How to fish the Sunray Shadow

[ar]

I am up to the Spey for the first time in early May and have tied up some of these flies. I have a couple of questions regarding them. Hope some can help.

First, how do you fish them? I understand the simple answer is square and stripped but does it have to be on a floater or are they fished at all depths? How fast should they be stripped? As fast as you can? Does that depend on water conditions? Do you vary speed according to water temp?

Second, should they be fished directly above known holding spots or do you fish them some way in front? Will fish move for one of these more than for a conventional fly?

Third, how long a wing do you tie and what dictates the size of wing that you fish with? I have some goat hair that runs to best part of 10 inches. Is that too long? Does the cold water = large fly, warm water = smaller fly rule apply here?

Finally (and this is perhaps a more generic question) I realise that trebles are increasingly becoming frowned upon for tubes so do people find much difference between the hooking effectiveness of a double and a single hook?

Thanks in advance for all your replies. I am mindful of Springer's recent exhortation for more members to post but as my salmon fishing experience is so limited, I have little to contribute other than questions!

[williegunn]

ar said:

First, how do you fish them? I understand the simple answer is square and stripped but does it have to be on a floater or are they fished at all depths? How fast should they be stripped? As fast as you can? Does that depend on water conditions? Do you vary speed according to water temp?

Whack it it and pull it back, on a conventional fly line you will soon get tired. In the spring I fish them on a sinker/ intermediate, in the summer a floater.

ar said:

Second, should they be fished directly above known holding spots or do you fish them some way in front? Will fish move for one of these more than for a conventional fly?

No cover the whole pool

ar said:

Third, how long a wing do you tie and what dictates the size of wing that you fish with? I have some goat hair that runs to best part of 10 inches. Is that too long? Does the cold water = large fly, warm water = smaller fly rule apply here?

Any size you like from 3" to 9" No rules apply just how I feel. The fish soon shorten the wing.

ar said:

Finally (and this is perhaps a more generic question) I realise that trebles are increasingly becoming frowned upon for tubes so do people find much difference between the hooking effectiveness of a double and a single hook?

The Spey Board ask for doubles rather than trebles. A treble tends to cause the tail to wrap; a single or double hooks well.

[ar]

Thanks Willie. Perfect.

[salar76]

To my mind there are 2 main ways of fishing it; in or around the surface or as a 'sunk lure'.

When fishing conventionally with a floating line stripping, as outlined by WG, is quite common - especially with the bigger sunrays. Something else, that is probably practised abroad more than here and is hugely successful, is hitching the fly / tube. This makes the fly skate across the water creating a 'v'. Line control allows you to control the speed of the fly well and explosive takes are common. Often the fish will miss, so next cast you should either speed the fly or slow it down, which will often result in a hook up. Dibbling necks of pools and around rocks is always worth a go too.

Something I've not heard so much about but has given me a lot of action in colder water is fishing them deep on a sunk line. Shooting heads are great for this as it is very easy to vary the speed from very fast to very slow. Also you can fish the margins very effectively as you retrieve the head back on the last part of the cast.