fishing wet flies

[gizmo]

has anyone tried the system and flies that the wet fly waterguides use on the yough river ?

 

[jayL]

Can you give a little detail? These techniques have a way of popping up repeatedly over time. There's only so many ways to skin a cat. If you describe it a bit, I am sure someone can offer something of value.

 

[Fishidiot]

Hi gizmo. Welcome to the PAFF forum. I'm not familiar with the method you're referring to. We have some regular posters who fish the Yough frequently and maybe they can answer your question.

 

[beadhead2]

I think this is what gizmo was referring to
http://www.wetflywaterguides.com/

 

[pcray1231]

Looks like simple, classic swinging wets. They may have some unique intracacies, but as far as the jist of their method, I'm sure every one of us has done it.

What do you want to know about it?

 

[JackM]

The website banner says: "Specializing in the Classic Art of Wet Fly Fishing" (emphasis added).

Talk to Shakey. If he's anything, he is classic.

 

[gfen]

You can really fish them anyway you want, and any way that works.

First, you've got up-and-across. Cast up stream, and let the flies drift back towards you. Keep the line off the water and taut enough you can watch it jump if there's a take.

Next, you can do across, or greased line. Cast it across the stream, and consistent mending will keep the fly floating in a dead drift along with the current. At the end of the drift, it will begin to swing across stream, either pick up and recast or practice a third, and oldest style, of wet fly fishing.

Down-and-across. If you didn't do the greased linet hing into a swing, you can just start down-and-across presentations. Aim 45o downstream, and cast. Mend as neccessary, and as you let the drift end, the flies will begin to swing across the stream in a neat little arc. Watch for takes on the swing.

Consider letting the fly dangle at the end of the drift, and/or ending with a nice gentle lift to sweep it off bottom. You can also pulse the rod during the drift to give the fly m ore life.

Up stream presentations tend to favour things like soft hackles or spiders. Down stream presentations tend to favour winged flies as the swing will plaster back the soft hackles rendering it movement free, thus lifeless and boring.

Try hanging one off a dry fly for a good indicator, if you use a bushy skater style fly, you can let it swing across current and draw strikes as if it were a stone or caddis low to the stream dropping eggs.

You can also fisht he wets with floatant in the film, directly to rising fish, or just about anyway you want.

 

[beadhead2]

Most of the flies they tie and use are soft hackles with a wing
We had them at our TU meeting one time ,preety good presentation

 

[gfen]

Alot of people own and recommend Dave Hughes' Wet Flies as an ideal book.

 

[MattBoyer]

Did I read the article in the PG on their website right? 26lb test dropper line? Dang, that's some serious business.

Boyer

 

[pete41]

didn't know you had tarpon up there-26 pounds lol

 

[gfen]

I guess Pittsburgh area trouts ain't leader shy.

 

[pcray1231]

I guess Pittsburgh area trouts ain't leader shy.

They aren't in SE PA either. I don't fish wets that much, except during bumper caddis hatches. Last year I fished the Tully in such a situation, with a team of wets. Had droppers up to 0.017" of my leader butt, which according to Maxima's website, equates to 20 lb test, and caught fish.

Purpose for the heavy dropper is the material has to be stiff enough so the dropper doesn't wrap around the leader.

These fish were never line shy, only drag shy, and with wets I'm swinging them on a tight line and lots of weight, so you're intentionally incorporating drag anyway.

 

[gfen]

I really need to work on leader construction this year. When I use a cast of flies, I don't use droppers correctly, I just tie everything inline. At best, out of laziness, I'll put a triple surgeon's loop into the line and leave the dropper on the end of a 3" loop.

 

[pcray1231]

Just leave a long tag end on the blood knots. Make sure the tag end you leave is the thicker of the two lines. The dropper HAS to be stiffer than the line below it, or it'll just wrap. And no reason to go above, say, 3x at the business end..

 

[goodfortune]

pcray1231 wrote:

I guess Pittsburgh area trouts ain't leader shy.

They aren't in SE PA either. I don't fish wets that much, except during bumper caddis hatches. Last year I fished the Tully in such a situation, with a team of wets. Had droppers up to 0.017" of my leader butt, which according to Maxima's website, equates to 20 lb test, and caught fish.

Purpose for the heavy dropper is the material has to be stiff enough so the dropper doesn't wrap around the leader.

These fish were never line shy, only drag shy, and with wets I'm swinging them on a tight line and lots of weight, so you're intentionally incorporating drag anyway.

I have found that the strikes on swinging wet flies can sometimes be aggressive, so it helps to have heavier tippet to prevent break-offs. I've used mostly 3X or 4X while swinging wets, but I'll try going with heavier tippet then next time I do.

 

[gfen]

pcray1231 wrote:
Just leave a long tag end on the blood knots. Make sure the tag end you leave is the thicker of the two lines. The dropper HAS to be stiffer than the line below it, or it'll just wrap. And no reason to go above, say, 3x at the business end..

No blood knots here. Furled butts to surgeon knotted tippet bits. Doing a cinch knot above surgeon's knots, or cinching onto surgeon's loops would probably work quite well.

LIke I said, I need to get serious about leaders. Perhaps that'll be this year. I've finally begun to reach a point where long leaders are becoming easier for me, and I'm starting to internally codify my leader building rather than being so haphazard.

 

[pcray1231]

I've used mostly 3X or 4X while swinging wets

Oh, don't get me wrong, my tippet at the end is usually 2x or 3x. It's just that I string flies up along the leader, so each successive one as you go up is on heavier and heavier droppers, and the ones near the top are on some pretty hefty line. I've used 5 flies at a time before, though I should have checked regulations before posting that publicly.

I'm no expert at this, not my typical way of fishing. I just use a ton of weight on the end, like 2 or 3 bb sized spinfisher shot, and swing them with a tight line like a spinfisher would drift an egg or minnie. You got wet flies down deep on the end, and higher in the water column as you go up the leader.

A nightmare to set up the leader. But once your goin, it's an easy and enjoyable way to fish and cover water. Cast straight out, let it swing down around against the tension of the line. Take one step downstream as you let it hang out there. Repeat.

Seems to work, at times at least...

 

[bikerfish]

I swing wets on a regular basis, especially when nothing else is happening, I find it more enjoyable than short line nymphing. I usually have pretty good luck at it. I just use some soft hackles, 3 different colors, maybe an olive, a cream, and a dark brown or black. it's a good way to cover alot of water. it can be very productive when a hatch starts and the fish are feeding on emergers. then I'll change to all one color and try to match what's coming off, unless I get impatient and just tie on a dry!