Down to the stream tonight I went. Approaching sundown/dusk. Got my fly stuck in a weed on the other side of the stream. I wound in all the line and laid the rod out most of the way into the stream. Walked clear down to the bridge and crossed over and went up and loosened fly and just tossed it into stream. Went walking back down the the bridge (actually two big steel girder across the stream…not a true bridge) and as I was walking back up to my rod in the corner of my eye I thought I saw my cork handle and reel move! I’m like surely not…got closer and sure enough…end of rod moving around. Picked it up and had a nice 15" rainbow. So…what technique is this? Just throw in water and wait? Let it set and do nothing?
Now we call that “Chuck and Chance” in my neck of the woods, could be a new form of “Heave and Leave” “G” but I guess we have a lot to learn on catching big uns.
Lucky your rod didn’t go for a swim. Jax
I’m a much better Fly fisher when talking fishing, than when I’m Actually Fly fishing!
The fly was “on the dangle”. It’s a very effective technique. While fishing a small streamer or a soft hackle it is better to let it dangle for several seconds before you pick up.
And my version of this technique is to let my line and fly freefloat/drag downstream as I retie my boot lace. Not always productive but then again, no method is.
Wouldn’t it be awful if I caught a “trophy” using this method? Would it count?
Letting a streamer or wet fly dangle in the water is a technique that works well for smallmouth bass. Sometime moving the fly a few inches with the rod tip or with line manipulation will entice a fish to hit the fly.
The first twenty inch trout I ever had on my line struck a dangling dry fly as I let the line hang downstream while trying to cross the Muskegon in a very dicy spot. The brown took my fly and made a spectacular leap right in front of my brother. Unfortunately I was in trouble with the current and could not raise the rod tip or even turn to look at the fish which quickly spat out my fly. I’m pretty sure that this downstream dancing fly technique is one I should use more often; especially in places where a good drift is nearly impossible.
all leaders tangle; mine are just better at it than most. Jim
Another method you might want to try if you happen to be a smoker: Clamp the rod under your armpit and let the fly dangle while you occupy both hands digging out and lighting up a smoke. I’ve had it happen with a dry fly on two ocassions. (okay, they were 20 years apart)
GFF
Dick
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Time spent FLY fishing is not deducted from one’s life
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You learn something new every single day of your life. If you don’t, you weren’t paying attention.
Usually I use that term while icefishing, and have never found a use for it while flyfishing. When icefishing, it’s when I set the rod on the pail, quit jigging, and eat lunch or warm the hands. Sometimes perch really like a good deadstick. I remember one time when I walked away from the pail to drill another hole…every time I would get about 10 steps away from the rod, it would get tapped and I would slip and slide my way back over.
Mantis, now you know how cheap I am. Actually it was the only fly I had like it, was getting hits, and don’t know where I got it. So…I was just wanting to save the fly. Ended up losing it anyway. Now have to try to remember it’s details to try to find another. Wasn’t that much work…small stream…wide as a dirt road, getting dark, so just went to retreive the fly and go home. Caught a fish in the process. However, maybe I ought to try that again. I am 7 minutes from my house to having a fly in the water. So, almost every evening around sundown I run down there for a few quiet moments. Usually no one there but me. I enjoy the heck out of it.
Gem
I think I hooked into a big one last night but can’t say for sure. I have never caught a big fish. But I have caught enough at my favorite stream to kinda get a feel for it. I didn’t have this one long enough to really know, I just did my normal thing, lift the rod and I saw him turn twice under the water and then my fly came loose. Not really that much of a tug on my rod and too deep to get a good look…I just sense that he was a big one. I “think” I missed my chance at a biggie.
[This message has been edited by Plain Old Jim (edited 02 November 2005).]
Listen Jim … I go after most of the flies I’ve gotten hung-up! Just simply cannot let one of them go, especially if there’s an outside chance I can retrieve it. What’s that old adage … “waste not, want not” … did’nt that come from some old fly fisherman?
If I knew more about computers and digital imaging…I would copy out of my e-mail and post a pic of hog out to the water…an 8 1/2 pound hook nose rainbow caught Oct 3rd at 9am at my favorite little stream. I watched him catch it…on a 9’ 4wt rod, 3x tippet with a purple semi-seal leech. About 70’ from where I caught the 15" with the angle of the dangle technique…while retreiving the fly. BTW Silvertop2…if you are listening…he caught that hog right there where the road ends and you park…walk directly about 150’ to the stream…where everybody and especially new people fish. Not way upstream or downstream where the experienced people fish. RIGHT THERE AT THE CLOSEST PLACE TO THE PARKING AREA! That area has been beat to death but it is where he caught it, and it is where I took a pick of a guy exactly on the other side of the stream last year catching a 5 pounder. Go figure.
