For the past few years I’ve learned how to fly fish in trout parks and lakes where the water has been reatively
calm/still. Recently I’ve been fortunate to move right down the street from a small river that is regularly stocked with trout. Last year I attempted to fish this river with no success at all. The river is somewhat fast moving, which is somthing I’m not accustomed to fishing in. I’ve tried fishing some nymphs and buggers by casting diagonally into the current and allowing the fly to sink and float with the current while keeping an eye on my strike indicator the whole time. This technique produces nothing for me. Now, I know theres fish in this river because I watch those baitcasters guys plucking some nice ones out. I would very much like to join them.
My colleage at the office who was a fly fisher back in the day says that I’m doing it all wrong. He told me to cast downstream and let the fly hang in the water and slowly retrieve and twitch, similar to how you would cast a nymph in still waters.
I was wondering if this is a viable way to fish a nymph or bugger in a river. Personally I would think that the current would pull the fly close to the surface, but since I’m a mere student I figured I would ask the experts.
Any advice for a newbie?
I am far from an expert, but that hasn’t stopped me yet. For nymphing, I’ll let those who fish them chime in. I usually just high stick a nymph on a short line.
I fish wet flies two ways. One is an upstream cast letting the fly dance in the current on a dead drift for as long as possible. No strike indicator used. Method two is to cast across and downstream and fish the fly on the swing. You can also combine the two methods. When fishing on the wet fly swing, let the fly hang straight downstream from you, then do a couple of short retrieves before casting again. I’ve picked up a lot of fisih “on the dangle” so to speak.
I should also add that I don’t weight my flies, depending on mending the line to get the fly to the desired depth.
I would almost bet that a Partridge and Orange or a Partridge and Green would produce a trout or two in your river.
REE
Try different techniques. Upstream, dead drift. Across and allow to drift down stream and swing across with a retrieve after the fly is directly down stream from you. You can also strip in line on a up stream cast. Any and all combinations are possible…experiment.
I usually weight my flys to get them near the bottom, how much weight depends on the current and depth of the creek/river.
Good luck!
Scott
Hi HarryC,
I agree with REE on the Partridge and Orange or Green. Flick the fly upstream, let it drift down in the current and pull just enough line back in to prevent slack (so, not enough to tighten up on the fly, but just about that much). As the fly moves down the flow, turn with it so your rod is always towards the fly, then as it drifts past you, let the line back out to extend the drift. While you are doing this, your fly will be sinking. At some point below you, you run out of lose line, so it tightens up and the fly rises in the current. Let the fly come up, dance on the surface (or near there abouts), and retrieve the line until you can cast it upstream again. At any point in this entire sequence, from the first of the cast until you pick up the line to cast again, you will get strikes so be watchful.
You can cast slightly upstream and across to fish the far side. As the fly drifts down, mend line out and up stream (flick it to be over the “other side” as well), and this will allow you to continue to drift the far bank. Tighten the line to swing the fly through any likely looking spots (in front and behind rocks, through pocket water, etc). If you’ve got a fast flow, soft hackles will produce for you. Try sizes 12 and 14, partridge and orange, yellow, and green. Also, a hare’s ear dubbed bodied one too. Something out of those 4 should work.
- Jeff
I dont fish a lot of wets (mostly soft hackles), but when I do I usually do best by casting straight out and letting the fly swing in the current. I will also after the swing, slowly strip the fly in like you would a streamer. My Dad fishes nymphs this way a lot and catches fish. I have even had success fishning a dry and at the end of the drift, letting it swing. Just the way I do things and it may or may not work for you.
I think getting the fly down far enough is the biggest single element for success. In that vein, I know one fisherman who swears that it’s better to use split shot 18 to 24 inches above the fly than to weight the fly itself when tying them. I however, weight the flys when tying. Either way, get the fly down there to the fish. If you are not losing some occasional flies to the rocks you are not down deep enough.
Harry;
The addition of a Flourocarbon furled leader and flourocarbon tippet will help get the fly deeper quicker. I use ones made from 4# Berkley Vanish “Transition” which will turn over a 5’ - 6’ tippet.
I do use weighted flys, mostly size 12 soft hackles.
Harry - try these articles. I weight the tippet, not the fly. The only weight on a fly will be a bead. I start adding shot 6 to 8 inches above the fly and space my shot the same distance. I cast above where I think a fish is or above where I see them. I try to cast far enough upstream, that the fly will be bouncing bottom when it gets to the fish. The first and second shot will sometimes be dragging right on the bottom. Some times I use an indicator (or as I like to call them BOBBERS, somehow bobbers are less expensive than indicators) and any time it stops SET THE HOOK. The other method I use, especially when I can see the fish, is called high sticking. Again cast upstream and holding the rod high you again try to get the fly to bounce in front of the fish. You move the rod downstream to keep with the current and if the line stops moving SET THE HOOK. You will lose a lot of nymphs, so find an easy knot - I use the Davy. If I am not sure what the fish are taking, I will fish a larger fly 6 to 12 inches above a smaller fly. Wooly Bugger + BH Hare’s Ear, for example. Let us know how it goes.
http://www.flyfishinggear.info/how_to/n … shing.shtm
http://flyfisherman.com/skills/dgnymphing101/
I whole heartedly support Jack’s recommendation on the flourcarbon furled leader and tippet. I tried one of Jack’s leaders on a resent trip to WV and I’m impressed with the fast sink rate. Thanks again Jack it really makes a difference in getting the fly down were the fish are in a hurry.
Harry;
At the risk of hijacking your thread I would like to thank alra195 for the kind words. Glad you liked them!
This evening WarreP and I brought a total of 30 trout to hand in about 2 - 2 1/2 hours of fishing on the Duck River (15 each). We were using #12 weighted softhackles in olive or brown, some reverse spiders also in the faster waters. Each of us were using 4# Vanish “Transition” furled leaders. My tippet material was 4# Berkley XL, His was Yo-Zuri 4# X-TEX Cobra, both around 5’ in length.
Best advice - Carry a good hook sharpener and check the hook often!!
P. S. This is the first time I’ve ever tied Warren’s catch rate!!
Way to go, Jack! Congrats to both of you.
Ed