
 
L13

   Just because you have a fly rod and your fishing in the flyzone doesnt mean your fly fishing

I don't know.. I'm sure one could line fish with a sink tip or sink line or a bead head well under 1/8 oz if wanted so..
Once again I believe it's all about intent..
The zone intent was to fly fish for lake run species .. I honestly don't know of anyone from that beginning that has not put enough weight to be in constant contact with the bottom and basically bottom bouncing with a fly rod..
Well over what I myself consider a fly fishing experience.. I did it..
We used slinkies for gripes sake on a fly rod... Again it was merely C&D fishing with a fly rod in an approved tackle area..
I truly believe at times it is absolutely necessary to be in total contact with the bottom 6" to catch fish.. Not always but times it dictates so..
I Know it is totally possible to cast heavy leaders, flies or weight to catch fish (stripers case in point).. I don't think that is most of the intent of whats happening in the zones..
I have absolutely no intent of lining fish.
I had and do line fish but not on intent, wether it means a skunk or not..
If I want or feel the best possible way of catching fish without meeting such zone regs, I'll fish below and many time with a much thinner diameter spinning rod that really will be less weight then C&D on a fly line....
Now to the point:
Kicker, zones are a high concentration of fish area..
I think the DEC has come to a good middle ground on setting a weight limit to where it becomes a skill (somewhat) rather then just dredging through a bunch of fish using a fly rod and chucking .. 
I again certainly hope they keep working towards that..
 
Back in RULE change 2010, I watched the DEC in -3 deg write tickets to slinkie chuckers when it was sketchy .."line must propel fly"
 
bottom line:
Have fun and just PHISH
 
Sorry to blow your report up Clint:
 

Lucky,
I don't know what,why  you keep considering the zones as crowded. Almost anytime I fish in those parts I don't feel crowded to where my drift is limited at all or cant move around.. Many times I don't see anglers for long periods of time..
Yes there has been an issue now and again but nothing that don't happen elsewhere.. Someone sees you catch a fish so that must be the spot..
Besides , the swing is almost over until spring when the wiggler size #4 comes out.

Yes -there are times in Winter when the LFZ -Kiddie in particular -is crowded but one can move around and generally find a nice spot someplace on the run to fish generally unmolested. Perhaps not as many fish -but  kinda by yourself with others certainly in sight. Quality vs quantity.
  Then there are the days when even Kiddie is lonesome.
 I would agree that on the more crowded days one is forced to use a bit more weight so as not to be the guy whos line is always in somebodys way.
  With few others around and using little weight its nice to be able to make a bit of an upstream cast with a couple of tends and work the pool nicely- but that aint always the case when it gets crowded- Bovine time. lol.

I hate bein a bridge fisherman Clint but some of those pools are Ok in Winter. Specially when ya dont feel like breaking trail.

I hear you Trevor.  During the winter you can usually find some decent water somewhere at a very short walk and your not huffin and puffin when you get there.
 
  If you want solitude take a walk.  It all depends on your mood and how much time you got.  At this point in time I prefer to give myself the best odds to hook up.  If there are a few folks around as long as their somewhat civil I'm good.