Dry Fly Question

[HBGMarine]

For the past 3 years I've fished exclusively sub-surface with nymphs, wets, and streamers but this year I want to start fishing with dry flys. Out of the 3 times I've tried to use them this year I have caught 0 fish and only got my first take this past weekend. Sunday I observed a brown working the edge of a pool on Clarks so I tied on a beetle and started casting to it. The first two casts it followed so closely it was practically on it's nose, then on the third cast it swam over and immediately took the fly. I was so amazed/excited that I forgot to set the hook and it spit my beetle out. I know one problem I'm having is getting a drag free drift without mending the line 3-4 times but other than that I'm stumped. Is there a particular way they should be casted (i.e. quartering upstream, quartering downstream)? Any other advice on dries would be greatly appreciated!

 

[MKern]

My advice, and this goes for any kind of casting, is do whatever it takes to get the fly there. Every situation is different and each calls for their owns technique. For dries, I do very little searching, but if I do I do so in the best possible lies and drag free. This often takes many mends (taking line from faster current and placing it into the slower current) over and over; and feeding line (placing slack line into the faster current). I do a lot of feeding line. Also keeping as much line off the water as possible without moving the fly helps.

The biggest thing I look at is if my fly is moving the same speed or slower than the bubbles/foam. Also in the same direction.

The first thing I tell someone after I teach them to cast properly is, "Remember all that stuff I told you not to do. Well forget it becuase most of those funky casts are types of 'trick' cast."

 

[pcray1231]

Well, congrats on the dry fly game. While I'll be the first to admit subsurface is often more productive, you gotta admit dries are more fun. And I think learning to get the drag free drift will help your subsurface game too, especially nymphs, as the angles and such are often the same.

A couple of things. First, the cast. There's several ways to help with drag.

1. When possible, fishing upstream is often the best approach. You want to be in the same current line as the fly if possible (not always possible). One of the hardest things to do is fish in slow water across a fast current seam. Until you get good at it, move yourself to avoid that situation.

2. If you do have to go across the current, I try to throw a big mend in it before the fly hits the water, a reach cast if you will.

3. Another trick for casting across currents. If there's a log or a rock or something, cast right over top and let it be an anchor point for your line beyond the current.

4. I often aim for a spot above the water. Let the line and leader straighten, and "shock" it in mid air. When it begins to recoil, drop the rod tip, and the fly hits the water with some slack.

I think more than anything though, adjust you're leader. Softer tippet material, longer tippet. Remember, its ok, even preferable, if the leader piles up a bit....

 

[mxracer846]

I fished Clark's for the first time on Sunday evening. I tried some sulphers and finally they took a Blue Winged Olive. I caught 3. I fished them downstream, shocked the line and fed line to get the longest drift possible. The fish in Clark's are spooky in the clear water. I also had a hard time with the overhanging trees. They can be very frustrating.

 

[HBGMarine]

mxracer846 - you are dead on with the fish being spooky at Clarks. I was there on Sunday and every fish I saw after 10:30am was either hugging the bottom and not moving for anything or would take off upstream at the slightest disturbance. I'm usually 50/50 with that stream. Either I slam them all day or I can't buy a bite.

 

[Acristickid]

HMarine- I am similar to you in the way I am more experienced and perhaps confident in using nymphs and wets. Most of my buddies nymph- unless there is a good rise on, of course. Maybe it is just the way I learned or you know the 80% rule- feeding is done under or you just plain like it.

Posted not to long ago that I have planed to focus more on getting better at dry fly fishing this year. So your topic is interesting to me.

There is no question that good casting will help in getting the fly where it needs to be. I am far from perfect caster but I can usually get my fly where it needs to be-I might have put the fish down because of the previous 3 casts but can usually get it there. There's a challenge for me.

That said- I have seen people (with witnesses that have agreed) that are absolutely terrible at casting but through their own stlye and perserverence hooked into and landed just as many as trout as more experienced folks. So much for casting sometimes- especially if it's close casts. Most of mine are within 25 feet.

Guess what I am trying to say is that casting can be overcome and improved (I know this from my recent experience).


Presentation was of more interest to me- the good part.

Try downstream drifts or quarter downstream- wont spook fish as easy,less drag. This has been very effective for me so far.

Also- try a reach cast as you finish your cast. I wont try to explain that one- maybe someone else can more succintly. In addtion; also might try tugging your leader back near the end of your cast to kinda "check" cast to create slack on the water. A leader that worked for me last summer was the Harvey slack leader- although my sample size of leaders was small it worked great for a trico hatch.

Good luck.

Tight loops and Drag Free Drift. If you said two things to an angler that were true- these could be it.

 

[pcray1231]

Acristic,

My interpretation of the "reach cast" is simply to throw a mend, or a big curve, into the cast, so that the majority of the fly line is upstream of the fish. It's almost soley used when you have to fish across the current, rather than upstream. You're tippet is then flowing towards the fly, and doesn't pull it. You simply reach in the direction you want the fly line to go right before anything hits the surface. It does require a soft cast with an open loop because you need slack fly line, kind of a dump cast.

I'm a right handed caster, and I do fine with it when reaching to my left (current flowing from left to right). I have more trouble from the other side for some reason.

 

[jayL]

I have trouble doing the reach cast well, but have found that casting well upstream of a rising fish, then feeding line out into a big downstream curve works well. I essentially toss it out a few feet at a time with an underhand motion. This is also great for drifting flies into back corners of pools and around obstacles.

There's one pool on spring creek where this is essentially the only way to get the fly over fish, at least for a lefty.

 

[flybop]

As someone has said, every situation is different, as is every cast to every fish. Sometimes an up and across cast is better, sometimes a down and across cast is better. At times a straight upstream cast with a curve is the way to go. This is what makes this game fun. One way to get some casting practice is to stay at a spot and continue to make casts to cover a fish even after you put the fish down. This way you can learn to present your fly in a given situation and really get the feel for what you need to do. You may even be surprised to find how much easier it is to get the cast right after the fish is gone.

Often if you are casting to slow water over faster water it can be helpful to get slightly above the fish and throw a reach cast. When you take this approach you will have more of your fly line farther upstream of the fish. The result will be a better chance of a longer drag free drift. Also, in moving water with some surface texture you really do not need to land your fly more than a couple feet above the fish. One very common problem I see is guys trying to get a ten foot or longer drift with a dry fly before it reaches the fish. If you are targeting a specific fish go for a couple foot drift.

One part of dry fly fishing that is very, very important is the leader. If you try to make your nymph leader work as a dry fly leader you will have some problems. Generally dry fly leaders are longer and have a finer tippet. Having said that, if you have trouble turning a longer leader over it may help to gradually shorten the tippet until your fly turns over better.

Clarks is a great little stream. When I was in college I spent far too much time there. That is where I seriously began to work on my dry fly presentation. If you get good at casting on a stream like Clarks you will have an edge on guys that only fish bigger water.

 

[pafisherman]

I am in no way a purist but fish dry flies almost all the time from late spring until late fall. Many here are probably better at in then I am but a couple things I will add to what has been said. I was actually on Clarks last Sunday morning also and caught 7 or 8 mostly on foam beetles. In my opinion for dry fly fishing I would always fish a stream like Clarks upstream. I find it very difficult to be stealthy working downstream. Also something I did not see mentioned is the position on the stream as you approach the spot you want to fish. On Clarks you can generally get an idea of the best spots that fish will be holding so I approach that area from the best place to cast from. I then carefully work my casts from the bottom up.... Also although not casting related...when I fish Clarks I leave my light colored hats & bright shirts at home...
Bill A