High Energy VII – Blind Fishing

Blind Fishing High Energy Potential Flies

I did not fish blind for more than a decade, partly because I like to see a fish before I start casting, and partly because I started hunting pheasants and quail in the winter, which was when I would fish blind. I would wait until I had a sunny day to fish, and had the flexibility with work to wait for the good days.

Before I got dogs and started hunting all winter I fished blind a lot with a Leech. I used it mainly in Lake Tutira, the only real winter fishery in Hawke’s Bay. Fishing blind meant I could not be as precise with my presentation as I could when I was casting to sighted fish but I still caught a lot of fish.

The most successful retrieve when fishing blind with the Leech was always a figure of eight retrieve. This let me stay in contact with the fly at all times, and meant I did not miss takes at the end of a strip when I had let go of the fly line and was reaching forward to make the next strip.

If I am going to fish a Madam X blind in water where I know there are fish but I cannot see them, I will tie in a white pylon on the back of the fly when I am tying in the legs. This makes the fly more visible, and does not seem to put off the fish.