Today on the Littoral Zone Podcast, Phil Rowley and accomplished competition fly fisher Loren Williams are going to have an in-depth discussion on eastern lakes, and what makes them slightly different than western stillwaters that many of you may be familiar with.
This is your chance to learn from the best, as Loren shares his experiences and expertise, including the gear, flies, and tactics he employs for successful stillwater fly fishing.
Show Notes with Loren Williams on Strategies and Tactics for Eastern Stillwaters. Hit play below! 👇🏻
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(Read the Full Transcript at the bottom of this Blog Post)
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Episode Chapters with Loren Williams on Strategies and Tactics for Eastern Stillwaters
01:20 – Phil often gets asked about techniques, tactics, and flies for eastern stillwaters. So much so that after spending time in the east both fishing and providing stillwater schools, it is now one of his featured presentations for the eastern Fly Fishing Shows he presents at in Boston and New Jersey.
Listener Stillwater Question
02:51 – Today’s listener question is about the proper leader setup for fishing with an indicator.
03:20 – The leader Phil uses for the foundation of the indicator rigs is Rio’s Indicator Leader, either a 2X or 3X leader. It is a tapered leader with a short butt section and a level balance, allowing for a proper indicator presentation.
06:40 – The key to any indicator presentation is keeping the leader between the indicator and the fly.
Loren Williams’ Journey into Fly Fishing
07:00 – Loren has been fly fishing for almost 43 years now. He and his father spent most of their weekends fishing various native brook trout streams in various lakes in Pennsylvania.
10: 21 – Loren tells us how he got into competitive fly fishing. Loren recently participated in the World Masters Fly Fishing Championships in British Columbia. He and his fellow US teammates finished second overall and Loren finished in the top ten individually.
Eastern Stillwater vs Western Stillwater
25:00 – Loren sheds light on the distinctions of stillwater fishing in the eastern United States, emphasizing two key features:
- Fish in eastern lakes often don’t hold over as they do in the West, resulting in generally smaller sizes due to stocking at catchable sizes and a significant winter die-off.
- The prevalence of multi-species in eastern lakes, including warm water, cool water, and cold water species, adds complexity to fishing.
Loren’s Fly Fishing Gear Preferences
35:00 – Loren Williams favors 10-foot fly rods for stillwater fishing, emphasizing their advantages in executing the hang technique and keeping flies above the angler.
36:23 – When it comes to reels, he recommends those with cassette features for easy line changes due to the variety of lake lines he carries.
38:00 – Loren likes fishing with a floating line or midge tip, primarily using nymph or chironomid patterns with a hand twist retrieve.
51:00 – Loren walks us through his leader setups.
56:44 – According to Loren, the fly choices for Eastern Lakes are not significantly different from those in the West.
1:05:24 – Loren provides tips for tackling a new lake in the East. He emphasizes understanding the lake’s species composition, stocking history, and the size of the stocked fish.
1:10:00 – Loren tells us about the rubber band retrieve.
1:16:30 – Loren underscores the importance of dry fly fishing, noting that it might be an underappreciated aspect, especially in lake fishing.
Follow Loren on Instagram: @adiposefan
Facebook: @loren.williams.16
You can also email Loren: lorenwilliams595@gmail.com
Related Podcast Episodes
Read the Full Podcast Transcript Below
Conclusion with Loren Williams on Strategies and Tactics for Eastern Stillwaters
So there you have it, a deep dive into the world of stillwater fly fishing in the East with Phil Rowley and Loren Williams on the Littoral Zone Podcast.
Loren’s wealth of experience and insights, from tackling the unique challenges of Eastern lakes to his go-to gear and tactics, make this episode a must-listen for any fly fishing enthusiast.
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