If you’ve been fly fishing for a couple of years, you’ve probably picked up a few tricks along the way. But what if a small tweak, a small adjustment, a simple change could put one more trout in the net? I’ve learned these lessons the hard way, over many years of trial and error, because they don’t have to.
1. Made in the shade
Of course, we can hide behind a bush or tree, stealthily snaking a cast in a wary rainbow until the trout moves. But instead of forcing yourself to throw something, break your profile by hanging in the shade or kneeling in front of a tree, rock or bush.
2. What about Eddy?
We all know that brown trout look upstream, toward the current. But what happens when “upstream” and “current” diverge, say in a back eddy? Take a moment when you see an eddy and remember that fish suck up unfortunate insects that pass through the swirling current, even when it’s going downstream. chastity to stir To hit.
3. Get closer
How do you know if that guy downstream is a successful angler? If the knees of his waders are worn, he is getting closer to the trout and ensures a better drift when casting. Long throws equal inaccuracy and are a breeding ground for drag. If the first 20 feet of your line shows more wear than the next 20, you’re probably catching more fish than anglers who take too much pride in their ability to run a lot of line.
4. Roll with the wind
A breeze is both a nemesis and a friend. If you’re limited to a rolling launch due to obstructions behind you, having the wind at your back might help. Pay out a lot of slack line, then when you “rotate” finish your cast higher so the breeze catches more line and your fly. Help him with a repairing punch, raising more water line. For shorter casts, simply lift the line off the water and let it fly like a flag. Let it go gently where the fish hide; no backtracking required.
5. Find staging areas
Trouts are like most elected officials, doing as little work as possible in pursuit of a reward (in this case, a meal). The food tends to float in the trout with the current. Being smarter than most politicians, trout hang in an adjacent, slower flow rather than “running in place” directly downstream of the treats. Current seams and descents are popular staging areas. Other, more subtle versions include submerged rocks and logs where fish can rest in the slack water behind them, looking up or sideways to look for food. The upstream side of the rocks and logs also have a small but significant soft water fill. Friction slows the water along stream banks, so make a few casts there as well.
6. Take a moment
When fishing new water, instead of merrily strolling from a truck to a bank to a riffle and settling in waist-deep in a fishy-looking pool, pause to assess your surroundings. Please take a moment to look at the cover available. Search for uploads. Grab a couple of rocks and look for nymphs. Plan your approach for maximum stealth. Then he goes fishing.
7. Elimination of the Skunk
Don’t catch fish? Consider this flowchart: smaller-lighter-longer-deeper. If you believe in your chosen fly and are not catching fish, use a smaller size and/or opt for a lighter tip. Are you still scoffing? Extend the length of your tippet; it will be less “dragged”. When all else fails at the top, tie on a subterranean fly. Add a tip or weight and start bouncing the bottom. If none of those work, it’s probably happy hour somewhere.
8. Pull the leader
It may seem counterintuitive, but slack line is often the ticket to hooking finicky trout, as it minimizes drag and gives you more of a dead drift. One way to get a nice, tidy leader puddle is to simply move so that you are more directly downstream of the trout. Casting from this position, the current will help push the fly toward the leader, creating more slack instead of pulling it away.
9. Learn to pivot
What to do when the bank is covered in fly-catching snags and the rising trout is too far for a cast? Turn so you can make your fake cast parallel to the stream bank, then turn toward the fish as you cast your money cast.
10. Achieving balance
Many beginners compensate for a lagging flash by thrusting their pitch forward as if it were their little brother’s arm. This can result in a “crack” and a lost fly behind, or a splash of bull fly line on a china shop in the water in front. Instead, work with the same energy applied to both the backstroke and the forward stroke to get a nice straight line that floats gracefully through the water.
11. Zero in Risers
To catch a rising brook trout, you must first mark it, but this can be more difficult than it seems. We look at the rising ring, which drifts down the river. As a bird hunter, I have learned to use fixed landmarks to retrieve the few birds I hit. Also works on stream. Look at the rise, then look for a recognizable feature on the bank. Make your next cast based on a known location, not a wild guess. Keep in mind that many climbs occur at the end of a long drift back down the trout, so cast a few yards upstream of your landmark.
12. Avoid distraction
In skiing and mountain biking, you look where you want to go, not what you want to avoid crashing into. In fly fishing, focus on where you want your fly to go. Don’t let the distractions on the side of the stream distract you from your mission. You know where your cast needs to go. Let it be so.