Nancy Creek Fishing

Conventonal:

We recommend using a ultralight power rod (5'-6') with a size 500 or 750 reel spooled with 4-6 lb. monofilament line. A 4lb. fluorocarbon leader tied to the mainline with a double uni or surgeons knot will do the trick. At the end of this, you can also add a small snap to speed up lure changes.

 

Small crankbaits and topwater lures have proven to take fish. Here are some examples of these kinds of lures:

• Rapala X-Rap

• Rapala Original

• Rebel Crickhopper

• Strike King Bitsy Minnow

• Rebel Crawfish Crank

• Rapala Countdown Minnow

 

Others Lures that catch fish are:

• Beetle spins

• Small jigs

• Rooster Tails

• Zoom Worms Texas rigged

• Live bait rigs for small catfish and brim

 

 

Recommended  Rigs

 

For casting leaders we attach a foot and a half of 4lb. fluorocarbon line with the double uni and possibly an added snap on the front to speed up changes in lure changes.

 

 

 

To catch bass, use an 1/0 or 2/0 EWG hook and either texas rig or carolina rig your soft bait with a weight no larger the 1/4 oz...or for an ultalight approach, you may choose to go weightless 

 

Other Tips

 

One of the most important things to remember while fishing a small creek like nancy creek, is that the fish will be able to see you sometimes long before you see them. This will turn away most bass before you even have a chance to start fishing for them. A way to avoid this is to fish when the water is a little bit murky (a day or two after it has rained hard) or to use stealth when approaching the stream. Also, after catching a few fish in one spot, and the fishing is beginning to slow down, move on to another spot, because the current spot has been fished out for the time being and needs to "cool down."

 

 

Cane and Fly Techniques

 

Other equipment used in Nancy Creek are cane poles and fly rods. The basic fly rod setup for Nancy Creek is a 3-5wt. rod with floating line. Rods ranging from 7.5' to 9' are preffered. I fish a 4-weight Temple Fork Outfitters BVK with an Okuma Sierra reel spooled with weight foward Rio Avid Line  (Double tapered line will work just as well, because the creek is very small and long casts will be rare). I also use a furled leader by Cutthroat leaders with 4x tippet, but tapered leaders in either 4x or 5x are also solid choices. The 4-weight fly rod is mainly a tool for bringing in masses of sunfish with the occasional bass. 

 

Recommended Fly Patterns Include:

• Rainbow Warrior nymps

• Beadhead Prince nymphs

• Brassie nymphs

• Woolly Buggers

• Clouser Minnows

• Stayner's Ducktail Streamer

• Any small crayfish immitation

• grasshopper imitations

• sunfish poppers or sliders

 

The best bet for sunfish would be any small shiny nymphs such as the rainbow warrior. These nymphs should be brought through areas of cover with short quick strips of the line much like the action used for streamers. For bass, the Stayner Ducktail is a prime choice. Although hard to find, they are very effective when used correctly. I have brought a stayner ducktail in front of many bass in Nancy Creek, and have never seen one hold back.  this fly is similar to a spoon and wobbles on the retreive. This fly can be used on the 4-weight, but may be found to be more effective on longer casts with a 5-weight. 

 

Cane rods offer another unique opportunity while fishing in Nancy Creek. Homemade rods and store-bought rods will both work equally well. These rods can be used with a jig or live bait under a float and drifted over productive areas.

 

Tenkara is also a valid fishing techique for Nancy Creek. I have yet to try Tenkara in the Creek so more info will come later, but to fish tenkara you should use similar flies as mentioned in the fly fishing section. You should try to drift over slightly faster moving water and aim to catch silverjaw minnows or redbreast sunfish.

 

Useful Gear for a Day on the Water: