Re: Upstream or Downstream
I fish upstream whenever I can. Like you said it is easier to sneak up on the fish and you don't muddy the water that you are going to fish. I fish my flies on dead drift to include streamers. In addtion there is one other factor -safety. If you are fishing downstream on a larger stream or river and don't watch what you are doing you can end up wading into a spot where the water is too deep and the current prevents you from wading back up stream. Believe me this can happen. I know from experience.
Tim
Re: Upstream or Downstream
I had a banner day last Saturday with a black unweighted wooly bugger. Got nothing on the swing, only got hits and takes when I stripped back in at various points of the swing. Alter your strip speed and length, plus wiggle your rod tip too at a pause. The rainbows hit hard and fast that day.
Why did I go to the bugger and downstream? Even tho sulphers were hatching and bountiful there were no risers. The week before I used a GRHE nymph and did ok but I wanted to try something different and it paid off big time.
Dot
Re: Upstream or Downstream
Upstream for dries, and downstream for wets. I don't mess with nymphs.
Re: Upstream or Downstream
It is one hundred and fifty years since William Clouston Stewart advised upstream wet fly fishing.
He was right then and he is right now. I'll say no more. :?
Re: Upstream or Downstream
Either method produces, so pick one. I prefer upstream for dry fly fishing and most nymphing. Downstream for streamer fishing and swinging wets. I also pick the direction based on other fishermen on the stream. If somebody is there and going up, I'll go down and vice versa.
As long as I'm on the water, I'm happy and will do whatever I need to do to enjoy the most uninterupted fishing I can get.
Re: Upstream or Downstream
I do both ways, too, but would rather fish dries upstream if possible. The very best luck I've had with downstream fishing is during a steady, light rain, using nymphs and streamers.
Dale
Re: Upstream or Downstream
Casting accurately upstream with a dry fly just makes sense.
Re: Upstream or Downstream
Dries and nymph's upstream whenever possible.
Re: Upstream or Downstream
Swinging a pair of nymphs, a streamer or a team of wets down and across alllows you to cover more water when searching, or fishing unfamiliar water. Also productive when not much apears to be happening in the river.
A method I often employ on our larger Southern NZ rivers when fish arent holding in the shallows.
Chris