Going to run the risk of sounding like an idiot...

I got an idea! But y'all stick with me on this one, it will sound weird.

Question:
Flyfishing where I'm at (the swamps) isn't always feasible because of the overhead brush, but has anyone tried connecting a length of flyfishing line to the end of a plain old rod/reel line? (someone correct my terminology please...)

If it works, it could expand one's options in what/where one could catch something such as if water's too shallow for float fishing.

Background:
Used to carry a 2 piece rod/reel strapped to my backpack when I went off backpacking. It did ok sometimes supplementing my pack food when I was lucky enough to catch something.

My "favorite" was spending 1 hour looking for grubs/worms to use for bait and only caught a little brim. Water was too shallow to have anything else in it. Almost threw him back because he was so small, and decided that I worked over an hour for him and I was going to be damned if I was going to give him up... he was a tasty appetizer...

I am curious what you are trying to achieve by attaching the fly fishing line to the end of the monofilament line.

Just an FYI, fly fisherman usually attach a leader of monofilament line to the end of the fly fishing line.

Are you trying to get the bait to float?

Exactly!!

The only thing I know about flyfishing is what I've watched on TV so I presume the fly is floating on the surface.

I (admittedly inexperienced) was wondering if there is a way to combine the two so that one only has to carry one rod/reel but able to make use of both techniques depending on the conditions.

Thanks for the info on the use of a monofilament leader. I was just Googling the subject and was a tad confused.

If the goal is to be able to use a spinning or conventional casting outfit with floating flies, then just get a couple casting bubbles. These can be used much like a bobber or filled with various amounts of water for weight to allow longer casts. Attach plain mono or fly leader, and use leader floatant solution as desired to keep the line/leader/fly floating.

There are also lots of poles that can be switched over to fly fishing. Often you can find convertible outfits sold as travel kits that readily allow use of two kinds of reels, etcetera.

Flyfishing is about way more than dry / surface flies, by the way.

You can use floating flies with casting line, by putting a float/bobber a few feet ahead of the fly. This will keep the weight of the line from pulling a small fly under water. It will also give you some weight to cast. To get the last length of line to float, you can dress it with flyline dressing(wax) this will help keep things above the water too.

Here is a link to an appropriate float for the mission:

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templa...rset=ISO-8859-1

I would go with the clear model.

Good luck!

If you're not casting very far, you can cast a large fly with an ultralight spinning reel and rod.

I've done it, it's just not as efficient as an actual fly rod.

Fly fishing (as seen on TV) uses the weight of the line itself to enable the cast. They even have a bit of weight bias so that the line is heavier per inch near the cast end than in the middle.

Fly lines are made as either floating (most of them) or sinking so as to have options on how to fish.

I think the casting bubble and some flies is the way to go for the situation described. Oh, and some fly floatant to ensure the fly really does float when it gets to the water on the cast. Unless of course you are fishing with a subsurface fly....

Maybe you just want to try dapping.
You use a long pole with your line tied on the end and drop the fly onto the water and drag it about like you were operating a crane.
It is just like fishing with a long pole but you have a fly on your line instead of a cricket or worm.

Dapping PDF
http://www.fish.state.pa.us/anglerboater/2004/jf04web/fieldguide.pdf

I knew that y'all would have the answers.

Thank you!!!

That's what I like about ETS, I can ask a seemingly dumb question and get honest answers without being shot down...

I didn't know about the little clear floats y'all were talking about. I'll have to go play with them!

Thanks!

It isn't an extensive fishing rig and I never depended on it for food but I got a few nice meals out of a simple fishing kit made up of a tin can with a large cork stuffed in one end. Around this I wrapped some light line. Typically braided polyester because it doesn't coil up like mono. Inside I carried a mix set of split shot, a variety of hooks, a small float, and various artificial baits.

Usually a couple of plastic worms, small crank baits, and, the main fish getter, small feather tailed 'poppers' in bright colors. I tried using a monofilament leader but it added complexity and didn't seem to get me more fish. If I used the plastic worms more going after bass it might have helped but handlining from shore for pan fish it didn't make any difference.

Camping in scrub brush and around swamps I would usually unwind maybe ten feet of line, crimp on a couple of split shot and tie on a popper. Just tossing this from shore and working the popper with short jerks I could often pull in pan fish about as fast as I could pull the line in.

I would sometimes cut a light dead fall wood or bamboo pole and tie the line on it, A good way to catch a nap without people thinking your lazy. My walking stick made a decent pole.

I figure the kit cost maybe $15 or $20 new.

Cool idea Art.

I tend to make things a helluva lot more complicated than they need to be... just ask my wife.

bank poles are a great way to spread more luck around. saplings are great for it. the idea is to acquire a pole. an overhanging limb, sapling, cut sapling, tree, whatever and tie a line to it. hook and bait in the water a little bit, wait. the springy sapling sets the hook. i have used a sapling tied to the trunk of a convenient tree. if you have enough line and hooks, you can fish several places at once. the downside if that you can lose a lot of bait and use up your supply of hooks. Snapping turtles love to get mine.

trot-lines work a lot he same. find a hole that you can stretch a line across. tie to a solid object. every 4 feet tie a hook with 2 feet of line (so it doesn't tangle). walk around around tieing hooks on and baiting until you reach the other side. tie off your other end.

Legal: In MO you have to put your name, phone number, address on each, and its regulated how many you can have.