Streamer fishing questions

[NRD]

I'm evolving a growing preference for streamer fishing, but not necessarily following most common practices, so I have a few questions:
1. How far do you cast?
2. How much of the cast do you retrieve?
3. Which portion of the retrieve is most productive, first half or last half?

 

[sarce]

Like most things in flyfishing the answers will vary but for me:
1. Rarely more than 30 ft but I tend to fish smaller water than most. Streamers are usually a murky water tactic for me so I am not worried about spooking fish. I like to get close so I can more easily manipulate the streamer exactly how I want it.
2. I cast angling slightly upstream, let it dead drift initially into the zone I think holds a fish, then retrieve across the current straight back to me. Give the fish a chance to hit it broadside.
3. Often fish hit on the initial drop or within the first couple strips of the retrieve. Occasionally one will follow from an unexpected location and pounce right as I'm pulling the streamer out of the water so you have to be ready at all times.

 

[NRD]

Question 3 was the most important, because I don't typically complete the last half of the retrieve. After measuring my line, I see that my most common cast is 22-23 ft. I then retrieve about half that using the rod tip only before recasting. I guess I'm not really coordinated enough to enjoy stripping line.

I can eek out another couple feet of cast if there is a pocket I really want to hit, but after that my casts break down. My rod is a 9'6wt Streamer X and the line is the Airflo Streamer Max Short Head. This setup is apparently optimized for throwing heavy articulated streamers.

I'm beginning to wonder if I would prefer something different for small articulated streamers and Wooly Buggers. It would be nice to reliably and easily achieve 30 ft casts.

 

[lycoflyfisher]

What type of leader are you running? With that setup you should be able to shoot 30 ft with minimal back cast.

 

[salmonoid]

I generally fish small streams and sometimes it is not even a cast of a line but more of a dap of a stream. I have dubbed it English Muffin fishing (hitting the nooks and crannies).

100% a believer in never giving up your retrieve... Finish the retrieve, as there have been times when a fish hits when I often am absentmindedly lifting the streamer out of the water. And then I have to kick myself and remind myself to finish the retrieve.

 

[Kms]

You may want to try jerk stripping: move the streamer a short distance (~1-2ft) with the rod tip and bring the rod back in position while stripping the slack, then repeat until the fly is so close that you need to recast. The technique yields short moves interspersed with brief pauses, and if you’re close enough and the water’s clear you can see fish chase it, which is a blast.

I’m not terribly well coordinated but you develop a rhythm. Being right handed it’s easier to do river right when casting upstream. Also big/heavy flies need heavier weight lines, so if a 6wt isn’t working maybe a 7wt or 8 wt would be easier. Or use smaller flies, lol.

 

[rustbeltwilds]

Its easy just try to mimic baitfish the best u can. If you ever fish jerkbaits. Swimbaits live minnows etc for stream trout this should be a easy transistion. DONT over complicate it. Hands on trial n error are always better then a vid or app

 

[Mikey2006]

Do NOT skip the last half of the retrieve lol. I can’t tell you how many fish I’ve had eat as I’m pulling it out of the water or just before.
As for what’s most productive, I’m not sure. It probably depends on the day. In my experience usually they either hit it in the first second or two, or they eat it at the very end of the cast. Probably a reaction/feeding bite type of thing.

 

[NRD]

What type of leader are you running? With that setup you should be able to shoot 30 ft with minimal back cast.

My leader is roughly 18" of 20 Lb followed by 24" of 10 Lb Maxima Ultragreen.
In my 10-12 foot retrieve, almost all the fish I hook are in the first 6'. I have yet to see one strike on the lift, so obviously, I need to spend more time at this. I'll put some more effort and thinking time into casting.

 

[PennKev]

I'm evolving a growing preference for streamer fishing, but not necessarily following most common practices, so I have a few questions:
1. How far do you cast?
2. How much of the cast do you retrieve?
3. Which portion of the retrieve is most productive, first half or last half?

1. However far is required but like all fishing, it works better/easier the closer you are.
2. At least half, but usually until I can clearly see the fly and am confident nothing is following it.
3.The first motion imparted on the fly. You'll either come tight to a fish that grabs on the initial drop or the fish will take when fly starts moving. But if the water looks good default to 2 and hope something follows the fly in. I've had fish rush 10ft or more from their lie and practically beach themselves when they decide to chase late in the retrieve.

Unsolicited advice related to 3: You can't make fish eat streamers that don't want to eat streamers. Once you cover every likely location with a couple casts move on to the next area. No matter how good a spot looks, in the long run you'll do much better if you keep moving. You'll either get strikes quickly or booger up the spot. If you aren't finding willing fish, move... ...and also consider changing some aspect of your approach/presentation.

 

[TimMurphy]

Dear NRD,

Two things I'd like to point out.

Your leader is far too short for effective streamer fishing in water with the clarity that is common right now.

Secondly. your ratio of butt section to tippet is reversed. Use 24" minimum of the heavy stuff. Add 18 inches of 15#, 6 inches of 12#, and then use 8# or less for your tippet. You should have a leader of at least 7 feet unless you are fishing a murky lake.

The leader formula I gave will turn the fly over at the end of the cast. To me, it seems that your leader will fold over on itself before it unfurls. That means that your leader may well be far less in effective length. You need to get the fly to land with the leader at full extension. If you cast and the fly lands 12 inches from the end of your fly line good luck with catching anything.

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂

 

[NRD]

Dear NRD,

Two things I'd like to point out.

Your leader is far too short for effective streamer fishing in water with the clarity that is common right now.

Secondly. your ratio of butt section to tippet is reversed. Use 24" minimum of the heavy stuff. Add 18 inches of 15#, 6 inches of 12#, and then use 8# or less for your tippet. You should have a leader of at least 7 feet unless you are fishing a murky lake.

The leader formula I gave will turn the fly over at the end of the cast. To me, it seems that your leader will fold over on itself before it unfurls. That means that your leader may well be far less in effective length. You need to get the fly to land with the leader at full extension. If you cast and the fly lands 12 inches from the end of your fly line good luck with catching anything.

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂

My leader is as preferred by the guy who designed my rod/line system for throwing large articulated streamers. Multiple Colorado guides have provided very similar leaders. At the end of my 22' throw, my line and leader are stretched out straight and the streamer hits the water with an attention getting slap. It's only when I try to cast farther that I get the pile up you describe.

I'm willing to experiment with a longer leader next time out, BUT the guy who designed my rode admits it wasn't designed to cast. I think I'm using it as designed. Maybe sometimes I'd prefer a different rod. What rod are you using?

 

[rustbeltwilds]

Again just experiment with leader lengths retrieves etc etc thats how i learned by mysef experimenting heck im still experimenting...you do you ..we all have diff styles strengths theres no one style n size fits all in streamer fishing or any fishing for that matter be it spinning. Fly ..baitcast etc. Theres some great advice and tips out there just try em and see n tweek them whatever. Just keep trying and dont expect perfection after 1 trip lol

 

[PennKev]

Dear NRD,

Two things I'd like to point out.

Your leader is far too short for effective streamer fishing in water with the clarity that is common right now.

Secondly. your ratio of butt section to tippet is reversed. Use 24" minimum of the heavy stuff. Add 18 inches of 15#, 6 inches of 12#, and then use 8# or less for your tippet. You should have a leader of at least 7 feet unless you are fishing a murky lake.

8lb test is the absolute lightest tippet I would use and 7ft is about as long as I would ever go. 5-6 foot is usually fine with floating lines, shorter with sinking and sink tips.

My go-to tippet is 12lb fluoro. Yes, for smaller, lighter flies I fish lighter tippet but only to help with sink rate and movement. But again, 8lb is the lightest I go. I fish 10lb more often than 8lb. Really, I only fish 8lb with small bucktails on small water. But thats not really the sort of streamer fishing that the OP seems to want to discuss.

 

[TimMurphy]

My leader is as preferred by the guy who designed my rod/line system for throwing large articulated streamers. Multiple Colorado guides have provided very similar leaders. At the end of my 22' throw, my line and leader are stretched out straight and the streamer hits the water with an attention getting slap. It's only when I try to cast farther that I get the pile up you describe.

I'm willing to experiment with a longer leader next time out, BUT the guy who designed my rode admits it wasn't designed to cast. I think I'm using it as designed. Maybe sometimes I'd prefer a different rod. What rod are you using?

Dear NRD,

Were they flat-brimmers with Yeti's that said, BRAGH everytime?

Seriously, if you are fishing articulated streamers in PA and only casting 22 feet something is seriously wrong. Those streamers are designed for pounding banks out of drift boats and not for cast and retrieve fishing. That's one and done and on to the next pocket behind a rock or bankside obstruction.

It's not streamer fishing. Fishing a streamer requires mimicking the behavior of the predominant baitfish in the stream you are fishing. It's actually quite simple to do.

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂

 

[rustbeltwilds]

Dear NRD,

Were they flat-brimmers with Yeti's that said, BRAGH everytime?

Seriously, if you are fishing articulated streamers in PA and only casting 22 feet something is seriously wrong. Those streamers are designed for pounding banks out of drift boats and not for cast and retrieve fishing. That's one and done and on to the next pocket behind a rock or bankside obstruction.

It's not streamer fishing. Fishing a streamer requires mimicking the behavior of the predominant baitfish in the stream you are fishing. It's actually quite simple to do.

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂

Hence my comment lol

 

[Ladove]

Experiment, experiment, experiment. Typical for trout on a 7wt or 8wt with a sink 3 or sink 5/6 line I run a 14-18” section of 25lb ultra green to a swivel then 3’-5’ of 15lb flouro. However I’ll change that and add a section of 20lb if it’s low clear water or I’m fishing an intermediate line. This set up works for me, but as stated before, there’s no one size fits all. Regardless, just remember to keep the rod low and strip set lol

 

[Arminacast]

Good question. I fish streamers much the same way that I fished threaded live minnows many years ago. I fish down stream mostly and I position myself so that I can control the streamer down stream in front me. I will let it dead drift into a pool or pocket or under a bank or under a limb/log etc. I usually alternate between keeping a little tension on my line (so that the streamer faces upstream)- or controling the line so that it pulls the streamer into a sideways drift (trying to imitate a crippled minnow). When it has drifted through what I deem to be the sweet spot I will usually controll the drift into slower water and then jig it back upstream. When I have done this two or three times in a likely looking spot I will hit the next spot that is within a reasonable reach, after I have fished the stream section where I am standing I will move down stream and repeat.
I rarely make an overhand cast (no need) and I can cover most of the streams that I fish from bank to bank by wading midstream, I will use an underhanded cast most, and occasionally a roll cast. One exception is the Yough river, I fish heavy streamers and sometimes use an 8 wt there, so that I can cast those.
Hope this helps.

 

[Swattie87]

Some of the best streamer advice I’ve ever seen on here from PennKev. I’m ready for a July thunderstorm chase.

 

[JeffK]

One simple thing - be patient on your backcast. I often see people rush the cast when fishing streamers. That might be the cause of your line piling up.