Swinging Wet Flies

[Wild One]

I just returned from a trip to the Rockies (Utah side). Was it great to be back home!! I was there for family reasons so I only had time to fish one morning. I went back to my honey hole on the Provo river where there are more browns in a mile of water than Mormons in the whole state! I had tied up a few wet flies from a pattern found here in the old flies archives. Don't remember the name but it has a pheasant tail-tail, peacock herl body, light brown hackle and a mallard over-wing.
I had read somewhere (maybe here) to avoid the belly in the line when swinging wet flies. I had attempted, unsuccsessfully, to swing wet flies in the past and realized that I had always thought that the belly was what "swung" the fly.

After catching fish after fish in this fashion (which is absolutely incredible) I realized that all of the fish i'd caught were when I was casting more down-stream and mending a little than casting farther across and letting the belly of line swing the fly. Just thougt I'd share that little bit. I highly, HIGHLY suggest fishing wet flies. Check out the old patterns in the "flies and old stuff" area. It really made me feel like I could be called a real fly fisherman having fished the traditional flies in a tradtional method.

[JeffHamm]

Congratulations Wild one! Sounds like a great day on the water. Any photos?

- Jeff

[flyandtie]

very kool

[Wild One]

Thanks guys. Unfortunately I didn't take the camera with me, so no photos. I just purchases a Canon Rebel XTi 400D, and for the price I paid for it, my wife barely lets me hold it, let alone take it on the stream with me. Oh, and I found the pattern I was referring to. I actually found it in Al's fly tying instruction series. I think it was in either the beginning or intermediate section. The fly is called the Deerfield Special and I love it!

[JeffHamm]

Hi,
Just checked Al's wet flies out, and both of the ones he lists in that lesson look great! I must remember to tie a few up myself.

- Jeff

Wild one;
That is the system we use here, "Down & Across". You can gain a little more upstream by "High Sticking", raising the rod to get as much line out of the fast water as possible. This will slow the drift and allow the fly to get deeper. Slow down, don't be to eager to make your next cast. Remember that the wet fly, nymph, spider, etc. is trailing along in a wide arc and I feel most of the takes are when it straightens out and starts to rise. WarrenP said something to me the other night on the Duck just as I was ready to lift and cast. This made me stop and answer and wouldn't you know it I landed a nice Rainbow!! He then said "I did it to make you slow down, and catch more fish"!
I use floroucarbon furled leaders and tippets to get down deep quickly. Some flys are weighted some are not, it depends on the surface activity. I've drifted a wet fly through an area where a fish was rising and hooked it! If the fish aren't rising I go with a weighted fly. You have to be bouncing on the rocks to be effective!