Floating Pinfry

With the daylight hours getting shorter it is time to turn our attention to the lakes and the annual battle of wits with smelters.

The textbook scenario of large fish crashing through schools of baitfish on the surface is exciting, but unfortunately not always the norm. More often it’s a random swirl, or the odd jumping baitfish that gives away activity further beneath the surface.

This activity during the cooler months is caused by trout chasing adult smelt. Up to 10 cm in length they can gather in large schools and are a prime food source while insect activity is at a low. The usual large wet-fly patterns, stripped through areas the fish are active in, will find some action for those braving the elements during winter. Come spring, however, things change. The larger wets lose their effectiveness and the appearance of a few insects has us second guessing our fly choice.

Quieter rises around weedbeds or ripple lines could be stonefly or midge feeders. While both are a possibility, don’t give up on the smelt too quickly. Towards the end of winter the smelt spawn, and by spring there are increasing numbers of young smelt, or pinfry — nothing more than a pair of eyes with a hint of a body, and small enough to be at the mercy of the currents. They are concentrated by the wind, finding respite in weedy bays or the leeward side of shoreline features.

Schools of small redfin perch are often the first to key in to them. Charging through the pinfry their boisterous activity is hard to miss. A quick cast turns up the predicted three-inch redfin, and with suspicions confirmed you move on, often missing the quieter action further out. Whether injured from earlier attacks, or simply succumbing to exhaustion, many pinfry drift off downwind from these areas. Floating just below the surface, it is these that the trout key into.

A floating pinfry is my preferred pattern for these situations. Having the fly sit in a head-up attitude just below the surface seems to be key — a pinfry emerger of sorts. This pattern is a slight variation of Steve Cullen’s pinfry. There are a few floating minnow patterns around but many are too bulky. I prefer the minimalist look of Steve’s pattern, which highlights the key features of these small baitfish (and other juvenile fish including redfin perch fry).

The most successful technique is to do very little; cast out where you have seen fish moving and just let the pattern drift. If you can see the trout, lead them by quite a way, so they come across the fly rather than sense it landing. A small twitch as they approach can grab their attention if they veer off course. However, regular twitches, or a retrieve, results in follows but rarely takes.

While not a difficult fly to tie, the tricky bit is keeping the finished pattern nice and slim. To begin, trim the end of your foam cylinder to 45- degrees and tie down firmly behind the hook eye. Squash the rear of the foam with your fingers and tie it down as you lay a base of thread along the hook shank.

Now wind your thread three or four turns back towards the eye — this area will be used later. Tie in a length of pearl Mylar and continue your thread up the hook shank. Add a small drop of head cement to the shank and wrap the Mylar forward in overlapping turns. Three or four millimetres short of the eye, secure the pearl Mylar and trim. Replace with some red Mylar and continue to wrap up to the hook eye before tying off. Resist the temptation to add a coat of UV epoxy to the body as it adds too much weight.

Select a mallard flank feather and strip off about a centimetre of barbs. Stroking these out 90 degrees from the shaft before stripping them off will even the tips. Tie these in approximately twice the length of the hook- shank, taking care to keep them on top of the body.

Trim any excess behind the foam and form a small head with tying thread, then whip finish and trim your thread.

Reattach your thread at the rear of the body on those few wraps you left clear earlier. Then, holding the mallard barbs back along the top of the body, tie them down with a couple of wraps. Complete another whip finish, trim and add a drop of cement to secure it all.

To finish, add a small eye to either side of the head. I prefer small Mirage eyes as they stand out well in the water, however, if you prefer you can add a small drop of black varnish either side. A small drop of UV epoxy will help secure the eyes long term. They are a major feature of these tiny baitfish, so you do not want to be unknowingly fishing with an eyeless fly.

Takes on the floating pinfry can be anything from classic head and tail midge-type rises, to gentle, barely seen rises. On bright, calm days the fish can seem wary of the foam post — a pinfry tied with a CDC post can help deceive wary fish in these situations. Or leave the foam off altogether and suspend the fly a few inches below another floating pinfry.

Not all rising fish in early spring will be on pinfry — midges and small stoneflies are still on the menu. But when the usual patterns are drawing a blank, it’s worth remembering pinfry and having a pattern or two tucked away to try.