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Post 11 Aug 2021, 10:35 • #1 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/23/08
Posts: 944
Location: US-MT
I wanted to tack this on as a comment to the Sockeye Shiner thread below but the comment period had already timed out. Maybe it is better off as its own thread anyway.

I'm on a roll with micro-streamers right now.
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Bill Blackburn (Bozeman Mt bamboo rod maker at https://blackburnbamboorods.com) first brought micro-streamers to my attention, almost a decade ago. The more I fish them the more I like them. I also think I figured something out this summer.

Micro-streamers are particularly effective during afternoon slow fishing periods on spring creeks. Why would that be? Spring creeks are nursery areas for small fish. A huge amount of spawning happens each year, spring and fall, in the spring creeks.

So there are a lot of small fish. Most people think about mayfly hatches and dimpling pods of fish on spring creeks. But in the late afternoons when the hatches are done catching a fish on a tiny nymph or mayfly can become almost impossible. In late summer when all but the Fall Baetis hatches are done for the year it gets even harder.

Maybe slow late season fishing with small flies happens that way because of a hidden cost benefit ratio. Here's a hypothetical argument. Fish rising to tiny insects only makes sense when there are a lot of them. Rising to the occasional semi-random mayfly nymph doesn't make biological sense. Fish need a constant stream of small insects to make it worth their while.

Tiny minnows are another story. Even a 3/4" inch long fry has an order of magnitude more protein than a mayfly.

The proof is in the pudding. I've had so many banner days fishing micro-streamers on late afternoon spring creeks--when everybody else was popping champagne over one or two fish--I now know something is going on. If the above isn't the right explanation, something else is.

Here's one of the Bill Blackburn flies that got me going on this subject:
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Finally. There was an Fly Tyer or American Angler magazine article, maybe 15 or 20 years ago, about mini streamers. Does anybody know who the author was? Magazine date?


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Post 12 Aug 2021, 15:01 • #2 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/21/06
Posts: 3080
Location: Orygun
I distinctly remember that article, but alas, I haven't the slightest clue who wrote it. Although back then there weren't all that many authors who got into those handful of magazines, so Dave Whitlock maybe?


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Post 12 Aug 2021, 15:44 • #3 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 03/30/09
Posts: 1525
Location: Hamilton,Ontario,Canada
These small craft fur streamers work very well.The day I was using these these crappie were hammering them.These may be about the easiest small streamer to tie there is.


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Post 12 Aug 2021, 17:57 • #4 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/23/08
Posts: 944
Location: US-MT
I like those craft fur streamers. I'm trying to make one step up from egg sack fry. Maybe one inch long. I've been fishing them for years. I just got this new idea the other day, about our local spring creeks being particularly full of fry. The amount of spawning in the creeks is amazing. They are trout nurseries. Tons of fry are natural in the creek and almost nobody is targeting them. Or targeting bigger fish by imitating tiny tiny fry minnows. Even though they are there.

Once the morning hatches are over most guys go home or fish with beetles, tiny letort hoppes or pheasant tail nymphs. I don't see nobody fishing across and down with micro streamers. I do it and it works. So does Bill for that matter. I'm sure there are others but it isn't something that has bubbled up to "popular" yet.


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Post 13 Aug 2021, 06:24 • #5 
Guide
Joined: 08/19/16
Posts: 314
Location: Brazil
While it may not be exactly the article referred to, here is an interesting one.

https://globalflyfisher.com/front-page- ... -streamers


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Post 13 Aug 2021, 14:16 • #6 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/02/16
Posts: 515
Location: Georgia
Micro streamer seems like a great idea for spring creek trout. I like your out of the box approach. With the micro streamer, do you use long the same leader/tippet setup you’d use for dry flies on spring creeks, or are you able to get shorter and heavier on your leader/tippet with the micro streamer? I imagine flouro leaders could be useful with micro streamers.


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Post 13 Aug 2021, 15:08 • #7 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 02/27/16
Posts: 2327
Location: US-IL
I tie tiny marabou clouser cat whisker type streamers for ponds etc and the fall stocked trout in bright colors.Some bead chain a little flash and some little wisps of marabou.Bulldog recommends fox for cat whiskers for durability.I tie some as small as 16s.


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Post 14 Aug 2021, 10:52 • #8 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/23/08
Posts: 944
Location: US-MT
Do I use a long leader? I use a 6wt rod a lot, even on spring creeks. I can toss giant streamers or itty bitties all with one rig. My leaders start off at 40lb so I can use it short and cast bananas if I have to. Or I can add tippet all the way out to 5x. I never (ever) use lighter than 5x. I do just fine on spring creeks with 5x and small flies. And that way I don't lose the occasional big one.

When I guided on the spring creeks I rigged all my customers with 5x and never said anything. They seldom lost flies and I got a lot of good tips at the end of the day. If you stare at drifting spring creek water it is awash in weed fragments that look a lot like leader tippet salad. I'm an outlier I know. But I don't buy the need for 6x. I actively dislike 7x. Among other things 7x creates too many tired, stressed out fish--because 7xers learn to spend all day bringing 7x fish to the net.

When casting micro streamers across and down in relatively smooth spring creek water I do like a long leader. Often as much as 12' feet. But maybe only 7' feet because me as a lazy sob is a factor at times too.


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Post 14 Aug 2021, 19:29 • #9 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 12/31/15
Posts: 1238
Location: Northern Rockies
Very nice. I like these a lot. I often think that many soft hackles and wet flies, especially the ones with wings, look like small fry or baitfish in the water. It's a good argument for them as well.


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Post 15 Aug 2021, 07:08 • #10 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/23/08
Posts: 944
Location: US-MT
Yes small wet flies with wings are streamers anyway.

In North Central Montana is a beautiful spring creek that drains into the Judith River breaks. Public access is limited but there is some. It holds roughly equal numbers of rainbows and smallmouth bass. If you fish a small wet fly upstream and dead drift it you catch mostly rainbows. If you fish down and across you catch mostly bass. The rainbows you do catch while fishing across and down are bigger than the ones you catch on an upstream dead drift. Which is interesting.

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