Innovative Techniques from UK Stillwater Anglers

  I feel that European stillwater anglers are far more sophisticated in their approach to stillwater trout fishing and have studied it in more detail than most North American lake anglers. As a result, they use some techniques that are unlike what you see on most trout lakes and ponds in North America and both the flies and methods they use are worth experimenting with. My guest this week, Chad Critchley [48:21], is a guide and stillwater angler (and a lapsed competition angler) who shares some of these methods with us.   In the Fly Box this week, we have these questions and more:

• How should I retrieve Woolly Buggers for bass and panfish?
• My knots to my flies are always slipping.  What am I doing wrong?
• Do you have any tips on fishing larger rivers?
• Any reason, when fishing a popper/drop[per rig for bass, that I can't tie my popper on a separate dropper instead of tying to the bend of the popper hook?
• If daytime water temperatures are around 70 but night time temperatures when I fish are 65 degrees, do you think it's safe to fish for trout?
• Why don't fly anglers use braided line for tippet—it's very supple.
• Do you take fly tying materials with you on a fishing trip?  How do you decide whether to take them or not?
• We saw huge schools of striped bass on a flat but they would not take any fly we presented to them.  Do you have any tips?
• How do you recommend I clean my polarized sunglasses, and what to you recommend to keep them from fogging up?
• What kind of mayfly spinner patterns should I carry in the Northeast?
• What is the best way to keep trout hooked when fishing downstream with wet flies?
• I am young but I still have trouble seeing small dry flies on the water.  What tips do you have for seeing them?