Davy Wotton Wet Fly Ways DVD

I just watched this DVD for the 3rd time and have to admit I'm interested. I've never had much success with fishing wet flies and have to admit that there may be something I'm missing out on.

My question: I live in Pennsylvania, land of small streams and educated trout. Has anyone tried the 3 (or 2) cast methods discussed on the DVD? Has anyone "converted" to this method? Comments about what worked, didn't work?

I have fished streamers using very similar methods but never more than 1 fly at a time, and this is what is so fascinating me......

Thoughts?

I like to fish multiple flies but the opportunity isn't always there. Much of the local trout water around here are single fly only. Multi fly rigs are more effective than singles, no doubt about it. I still haven't swung classic wet flies though I have that same DVD and will probably be giving more time to it this season. I find I get set in my ways and with that, I get little improvement... so the task is to always try something new when I'm out there. I know from some local club members that the only way they fish is the wet fly swing and they do well with it. It's certainly worth trying. I'm not sure small streams is the place for it though, but I don't know that either.

I have this video and feel Davy did a great job with it. I am a true wet fly fishermen and tyer. I do use a three wet fly rig and have very good catch rate. I also use just a plain old 1 wet fly set up as well and variate my cast's depending on the stream. Sometimes I cast upstream on faster waters and strip the line while the fly is flowing towards me. The traditional wet fly swing with a Leisenring lift, and finally a down stream with short strip on the order of a streamer. Depending on stream levels I will use a DT Floating line or an intermediat sinking line. Now Davy talks about the leader to line connection and how to make a three fly rig. I do like this set up better. It's a lot easier to make and is keeps the fly's from tangling if you tye the fly on the leader propperly. Now I love some of the patterns he uses and do not always agree with the others. There are a ton of other wet fly patterns that work extremely well like a Grizzly King, Yellow Professor, Blue Professor, Gray Hackle Peacock, Green Drake, Dark Hendrickson, The captain and a pattern that is a little over 100 years old that is a Catskill origional wet fly called the Black Turkey. I could go on and on with patterns that work with times of year and weather and stream conditions. Lastly a nice medium action fly rod in a 9ft 6 weight range works best with sinking lines and three fly rigs. Keep in mind I exclusively fish with size 6 and size 8 wet flies. You don't have to have that big of a fly rod that Davy goes with. Just my two cents worth.

Fontinalis

If you want to contact Davy directly, he posts frequently over on the flyfishingarkansas.com board. I do believe that the 3 fly method he illustrates in the video you speak of would preclude the use of a winking fly line. I have the video, a copy that Davy signed for me in his living room one afternoon last summer. I just can't imagine myself trying to keep 3 flies from tangling. I have enough trouble with one of them.

I fish with two and three fly rigs almost all the time, This is in the small and large streams
of pa. they work out well as you cover most of the water you are fishing.
The flys I fish go from size 6 to 18, I have fished through some educated fish on the Tully and Little Lehigh,Clarks. Give it a shot you will be glad you did.
Oh just keep your droppers short and stiff.

Wet

Hi,

I mostly fish 3 wet flies at a time, sometimes two, rarely one anymore. Typically I cast up and across the stream, this way, the flies have time to sink and they cover 2 or 3 different lines. I'll generally use size 12s and 14s soft hackles, winged wets, and palmers. If the flies are dressed very slim and sparsely, then an upstream cast will give them plenty of time to sink to the depth the trout are feeding at. Keep false casting to a minimum, in fact, avoid it if you can. Just pick up the line and re-cast upstream trying to get into a position to drift through the good looking spots. It takes some practice to avoid some amazing tangles, but if you even suspect things have become twisted, pull in and fix things. Don't cast a few times first trying to see if it really is tangled as you will just tighten it into a useless mass. It's often faster to just remove the flies, untangle, then re-tie the flies on the droppers if things are still good.

- Jeff