Long Distance Fly Casting Techniques

By Randy Kadish

To be able to fly cast 80 feet or not.

Does it matter?

No, argue many dry fly anglers. After all, since we fight drag by having slack line on the water, we can't mend or set the hook with 80 feet of line out.

But wait, insist streamer anglers. Since we feel strikes by having tight line on the water, we can set the hook with 80 feet of line out.

Well, like they say: there are two sides to every argument.

And sometimes a third or fourth.

Consider this scenario: You're fishing a fast, rocky river, so instead of wading you're making long casts. But you keep missing your targets. And even though it's the first day of your fishing trip, you're already exhausted.

Is there any way around these problems?

I'll answer the question this way: you show me an angler who can cast 80 or 90 feet, and I'll show you an angler who can accurately and almost effortlessly cast 50 or 60 feet.

And so for many frustrating and often discouraging years I experimented with long-distance, fly-casting techniques. Now that I have dramatically increased my casting distance, I'd like to share those techniques with you.

But before I begin let me say I'm well aware of the "Open-Stance" method or way of long-distance fly casting. My purpose is not to compete with that way, but simply to describe another. In the end, I believe each caster should experiment with as many techniques as possible and see what works for him or her.

GETTING STARTED. Use a short piece of string or yarn for a fly. A long, 9-foot leader will help reveal some of your casting defects. During each practice, try to focus on one technique. Don't worry about putting all the techniques together until you feel good at each one.

POWER STANCE AND GRIP. (I'll assume you're right-handed.) Start with your feet about shoulder-width apart, a little closer for more power, a little wider for better balance. If you're casting vertically put your left foot forward about eight inches and point it at the target. Point your right foot about 30 degrees to the right of the target. If you're casting off to the side, point both feet a little more outward. With your shoulders facing the target, bend your knees and put your weight on the ball of your front foot. To make a long-line pickup, bend forward and hold the line just behind the stripping guide. Point the rod at the water, with the rod tip about an inch above the surface. Grip the rod lightly with a slightly bent thumb on the side or on the top of the handle.

LONG-CAST SEQUENCE. As a general rule, casting slightly upward will help keep your loops tight; so, if there is no head or tail wind, aim your first back cast upward about 30 degrees. Aim your next false casts and your presentation cast at a slightly lower angle or parallel to the water. (Aiming your presentation cast too high, especially if you are casting a long-belly line, will cause the belly to pull your cast down and kill it.)

For maximum distance, your back and forward cast must form a straight line (180 degrees).

If you're casting weighted flies or sinking lines, aim your false casts upward about 20 degrees.

And remember: apply maximum force only at the end of your presentation cast.

However, at least four basic casting defects will cause your cast to lose power, and therefore change your intended trajectory:

1. Starting your cast after, or well before, your cast has unrolled and, in effect, shortening your casting stroke.
2. Accelerating your back cast haul too slowly. (Because there is no back-cast wrist snap, your hauling acceleration should be faster on your backcasts than on your forward casts.)
3. False casting, especially a weighted fly, too hard for the length of the line you have out. (When the line unrolls it will snap like a rubber band and create slack)
4. Shooting line without increasing the acceleration of your casting stroke and your haul.
5. Your back and forward cast form an angle greater than 180 degrees, and you therefore lowered the rod tip from the target line. As a result, your fly rod unloaded too early.

ANGLE OF THE ROD. Some casters argue the vertical cast is the most efficient. Others disagree and cast with the rod tip pointed outward. Besides, they say, this is a safer way to fish that makes it easier-especially for us older guys-to turn our heads and watch the back cast unroll without turning our shoulders, and inadvertently moving the rod.

Maybe so, but the important point is that if your cast is not under powered, and if you do not move your rod hand in a convex motion and lower the rod tip from the target line, the fly will not hit you or the rod. The following casting defects will cause you to move your hand in a convex motion:
 

1. Pulling your elbow back. (Your elbow should move back because of your rearward body rotation. To me, making a back cast is more of a lifting or a flexing up motion than a pulling back.)
2. Beginning your forward cast with your elbow behind your rod hand, and therefore being unable to lead with your elbow during your loading move.
3. Breaking your wrist more than halfway during your forward-cast power snap. (To prevent this, try to pretend you're hammering a nail.)
4. Lowering, instead of just rotating, your shoulders.
5. Stopping the rod too late. (This sometimes happens because of starting your weight shift before your casting stroke, or because of quickly accelerating your back cast, but not abruptly stopping the rod with a short, upward motion.)
6. Beginning your cast with your rod hand too low for your intended trajectory. (For example: if you want to execute a cast parallel to the surface, you must finish your back and forward casts with your rod hand at the same level.)
7. Casting with your elbow too far out from your body.
8. Having your right foot too far back or pointing too far outward.

But in the real world of fishing, even the best casters make imperfect casts, so I recommend wearing sunglasses and a broad-brimmed hat, using shorter leaders, and casting heavy flies and sinking lines with the rod tip pointing out to the side.

To simplify my descriptions I'll assume you're casting vertically. (If you're casting to the side, adjust your rod-hand position more outward and less upward.)

BACK CAST. First, remove all slack from line. Aiming upward, slowly start your cast by slightly lifting your elbow, and moving the rod in sync with your rearward body rotation. Slowly tighten your grip. When the rod butt reaches 12 o'clock to the target line, quickly increase your acceleration-I call this my power acceleration-and execute your haul. (More about hauling later.) For maximum power, keep looking straight ahead. When the fly comes off the water, abruptly stop the butt at about 1 o'clock. Your weight should be on your right heel if your rod position was vertical, on the outside of your right foot if your rod position was out to the side.

Ease up on your grip. If you stopped the rod by moving it upward, lower your rod hand to casting-level. Turn your head and watch the cast unroll.

(Some casters feel they increase their power by rotating their forearm and palm outward during their back cast so that they can then execute their forward power snap with a sharp, twisting motion.)

Because you probably won't be able to accelerate your back cast as fast as your forward cast, begin your next back cast when your forward loop is about three feet long. Experiment to see exactly how long. Rotate the imaginary clock face, and again stop the rod butt at about 1 o'clock to the target line and your forearm at about 12 o'clock. If you're casting vertically your right elbow should be a few inches behind your left shoulder, and point outward at an angle of about 60 degrees to the target. Your wrist should be at about eye-level.

If your loop turns sideways or swings open, you moved the rod in a curving motion or pulled your elbow out and back on your back cast.

HAULS AND DRIFTS. The more line you are false casting the faster and longer you'll have to haul. To keep your line from tangling, pull about three feet off the reel. (If you're casting on a weight-forward line, you'll begin hauling when most of the belly of the line is outside the rod tip.) During your back-cast loading move, keep your hands at the same level. When the rod butt points to about 12 o'clock, begin your power acceleration and your downward, back-cast haul. Haul at an angle of about 60 degrees to the water so that at the end of the haul your line hand is at about 8 o'clock. (At the end of your forward, false cast haul, your hand will point to about 7 o'clock.) To lengthen your haul, execute it at a steeper angle. Haul hard enough to keep your loop tight. (You'll accelerate your haul faster than your cast.) Breaking your wrist as much as possible, snap your haul hand down. Stop the rod and haul at the same time. Immediately begin your upward haul, giving back line at the same speed it is unrolling. (If you still add slack, you stopped your downward haul too late, or your cast was under powered.) Do not prematurely move the rod tip back! When the fly passes you, turn your head, but not your shoulders, and watch the line unroll. Move your line hand up to, but not past your rod hand.

Not moving your line hand up far enough may cause you to then begin your forward cast by moving your rod hand before or faster than you move your line hand. Because this will add slack between your hands, you won't be able to fully load the rod, and your cast might collapse.

And remember: the stronger the wind you are casting into, the shorter, later, but faster you might have to haul.

To make a long, presentation cast you must add a drift move after your last back cast. So, keeping your wrist stiff, your elbow in place, and your shoulders level, wait for your back cast to unroll about three-quarters of the way, then move your rod hand back, but not past your rear shoulder. Slightly break your wrist back, and point the rod lower, to about 2 o'clock.

At least three defects will cause you to add slack:
 

1. Drifting too fast or too far.
2. Not hauling fast or far enough.
3. Beginning your forward false cast too late.

On false casts, unless you're trying to change trajectories, shorten or eliminate your drift, and therefore reduce the risk of adding slack.

On your presentation cast, haul as hard as possible, and concentrate on stopping the rod and letting go of the line at the same time. (Momentum should force your hauling hand well behind your front thigh.)

To make an effective back cast haul, I find it helpful to visualize a loose rope connecting my rod and line hands. When I stop my rod, I imagine the rope snapping tight and stopping my hands.

Finally, to become a really good hauler, practice throwing a ball left-handed.

FORWARD AND PRESENTATION CASTS. We should start them before the back cast loop opens. (The heavier my fly or the faster my line is unrolling, the earlier I begin my cast.) To start your forward false cast, keep looking over your rear shoulder and push off your back foot. With your wrist locked, begin your forward cast in sync with your body rotation. (Watching your rod hand during the cast will help prevent your casting arm move ahead of your rotating body.) Move the rod butt perpendicular to the target line. When your casting arm is extended at about halfway, begin your power snap and haul. Abruptly stop the rod and haul when the rod butt reaches about 10:30. Ease up on your grip. Your right shoulder should be slightly ahead of your left. Your weight should be on the ball of your front foot.

If you want to finish your forward false cast in position to increase the length and power of your back cast you can:
 

1. Speed up your forward false cast (if you get a tailing loop slow down your haul) and end your cast with your weight on your toes and with your right shoulder well ahead of your left.
2. Execute your cast parallel to the water so that you'll begin your back cast with your rod in a lower position.
3. Add a drift move by slightly lowering the rod tip.

As soon as you finish the cast shoot up to eight feet of line. (As the line slides through your curled fingers keep moving your line hand up so you'll be able to reach your rod hand before the cast unrolls.)

To make a long presentation cast, begin with the rod drifted back, then push off your back foot. Again move rod butt perpendicular to the target line. When your arm is extended about three-quarters, execute your power snap and haul. Fully rotate your body, extend your casting arm and stop the rod. (Again, the butt will point to about 10:30)

Your front leg should now be straight, and all your weight on your front toes.

To reduce friction between the line and the guides, immediately raise the rod butt, so that the rod points to the target line. Do not lower the rod tip from the target line!

Finally, if you do everything right but you still can't get the fly to turn over, add line tension just before your loop unrolls by raising the rod tip, or by beginning the cast with a little less line off the reel than you want to cast.

To make a long roll cast, start the cast just before the line stops moving.

OVERHANG. Overhang is the amount of running line between the rod tip and the belly of the line. As you increase your overhang you must also increase the acceleration of your casting stroke and haul.

If you use too long an overhang your loop will not turn over. If you use too short an overhang the belly will pull your line down and cause the head to land in a ball. Experiment to find the longest overhang you can handle, but keep in mind: the more long, false casts you make the more you risk adding slack, so once the belly of your line is outside the rod tip, try to make your presentation cast after your second back cast.

To increase your overhang try:
 

1. A heavier, stiffer rod.
2. A shooting-head line.
3. A line one weight lighter than your rod.
4. Practicing shooting line as your last back cast unrolls.

HOW MUCH LINE DID I SHOOT? I use the counting method. For example, if I fully accelerate my casting stroke, then shoot line for as long as it takes me to say 1,000 I know I shot almost 10 feet of line.

TAILING LOOPS. Some common causes are:
 

1. The rod tip is moved in a concave path because too much force is used early in the casting stroke.
2. The casting stroke is too narrow for the action (bend) of the rod.
3. Executing a presentation cast with too short of an overhang.

WEIGHTED FLIES. Will cause your casting loops to widen, so increase your acceleration on your casting stroke and haul and stop your rod butt earlier on the imaginary clock face. If that doesn't work, shorten your overhang.

Remember: At high speeds, weighted flies, if they hit your rod tip, can break it. To fish below the surface, therefore, I like to use lighter flies and sinking lines.

IF YOU DECIDE. Whether it is necessary to learn to cast 80 or even 90 feet and endure hours and hours of casting trials and tribulations is up to you.

But if you decide it is, try not to get discouraged. Long-distance fly casting, like hitting a good tee shot, is a lot harder than it looks. Luckily, however, studies have shown that frequently visualizing proper athletic techniques is often more effective than practicing them.

For us older guys, isn't that something to be grateful about!?

Randy is a native New Yorker. His writing has appeared in many publications, including The Flyfisher, Flyfishing & Tying Journal and Fishing And Hunting News. He is also the author of the historical fly-fishing and fly-casting novel, The Fly Caster Who Tried To Make Peace With the World. Much of Randy's writing is about the techniques of spin and fly casting and about the spirituality/recovery of fly fishing. He often fishes the streams of Westchester, the piers of New York City and the lakes of Central Park.

 

Visit his website: http://www.flyandspincasting.com

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Fly Fishing With Streamers on the Muskegon River

By Jeffrey Bacon

The term "streamer" means different things to different people in the world of fly fishing. For some, it's a "classic" pattern such as a Mickey Finn or Grey Ghost, but to others it can be an entirely different beast with no limits put on its creator. With today's varied and fascinating fly tying materials, the imagination is the only boundary and many have pushed that envelope farther than their predecessors ever thought possible. Any who have an absolute passion about fishing big streamers for big fish and tie their own flies, will most certainly be a candidate for this category of fly fisher.

With so many cold water rivers in the Midwest for the fly fisher to choose as their hunting grounds, it's also true that different techniques will be used accordingly. Smaller streams will require different techniques and often downsized fly patterns, compared to those used on larger rivers. Fishing still water - lakes - can require a completely different approach due to the lack of flowing water and the forage base of your quarry.

Equipment

Your choice of rod, line, leader and fly can and do change with different streams, rivers and lakes. The kind and size of fish you're after plays a role as well. For streamer fishing the Muskegon river, I like using 2 different weight rods and lines, for different times of the year and related water flows. During our typical high water spring on the Muskegon river, I prefer a 7 or 8 weight rod, 9 or 10 feet in length, matched with a 250-300 grain sink tip line . My leader will about 3 1/2-4 feet in length, tapered from 25#, down to a 10-15 # test tip, depending on water clarity. Under these conditions, we're after large trout.......by large, I mean trout that EAT trout or other sizeable fish. Since the flies being casted can range from 3-6" or more in length, it's necessary to have a heavier weight rod to cast both line and large flies, especially if you choose to cast a tandom rig.

Once water flows return to more normal levels, trout too will return to more traditional lies than they would during high water, which is usually mid summer and beyond. Under these conditions, I drop down to a 5 weight rod and match it with 130-200 grain line and a leader of around 4', tapered down to 6 # test or so.

Techniques

On a larger river such as Michigan's Muskegon river, we're constantly working with different currents and seams, which play a big role in how our offering looks in the water. Therefore it's critical to be proactive when streamer fishing such a river due to the current differences and how they play a role in putting our fly in front of fish. By "proactive", I mean determine where you want to present your NEXT cast, either at the very end of your retrieve or during false casts. It's not necessarily a different "technique", but rather fishing smarter, not harder and not feeling like you have to always be beating the banks with your flies. Picking and choosing the right spots to focus your efforts will yield greater results than simply casting feverishly over and over again.

With such a large river system as the Muskegon, half of the battle is picking and choosing the MOST likely spots to cast, for the kind of fish you're pursuing AND the time of year. Rainbow trout will like faster water, browns prefer low light and live in dungeon like holes, troughs and log jams, steelhead prefer different "lies" for the time of the year that they're in a river such as the Muskegon.

Here is how I would approach each species of fish, during hypothetical conditions such as late in the month of May, moderate/average water flows, partly cloudy skies and water temperatures around the 50 degree mark.

Rainbows will still be hovering in the areas of high oxygen, such as riffle water and I would cast my offering directly towards the bank and strip back to center river in short, erratic strips of 4-6" at a time. This will allow the fly to jump and jerk through the various seams that are a given in this type of water. Don't give up on your retrieve when fishing in water like this, or most any time streamer fishing for that matter, as it's often the last strip of two when a trout will appear from nowhere to dash at your fly.

Brown trout are known for the nocturnal behavior, preferring to come out in search of food in low light conditions or when dark, at night time. This doesn't mean that it's not possible to tangle with quality brown trout during the day. When heavy rains pass and add some color to the river, that's your best time to entice a big brown. Knowing that they prefer dark, deep, log jam filled holes and runs, I focus most of my time and effort NEAR such habitat. Consider not only casting to such areas of heavy cover, but also the opposite site of the river, often an inside bend. The retrieve should mimic the action of wounded prey, regardless of whether it's a big leach, baitfish or crayfish. Cast towards your target area, allow the line to sink to the appropriate depth and strip back in VERY erratic lengths and motion. This can be a 6" strip or a 2' strip, both followed by a pause and then strip again.

Strategy

Streamer fishing is often a matter of forethought, timing and casting location. Forethought being the weather forecast. Timing is the BEST time of year for tangling with a trophy Muskegon trout and location is where you place your cast, given the water and weather conditions.

Look ahead and try to plan your fishing day when the weather pro's are projecting at LEAST some cloud cover. If it's a blue bird day, consider nymphing or dry fly fishing. Timing for the streamer fly fisher is most associated with time of the year. Ultimately, we'd like to get our streamers in front of fish before they've had a chance to gorge themselves on the nymphs and dry flies of prime hatch time - around early June on the Muskegon river and in the Midwest. Additionally, if it's at all possible to plan a streamer trip shortly after some fairly heavy rain showers, that too can be an ally if the river levels come up a "bit" and the water gets some color to it. Best time is the first day or two after the river has reached its highest flows and is beginning to drop towards normal conditions. A key here is, try fishing inside bends that are ACROSS from deep, dark, wood filled bends of a river. Both Brown trout and Rainbow trout will abandon their preferred lies in favor of softer currents that aren't chock full of twigs, leaves, branches and other debris that's the result of heavy rain showers.

Casting location goes hand in hand with the post rain shower scenario perfectly, but also applies to normal condition streamer fishing on the Muskegon river. Obviously, if a deep, dark stretch of a river that would typically be home to nice brown trout has all kinds of "junk" flowing directly into that deep, dark run, they will take up short term residence elsewhere, but not too far from what they call home. Think of it this way; if it's close enough to be a few tail kicks away from their home turf, in soft enough water to NOT be in the travel path of all that junk, near food that may also be living on such an inside bend AND have just enough depth to provide perceived cover, you have your high water, brown trout lie. During normal conditions, I like to work the front and back ends of the big log jams and the front and back ends of longer stretches where river bottom contour changes quickly on the Muskegon river. The cast itself can be changed up a bit as far as which direction you send your offering, but keep it perpendicular to the bank for the most part. The worst scenario on a big river like the Muskegon would be when your cast goes too far downstream and a majority of your stripping is bringing the streamer UPSTREAM and often at a rate much faster than it should be. Smaller baitfish can only swim so fast due to size and strength, keep this in mind when trying to mimic a natural food source.

These are just a handful of thoughts, ideas and technique preferences that I employ myself and when guiding during streamer trips on various rivers in west Michigan. They can certainly be expanded on to better suit your own fishing conditions and situation.

Jeff Bacon - West Michigan, Orvis Endorsed, Fly Fishing Guide & Author

http://www.westmichiganflyfishing.com

Are you looking for the fly fishing adventure of your life?

Join me on the river for an experience you'll never forget!

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Fly Fishing With Nymphs

By Steve Galletta

Nymphing

Let's face it. Nymph fishing isn't the most glamorous form of fly fishing. I often refer to it as bait fishing with a fly rod, especially when you find yourself with a San Juan Worm, a bobber(yeah it's a bobber) and lead hanging off the end of your rod. However when done right it is down right effective and fun.

Equipment

I like to fish longer rods when nymphing especially on large western rivers. Rods in the 9′ to 10′ length in 5 - 7wt are ideal for casting nymph rigs aka "junk", controlling your drift and mending your line. Longer belly fly lines are ideal for mending and controlling line. All of the major manufacturers make specific nymph lines specially suited for indicator fishing. My indicator and leader choices are always dependent upon my nymphing technique and fishing location. Your indicator is really personal preference, be it yarn, cork, foam or plastic. I, like many others, like to use the Thingamabobbers. They float well, are relatively easy to cast, are easy to see on the water, and are very sensitive, detecting very subtle takes. When it comes to leaders, there are a few choices, depending on where and how you are fishing. I always run monofilament leaders to fluorocarbon tippet. This is a personal choice of mine.

Achieving Your Drift

Presentation is everything. Period. In the case of nymphing, a flawless drag free drift will result in fish to the net. Speaking in general terms, the nymph flyfisher is trying to keep his/her flies on the bottom and in the strike zone for as long as possible. By using the proper rod angle, controlling the right amount of slack on the water and precise mending the angler can present their flies drag free and efficiently cover their water.

Here is a typical drift sequence: This is certainly easier to effectively describe on the river with a fly rod in hand, but here it goes. Cast your indicator rig up and out into the current, after your flies hit the water you should have slack in your left hand and some on the water to feed into your drift. As the indicator starts to come towards you keep your rod tip high to keep the slack off the water. When the drift is about to come even with you mend your slack line upstream getting all of your fly line upstream of your indicator. (This step is crucial in setting up the rest of your drift. If your line is below the indicator the current will create drag before you want it.) At this point your rod tip should be lowered and pointing straight out. Once your indicator starts going below you begin laying slack line on the water to feed your drift down river. As the drift is even or just pass you is the most likely time to get a strike because your flies are on the bottom and drag free, keep your eye on the bobber. Continue feeding line through a series of small upstream mends until your indicator drags out. This is the most effective way to cover the most amount of water in most situations. Adapt your mending and line control depending on the water you are fishing.

Nymphing Technique & Rigging

Traditional Indicator Rig - When fishing with a traditional indicator setup I like to use a heavier and larger diameter monofilament leader tapered down to finer fluorocarbon material. I typically start with a 9′ foot leader, place a blood knot 81/2 to 9′ feet from the indicator to hold my split shot, then another 16″ - 20″ of tippet to my first fly, then the same tippet section to the second fly. This is my general template, especially when fishing from a boat or fishing tailwater rivers.

The heavier butt section and leader material allow my clients to get exceptional turnover which is key when fishing with indicators split shot and two flies. The fluorocarbon tippet provides stealth and helps with getting the flies down quickly.

When wade fishing with this rig I always adjust my indicator placement on the leader according to type of run I'm in and the water depth. On even riffles and smooth wide runs it is not as crucial to move your indicator as it is when you are fishing seams and drop offs. There have been countless times when a client has stepped out of the boat to fish a spot with no success and as soon as I adjust the indicator the same drifts produce results. The same rules apply with your split shot and fly selection--small adjustments can lead to great success. A conscious angler is always adjusting their rig and technique.

Right Angle Nymphing

Right angle nymphing is not as common as the traditional nymphing rig, but still involves the same terminal tackle, just rigged differently. I find that this technique works the best on freestone rivers and rivers with fast current, slots, seams and pockets. By using shorter, straight line leaders tied 90 degrees off your indicator, your flies get down to the fish quicker in the type of water previously mentioned. This rig works great with larger nymphs such as stoneflies, princes, crayfish and buggers.

How to do It: Loop to loop a two to three foot section of butt material to your fly line then clinch know the other end to your strike indicator. Note that a yarn indicator with an O ring or Thingamabobber work best here. You then tie your leader material, which is a straight piece of monofilament or fluorocarbon directly to the butt section with a double surgeons loop or clinch knot. At the bottom of your leader tie on your fluorocarbon tippet with a blood knot to hold your split shot and then tie on your tandem flies. Note on this rig you do not use a packaged leader but straight mono so your flies get down quickly. I don't fish this at deep depths because of the use of the straight non tapered leader the rig is more difficult to turn over.

Dry - Dropper

With a dry dropper rig you are ultimately using your dry fly to suspend your nymph at a specific depth in the water column. The dry fly doubles as a strike indicator. On most freestone rivers a dry dropper rig is used to search for fish along the bank and provide the fish with two offerings to feed opportunistically on. On tailwaters the same technique is used especially during hopper time, but the dry-dropper technique is also used during technical sight fishing in skinny, shallow water. The dry fly acts as an indicator and looks natural to the fish and suspends the nymph at just the right level where the trout is holding. This is a deadly technique out of the boat when you have located fish.

Steve Galletta is the owner of Montana Trout Anglers, a Bighorn River based guide service. He maintains a Bighorn River blog at bighornflyfishing.com.

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Fly Fishing For Big Trout in Michigan

By Jeffrey Bacon

After the last of the ice has thawed and before the beginning of major inset activity, a narrow window of opportunity exists for the fly angler to tempt huge brown trout with large streamers. Here in our part of the country, the Midwest, this is normally during late May and early June.

 As water temperatures begin increasing, so does the activity of the fish. When they emerge from their winter lethargy of low metabolism, they're hungry and ready to eat. Smaller baitfish swimming near the river bank and shallows resume active feeding as well. They too are foraging, looking for anything and everything that might offer nourishment. The occasional subsurface eruption is a tell-tale signal that one has just met a swift, piscivorous end.

 One thing you can almost always count on during this time of year is a fast moving weather front. Thunderstorms can come on quickly and wreak havoc if you're not prepared. For this reason, I take advantage of the internet and the Weather Channel to help me choose fishing days least likely to be affected by weather. Despite all the forecasting in the world, sometimes I can still find myself in a precarious situation.

 One day is seared into my memory and not likely to dissipate any time soon. I was out with friend and fellow streamer freak Brad Turner during springtime a number of years back. We weren't on the water for half an hour before a fast moving weather front came in. A number of lightning bolts touching ground too close for our comfort drove us under cover. With our graphite rods judiciously placed against a tree yards away, we were set to wait it out. Rolling thunder turned into a loud CRACK that sounded like big-game rifle being fired right next to us. Having been caught in more than a few storms over the last 30 years, I've seen them come and go, but it's impossible to be ready for that blinding streak of silver from above. This one nearly required a change of britches ! It did pass, but not before giving us an incredible light show and display of the power that mother nature has hidden in those clouds above.

 Big Trout Condos
 
 Big trout like to live where they feel safe. They also like to eat feed not too far from familiar surroundings.

 Brush piles, downed trees, uprooted stumps, logjams, old docks, manmade stream improvements and deeply undercut, heavily rooted banks all qualify as home-sweet-home to an old, hook-jawed brown trout.

 Occupying some of the heaviest cover the river has to offer, he doesn't make himself easy to get at. When in search of food, he will venture from the comfort of structure to spots in the river where a feeding channel is close, but never more than a tail-kick away from the lumber and his safely zone. His home habitat is as familiar to him as your favorite living room recliner is to you. He knows exactly where he is and how to quickly get back to safety should the need arise.

 Although such large trout may move to and from their preferred lies for feeding purposes, once a dominant fish finds a comfortable location to call home, he is not likely to give it up to a subordinate fish. Work log jams with the most favorable looking surroundings. Continued depth downstream from a piling or a nice cut in the river bottom at the edge of the jam where current speeds come together below the structure and create a nice seam for fish to comfortably sit in. Oven overhanging branches from a neighboring tree that casts a shadow on the hole or run. Be deliberate and thorough in working these deep, dark, promising places.

 One such location proved fruitful on a late May day couple years ago. With an arsenal of rods, fly boxes, a cooler of Mountain Dew and submarine sandwiches, Tommy and I set out for another day of streamer fishing. No long into the day we came upon a likely looking run. I was on the oars. With a couple of casts toward the front of an ominous jam, followed by one down the gut, Tommy's line went taut before he could yell, "FISH ON !" The battle between man and beast was beautiful, each having its way with the other at different times during the tussle. I dropped anchor and hopped out of the boat, intent on getting downstream from the fish. With symphonic precision, Tommy worked the fish over a sand-bar shelf. I move in with the net and ---in the bag ! After we caught our breath, out came the camera and tape; 24 inches of hooked-jawed majesty. One look at his elongated snout and his mouthful of teeth and we named him "The Gator".
 
Another episode three years ago will not soon be forgotten. Only after casting farther and working line deeper in a run called "Kestners Corner" on the famous Pere Marquette rivers in western Michigan, did I find the sweet spot of this particular run. Sweet for the fish, but not for me and this one will remain a mystery. With friend Adam on the oars, I diligently worked tandem flies in and around various obstacles in this short S-bend of logs, stumps and boulders. Adam pumped the oars a couple times to set me up for the prime spot in the run. I measured the cast and sent my flies toward the jam. I had barely gotten my line under a finger to start stripping it back and out he came....BANG A short but swift hook-set and the battle was on. The heavy-shouldered golden brute made a dash for the wood, but with a downstream sweep of my rod, I kept him from reaching the lumber. He made another run for cover, but another rod turn and he was clear of danger. Luck was on my side.....I thought. His last run was downstream into fast, choppy water. I felt him tire, Adam was there with net in hand and ready. With a couple more turns of the reel, I was ready to bring him up. As he came to the surface, he revealed himself, "BIG fish". Another burst of energy put him just out of the nets reach. My attempt to bring him back toward us ended with him splashing frantically at the surface nearly next to the boat and next thing I see.......pop, there goes the hook and one incredible fish.

 Gearing up for the Big Boys
 
 He's not your average trout. Leave your 4 and 5 weight fly rods at home. Casting full sinking or heavy sink-tip lines with oversized streamers requires greater physical strength and persistence. A 7 or 8 weight, medium to fast action rods, measuring 8 ½ to 10 feet will deliver your offering the best. Properly balanced, such rods are light enough to allow for sustained casting throughout the day, yet have the backbone to pull a big fish out of, or away from, heavy cover and structure during a dog fight such as this.

 I recall a battle with a plump, feisty female brown trout with more speed than is often associated with large, lumber-hunkering browns. With the umpteenth cast of my 10 foot, 7 weight rod rigged with 250 grain sinking line in long deep runs, my fingers started to get number. Despite the fatigue, my cast landed between a boil from a submerged stump and a series of crisscrossed logs in a center river trough. Between strips of my streamer, the line jumped and I was off to the races with this butterscotch beauty.

 After a run of 30-40 feet downstream, most of which was less than two feet below the surface, she reversed direction with just as much vigor and was back in front of us in no time. When she made her turn close to the boat, I could see the profile and knew this was no small trout. After negotiating a few more runs around the surrounding logs, she was safely resting in the soft mesh of the net. With a short, narrow nose and an opal blue dot behind her eye, she lit up in the midday sun, all 2 foot of her.

 This pace of action can down right tire you out. It's a good idea to take an occasional break to subdue the inevitable fatigue that will set in during a full day of "big boy" streamer fishing. If you're too tired and not paying attention, you could end up casting a rather pricey rod/reel combo right into the river. However, with some patience and practice with your timing, such fishing can be very rewarding.

 Different fishing situations call for the use of sinking or sink tip lines of differing lengths and weight. If wade fishing, I might opt for a sink-tip of 8-14 feet in length, in a 250-300 grain weight. Being able to mend the back portion of the fly line will allow you to work the bottom two-thirds of the water column.

 Leaders are important, but not nearly as critical as they are for dry fly fishing. My typical streamer leader is about 3-5 feet, depending on water clarity and tapered down to 8-15 pound test. In other words, I let the river guide me......sounds odd! If the water is off color, I will increase pound strength of tippet and decrease it if water is low and/or clear. When tying fly to tippet with a standard improved clinch or Duncan Loop knot, it's helpful to balance the line strength and diameter with "How" the fly acts in the water. Specifically, how does it look in the water based on the stiffness of both high/low pound test tippet material? I will use a Rapala knot or Perfection loop knot when tying on larger streamers. With an open loop type knot, it allows the fly/flies to "bob and weave" through the water in an erratic manner which often elicits vicious strikes.

 Two years ago Marc Kiekenapp and I found ourselves drifting unknowingly close to one too many log jams and he got snagged up. I rowed over to it, he stripped extra line in to bring the snagged fly right to the rod tip to try and free it from the lumber....SNAP !....Marc's four piece rod was not a five piece. More than one rod has fallen victim to big streamer fishing. Overhanging branches, strong hooks sets and strong tippet can be a recipe for rod breakage from time to time, bring an extra rod along just to be safe.

 Supersize Flies
 
Let your conventional size 6 Black Nose Dace, Mickey Finns or Muddler Minnows rest comfortably in their own box next to your summertime dry fly box of Elk Hair Caddis and PMD's. To lure a really large trout, you have to start thinking BIG. Streamers that look like small rodents with hooks. The flies you should be packing are four to six inches long, sometimes even longer depending on conditions. Often constructed with two hooks and connected with heavy backing, heavy monofilament, wire or a combination, they are truly a "creation" by the fly tier. Some are weighted to go deep, others aren't in order to ride high in the water column. Some look more like Christmas tree ornaments than traditional trout streamers. Not to say that the "classics" don't work, but you will increase your chances for a big boy considerably by increasing the size of the fly you're fishing. A big trout wants a mouthful if it's going to spend the energy chasing food. It's a thrill to see a large fly, undulating through the water as it's retrieved and then suddenly engulfed by a dark shadow that bolts out of nowhere and buckles your rod to the cork......my heart start pounding just thinking about it !
 

Vary color and combinations to correspond to differences in water depth, clarity, flow, light conditions and even physical makeup of the river. When throwing tandem streamers, I like to have one offset the other in color and/or action. Tip drab olive fly could be followed by a sparkly rainbow pattern, black followed by white, cream deer hair head (will suspend a bit due to deer hair), trailed by a bright yellow. The combinations are many and it doesn't hurt to try out different combinations on different rivers.

 I have found some consistency in productive patterns when fishing high water with some "tint" to it. Under such conditions, a fly with a good silhouette will draw more attentions from fish than a sparse, faint pattern. When working a stretch of river filled with log jams that have a dark back drop, I will use lighter combinations since they will show up good with that dark wood behind it. If the run is a deeper "cut" or trough adjacent to quality lumber based cover, but has a sand bottom, I will be quick to go dark due to the comparatively light back drop of the sand bottom.
 

Two years ago I was fishing a black strip leech, trailed by a white baitfish pattern. An enormous brown trout bolted from cover to inspect the leech, only to pinwheel back and absolutely HAMMER the white fly. I often wonder if an attention-getting front fly acts as an attractor more often than we "know". Since only the fish have that answer, it's still just a theory. There are no hard and fast rules here, experimentation has often led to some great discoveries in the world of fly fishing.

 Technique
 
Casting supersized flies cannot merely tire you out; it can be downright dangerous if not carried out with your full attention and some practice prior to getting in the river. Case in point - following a heart-pounding episode where a true trophy TRUTTA showed himself with a quick chase and short inspection of my fly, I frantically attempted to re-cast to the same spot, only to have it all come to a halt with a five inch streamer pattern hanging from my EAR !.....OUCH ! Sunglasses or other eye protection are critical to have on when casting big flies.

 Given that most any river can be fished with large, gaudy streamers, it's now a matter of how to effectively cast such large flies, get them where you want AND not put a hook in your fishing buddy.

 My vision of traditional streamer fishing involves casting toward a bank at a 90 degree angle

- perpendicular in other words - and working the fly back into mid river as though it got caught sideways in the current and is now susceptible to any nearby ambush artists....big trout ! Logic here is that by casting toward the bank, "maybe" just a bit downstream from perpendicular, that you're putting your fly in front of the greatest number of fish. This is due to the fact that trout need to keep their noses into the current to most effectively pump water and oxygen through their gills. After retrieving fly/flies to just shy of the sink line-leader knot, pick up, false cast once, maybe twice to lengthen slightly or change direction a bit, present fly, let is sink slightly and begin the stripping sequence and repeat as you work your way down river. Repeat the process, focusing on likely holding water such as medium depth and medium current speed runs, troughs and jams.

 Sounds good, but what's wrong with this approach ??? Nothing, IF you have the room to back cast 15-25 or more feet of line. When using larger flies that cast and track differently in the water, a few things can be done with the cast and retrieve to keep your flies where you want them and not beat your body up too badly while chucking around big macs all day.

 I like to employ a roll cast set up when working with heavy sink lines and big flies. Like a traditional roll cast, the motion is similar, but for different reasons. Rather than stripping the fly all the way back to nearly the tip of the rod, instead begin the roll cast motion once you see your fly or have a pretty good idea that it's only 6-8 feet out from the rod tip. By starting the roll cast at this time, you're accomplishing 2 things in one continuous motion; not bringing ALL of your line in and then having to cast a clunky knot through various snake guides on your rod, but still keeping flies in the water for the greatest distance you can. Should a strike come at the end, when your flies are a mere few feet from your casting position, you can strip one big arm length of line in and still have enough tension to set the hook. Polarized glasses help a lot when training your eyes to look for the flies, versus aimlessly stripping away until you hear the line-leader knot clumsily climb through the tip-top of your rod.            

 By keeping some line outside your rod tip and using the first part of the roll cast motion as a "set up"- soft roll cast that has your flies land very close, but in FRONT of you - it's rather easy to then simply pick up line, execute a short back cast and shoot the remainder of your fly line. An exceptional technique on smaller streams, it's also a great way to fish larger rivers. Once you get into a rhythm, it's a very effective method for covering a lot of water and minimizing the wear on your body, especially the casting arm and shoulder

Once in the "big fly" mindset, it's critical to strip whatever streamer pattern(s) you're casting, at a speed consistent with that of the natural that you're trying to duplicate with your fly. In other words, don't strip a 2" baitfish pattern in rapid, 20-30" increments, a fish that small cannot swim that fast ! This being said, I'm not a strong proponent of the slow strip during prime streamer time, which are the warming months of April and May in the Midwest. In some cases, you have to get a fish on the verge of hysteria to follow a big streamer. Sometimes that means running it by them at a pace that's slow enough for them to catch, yet fast enough to make them nearly swim out of their scales trying to get it. As we "match the hatch" with surface feeding trout, we can do nearly the same with streamers at times. Identify what big trout are likely to be feeding on based on the river and habitat and then duplicate the fly, motion and speed of retrieval to best match the natural. Large trout eat fish and they're used to chasing them down.......give 'em what they want and what they're familiar with.

 The Secret to Coaxing a Big Fish
 
 As with so much else in life, success in hooking and landing big trout is fundamentally a matte of putting in your time. Few anglers I know can pick up a big-fly rig and cast it effortlessly and accurately if they have not devoted hours of time and sustained effort to this type of fly fishing. Even those who have fished this way have to get re-accustomed to the whole feel of this game. "A bit rusty, eh?" is a common phrase early spring from friends and fellow anglers I may be on the water with. We all throw some wayward casts early in the season. But once "dialed in", although not always poetry in motion, it is rather magical to watch and only then can one turn the tables on large trout, when WE become the predator.
  

 Streamer fishing for big trout is definitely not for everyone. You first have to accept the givens of this approach.

1 - You're not going to catch a lot of fish and may get only a few good shots at them.

2 - Hooked doesn't mean landed. I lost one of the nicest brown trout that I've ever seen, let alone hooked on a streamer, right at the net after negotiating numerous obstacles like stumps, boulders, an entire log jam and a tricky turn in the river. Friend Adam was ready with the net......and I lost him. As much as we "willed" that fish another 10 inches closer to the rim of the net, it didn't happen.

3 - You will get tired. Your arm may feel like Jell-O at the end of a full day of tossing around rag dolls.

4 - You will lose flies, some very elaborate that may have taken you or another person quite a while to tie.

5 - You can experience glory and agony with the same fish in a matter of seconds....some of which you will remember forever....

Jeff Bacon - West Michigan, Orvis Endorsed, Fly Fishing Guide & Author

http://www.westmichiganflyfishing.com

Are you looking for the fly fishing adventure of your life? Join me on the river for an experience you'll never forget!

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History of Fly Fishing

By Robin Lambert

Fly fishing is an ancient sport, with records of Romans in 200 AD using flies to catch trout and the more complete history of fishing in England and Scotland beginning in the 17th century. The Japanese form of line casting, Tenkara, is traced to the 19th century, but Japanese anglers have been tying flies for hundreds of years. American fishing tackle production in the 19th century evolved from primitive rods with horsehair line made by hand through early line.

Many credit the first recorded use of an artificial fly to the Roman Claudius Aelianus near the end of the 2nd century. He described the practice of Macedonian anglers on the Astraeus River:...they have planned a snare for the fish, and get the better of them by their fisherman's craft. They fasten red wool round a hook, and fit on to the wool two feathers which grow under a cock's wattles, and which in color are like wax. Their rod is six feet long, and their line is the same length. Then they throw their snare, and the fish, attracted and maddened by the color, comes straight at it, thinking from the pretty sight to gain a dainty mouthful; when, however, it opens its jaws, it is caught by the hook, and enjoys a bitter repast, a captive.

The first book concerning fly fishing was written by Dame Juliana Berners. The Treatise on Fysshynge with an Angle is found in The Boke of St. Albans which was published in 1496. It included tips for making flies, rods and lines. Fly fishing gradually became more popular throughout the eighteen hundreds in Great Britain.

In 1653, Isaac Walton wrote "The Complete Angler" is a book which contained many chapters on fly fishing. All information contained in this book show that fly fishing is well known in England and Scotland. Many clubs in fly fishing came in the 1800s England and this has enabled this popular sport to expand to the way it is today.

In Scotland, many anglers also favoured wet-fly fishing, where the technique was more popular and widely practised than in England. One of Scotland's leading proponents of the wet fly in the early-to-mid 19th century was WC Stewart, who published "The Practical Angler" in 1857. In Scandinavia and the United States, attitudes toward methods of fly fishing were not nearly as rigidly defined, and both dry and wet fly fishing were soon adapted.

Scotland is world famous for its loch-style tradition of using at least three flies per line which, until now, has always been permitted in the championships. Scotland is also the home of competitive fly fishing, with the oldest fly fishing contest in the world held on Loch Leven on July 1, 1880 when most anglers used four flies. In September, anglers will be awarded 100 points per fish.

A study of fly-fishing-history indicates that the earliest hooks were made from bone about 3000 years ago in southern Europe. They are of a simple design and are not dissimilar to modern day hooks.
Early references to fishing with rod and line can be found on ancient Egyptian tomb paintings.

The first flies were produced after man discovered, much to his surprise, that covering the hook with feathers fooled the fish into thinking that what was really a piece of sharpened bone was a nice tasty fly. The first references to fishing with flies originated in England during the 13th century. The fly was described as a hook tied with feathers and was used for fishing trout and grayling. These early flies were used to catch fish for food.

The technique used by these early fishermen was to simply 'lay' the artificial fly on the water's surface, similar to dappling the fly as used in Scottish loch style fishing today.

Early fishing-lines were simply lengths of uniform-section horsehair and it wasn't until the advent of the first reels that people realised that the lines could be tapered. This discovery led to lines of different tapers being produced which made them easier to use and more accurate.

According to the writers of the time, it was not until the end of the 15th century that fly fishing was practised as a sport by the English upper classes.

Some anglers say fly fishing is more than a past time and hobby, it is a sport and an art, requiring a lot of concentration and patients from the angler. It's different to other fishing in that the angler uses fly's which they can tie themselves or buy ready made from their local tackle shops.

Modern fly fishing is normally said to have originated on the fast, rocky rivers of Scotland and Northern England.

British fly-fishing continued to develop in the 19th Century, with the emergence of fly fishing clubs, along with the appearance of several books on the subject of fly tying and fly fishing techniques. In southern England, dry-fly fishing acquired an elitist reputation as the only acceptable method of fishing the slower, clearer rivers of the south.

In fly fishing, fish are caught by using artificial flies that are cast with a fly rod and a fly line. Todays fly lines are mostly coated with plastic and is heavy enough to cast in order to send the fly to the target. Artificial flies can vary dramatically in all morphological characteristics (size, weight, colour, etc.).

Artificial flies are created by tying hair, fur, feathers, or other materials, both natural and synthetic, onto a hook with thread. The first flies were tied with natural materials, but synthetic materials are now extremely popular and prevalent. The flies are tied in sizes, colours and patterns to match local terrestrial and aquatic insects, baitfish, or other prey attractive to the target fish species.

Fly fishing is a distinct and ancient angling method, most renowned as a method for catching trout and salmon, but employed today for a wide variety of species including pike, bass, panfish, and carp, as well as marine species, such as redfish, snook, tarpon, bonefish and striped bass. There are many reports of fly anglers taking species such as chub, bream and rudd while fishing for trout.

From the ancient methods of catching fish on a pole, horses hair line and bone hooks with feathers tied to them up to today's method, the production and technology has been astronomical with newer, finer and stronger materials being used.

There is a growing population of anglers whose aim is to catch as many different species as possible with the fly, but a true angler will say it is for the enjoyment and the thrill of piting your wits against the fish (who normally come of the best).

When taking up fly fishing for the first time it can be a daunting experience not knowing what to purchase. Hopefully the information within this website about the various tackle manufacturers around the world at your disposal will be helpful in some way and suitable to the money you have to spend on your sport.

Robin Lambert
http://www.flyfishingdirectory.co.uk
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Fly Fishing - A Military Guide on How to Find Fish

By Nick Sawyer

"Time spent on reconnaissance is seldom wasted."

In the Army everyone has what is known as the 'Mark One Eyeball'. A small number of soldiers and officers consider themselves to have a 'Mark Two Eyeball'. These are the trained observers. Besides observation, there are other military skills which are of use to the fisherman. Camouflage and concealment are taught to every soldier in the Army along with the need for surprise and deception - both principles of war. The best deception plan is always one the enemy is expecting to see, fly fishing is about deceiving a fish by presenting an artificial where and when the fish is expecting to see the real thing.

It is always amazing how often fishermen fail to spot the huge number of clearly discernible fish in a stretch of water. Seeing fish is not an inherited skill, it has to be learnt. I was lucky. My childhood was spent with my grandfather and father giving me a hard time every time they pointed to a fish I couldn't see. I tried lying but got even more grief when I couldn't say how big or what species the fish was. Needless to say I soon learnt to spot them. With hindsight, and the benefits of military training, I now realise that seeing fish is simply a case of self discipline and patience. It is very easy to throw a quick glance over the water without really looking. To search water for fish, we have to remember that we are looking through the river surface at a volume of water with a number of layers, each with quite different optical properties. In light of the decline in fly life abundance on chalk streams, good observation skills are more relevant than ever. Looking for rising fish is simply not an efficient observation method if there is no fly, or the fish aren't surface feeding.

The military teaches observation techniques by splitting the observation area up into blocks and looking at each of these in turn. The 'looking' is done by slowly sweeping with the eyes from right to left and then up and down in each block. This method ensures that every part of the observation area is checked. An area more likely to be harbouring the enemy is given extra attention, but nowhere is omitted. It is tedious, but it works. The river should be examined in 5 metre lengths. Each length is split into 9 blocks. Left, centre, right and near, middle, far. Each block has 3 layers of water; bottom, sub-surface and surface. For every 5 metres of river there are 27 'bits' of water that have to be checked. I think you will agree, self discipline and patience are a must. It should take at least 2 or 3 minutes to check every 5 metres of river. Don't stop the process just because you spot a fish. That specimen wild trout may be in block 27 and you will never know because the half pound grayling in block 3 has grabbed your attention. Analyse all 27 blocks then decide which of the fish you are going to catch. You will be amazed at how many fish are present and even more amazed at how many are just a few feet away where even the most out-of-practice fisherman will be able to cast with ease.

There are other tricks which can be used to enhance these observation techniques. Light refracts in different ways from each layer of water. Perhaps the surface is warmer than the bottom of the river, or the ripples on the surface may be disturbing the rays. Changing the level of the eyes can work wonders. Fish that are clearly visible from eyes only a couple of feet above the water can become invisible when the fisherman stands normally - or vice versa. While using the 'block' observation technique, try slowly bending down and then returning to a standing position. You will become instantly aware when you are at the right level for observing a certain block.

I remember sitting down on the bank of my local river, the Avon, to eat my sandwiches during July of a high water year. I had selected a quiet shady spot under a tree where I had just caught a brace of trout and half a dozen grayling. I thought there was nothing left under the tree worth fishing for so it was as good a place as any for lunch. The surface of the water was smooth and lifeless with not a fly or fish to be seen, even a plump green caterpillar which fell into the water was safe. As I sat with my back to a small tree and munched a pork pie it became readily apparent from this new eye level that the pool under the tree was far from empty. About 2 feet out from the bank was a rather bloated pike of about 5 pounds that I had completely missed while standing up.

Polaroids can greatly assist observation but they can be something of a mixed blessing. They undoubtedly make it easier to see into the water under certain conditions but they can turn even the most experienced fisherman into a lazy observer. The fisherman must have the self discipline to continue using the correct observation techniques even when using polaroids.

Reconnaissance assets on the modern battlefield are a sparse asset. To counter this shortage, surveillance and reconnaissance units spend more time looking in areas where they expect to find the enemy. These areas are determined by a procedure known as 'Intelligence Preparation of the Battlespace'. The fisherman should also spend more time looking in places where he expects to find fish and also in places where he can do something about it if he spots one. Trout and grayling are both creatures of habit and are often found in similar places. For trout, check under banks, behind a mass of weed, in a run between two clumps of ranunculus or beneath an overhanging tree. For grayling it is the deep pool or slower moving water. These are the areas that should be given extra attention.

Fish in the open are easy to spot but often the whole fish is not visible, or it is very well camouflaged. In these situations the properties that allow an observer to discern an object from its surroundings can be remembered by the phrase: shape, shadow, shine, silhouette and movement. Often a trout will 'materialise' after the observer has identified a fin or a tail, or seen a silver flash or the whiteness of an opening mouth.

Of course it all gets more difficult when the need to be covert is taken into account. There is absolutely no point in being able to see fish if they have also detected your presence. The advantage is definitely with the fish. It can see you, your shadow and your rod, hear you and the noise of your tackle on or in the water, and can also feel the vibrations you are making by walking up the bank. Where shape, shadow, shine silhouette and movement were used to detect fish, the masking of these signatures is essential to prevent fish from spotting the fisherman.

Like all good military skills, there are Standard Operating Procedures that can be applied to finding catchable fish. They do not remove the need for skilful casting and fishing techniques, but they should help all fishermen find more fish. The Standard Operating Procedures for finding fish are simple:

1. Approach fishing area covertly.
2. Carry out block observation technique on first 5 metre stretch. Vary eye level where necessary and wear polaroids if available.
3. Identify those blocks more likely to be harbouring fish and observe these areas in detail.
4. Decide which of the many fish observed is the target fish.
5. Land target fish and select another, or move covertly on to the next 5 metre stretch.

The author, Nick Sawyer, is the grandson of the late Frank Sawyer MBE - inventor of the Pheasant Tail Nymph. Nick runs a small hobby business that sells nymphs and flies made in the original manner devised by Frank Sawyer. Please visit http://www.SawyerNymphs.com for nymphs, flies, fishing books and traditional fishery management products.

If you are unsure which fly you should use, try out free Sawyer Nymphs Fly Selector Google Gadget at http://www.WhichDryFly.co.uk.

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Czech Nymph Fly Fishing - 80% of Trout Food is Found on the River Bed Or Just Off of It

By Andy Kitchener

The Essential Fly Fishing Technique

Czech nymph fly fishing was introduced to the UK during the 1990 World Championships. The Czech team beat the UK International teams on the Welsh River Dee. The Czech team caught grayling in numbers from places that were thought impossibly fast or deep previously by traditional fly fishermen. This sent shock-waves through the world of competition angling. The technique is today considered to be pretty much a standard - an essential part of every grayling anglers armoury and great for trout and other fish.

Firstly, let's take a look at the flies, the Czech nymph has many, many variations, but all are based upon one simple design, utilising a heavily-leaded hook. They are intended to be fished very deep, in fast water, weight & a slim profile are important.

Czech Nymph Fly Fishing Tackle

A 5 or 6-weight rod will be sufficient, 9' to 10' is ideal for better control of the flies. Leader should be of about 9' in length, NOT tapered as they are counter-productive as tapered leader won't sink quickly enough. Just use something like 6lb down to the top dropper, with 4lb from there down. Use two 5-6" droppers, one about 18" above the point fly, the other about 18" above that. The true Czech method is to fish the heaviest nymph on the top dropper, so that it helps carry the other flies down to the correct level. To help ensure rapid sinking of the flies, degrease the leader. You will be looking for takes on the end of the fly line, so depending on your eyesight you may wish to use some sort of bite indicator.

Czech Nymph Fly Fishing Tactics

• The water will be fast flowing water, normally considered to not be able to fish on using a fly, probably 18" - 3' deep. You'll want to get your flies as near to the bottom as possible. Do not fish with more than about 3-4' of fly-line outside the tip ring. This is difficult to do, as the fly fisherman's natural tendency is to shoot a bit of line.
• This is extremely short range fishing, fish will be close to your rod! Do not cast conventionally, there is not enough line & the nymphs are far too heavy - the nymphs that provide the casting weight. Use a flicking action to throw the nymphs upstream at an angle of about 30 degrees. Done correctly, the 'flick cast' will extend the leader so that the nymphs lie in a straight line upstream. They will immediately start to sink rapidly as the current brings the flies back down towards you.
• To stay in touch with the flies, don't retrieve any line, just track round with the rod, raising & lowering the tip as appropriate. Watch your indicator very closely! Any hesitation, draw, stutter, check - strike it immediately.
• Because of the fast nature of the water grayling and trout will have little chance to closely examine the fly and hit quickly. Fan cast the water ahead of you and, if no action, take a pace or two upstream & repeat. This is fast fishing, each cast is fished out in 5-10 seconds and you're straight into the next one, a lightweight rod helps the weary arms. Often it is often useful to let the flies come down below you and allow them to fish for a few moments as they come round the bend and onto 'the dangle'.
• Keep the rod tip above the indicator & steadily 'lean' downstream, dropping the tip as you do so. This can be a particularly effective tactic, taking one or two more fish out of water that has already been worked.

Obviously, with this technique you do not need to restrict yourself to Czech nymphs. The key is to use heavily-weighted flies, so gold-head / bead head flies, heavy tungsten nymphs will do just as well. 'Matching the hatch' is not a priority with this fishing! This is an active searching method and, as such, technique is more important than specific pattern. This sent shock-waves through the world of competition angling. The technique is today considered to be pretty much a standard - an essential part of every grayling anglers armoury and great for trout and other fish.

Firstly, let's take a look at the flies, the Czech nymph has many, many variations, but all are based upon one simple design, utilising a heavily-leaded hook. They are intended to be fished very deep, in fast water, weight & a slim profile are important.

Czech Nymph Fly Fishing Tackle

A 5 or 6-weight rod will be sufficient, 9' to 10' is ideal for better control of the flies. Leader should be of about 9' in length, NOT tapered as they are counter-productive as tapered leader won't sink quickly enough. Just use something like 6lb down to the top dropper, with 4lb from there down. Use two 5-6" droppers, one about 18" above the point fly, the other about 18" above that. The true Czech method is to fish the heaviest nymph on the top dropper, so that it helps carry the other flies down to the correct level. To help ensure rapid sinking of the flies, degrease the leader. You will be looking for takes on the end of the fly line, so depending on your eyesight you may wish to use some sort of bite indicator.

Czech Nymph Fly Fishing Tactics

• The water will be fast flowing water, normally considered to not be able to fish on using a fly, probably 18" - 3' deep. You'll want to get your flies as near to the bottom as possible. Do not fish with more than about 3-4' of fly-line outside the tip ring. This is difficult to do, as the fly fisherman's natural tendency is to shoot a bit of line.
• This is extremely short range fishing, fish will be close to your rod! Do not cast conventionally, there is not enough line & the nymphs are far too heavy - the nymphs that provide the casting weight. Use a flicking action to throw the nymphs upstream at an angle of about 30 degrees. Done correctly, the 'flick cast' will extend the leader so that the nymphs lie in a straight line upstream. They will immediately start to sink rapidly as the current brings the flies back down towards you.
• To stay in touch with the flies, don't retrieve any line, just track round with the rod, raising & lowering the tip as appropriate. Watch your indicator very closely! Any hesitation, draw, stutter, check - strike it immediately.
• Because of the fast nature of the water grayling and trout will have little chance to closely examine the fly and hit quickly. Fan cast the water ahead of you and, if no action, take a pace or two upstream & repeat. This is fast fishing, each cast is fished out in 5-10 seconds and you're straight into the next one, a lightweight rod helps the weary arms. Often it is often useful to let the flies come down below you and allow them to fish for a few moments as they come round the bend and onto 'the dangle'.
• Keep the rod tip above the indicator & steadily 'lean' downstream, dropping the tip as you do so. This can be a particularly effective tactic, taking one or two more fish out of water that has already been worked.

Obviously, with this technique you do not need to restrict yourself to Czech nymphs. The key is to use heavily-weighted flies, so gold-head / bead head flies, heavy tungsten nymphs will do just as well. 'Matching the hatch' is not a priority with this fishing! This is an active searching method and, as such, technique is more important than specific pattern.

Andy is CEO of The Essential Fly, a quality manufacturer or fly fishing flies, fly fishing tackle and gear and fly tying materials

Andy is a passionate fisherman and always looking at new materials and flies and their effects on the quarry fish. Andy has been lucky in fishing all around the world for many different fish species including salmon, trout, steelhead, pike (or muskie) through to sailfish and marlin.

Mostly Andy loves any excuse to go the the river, lake or sea and simply enjoy the delights of fly fishing. In his spare time Andy is totally hooked on fishing and spends time designing new fishing flies including steelhead flies, trout flies and pike flies and designing new and innovative fly fishing gear and manufacturing them cost effectively.

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Fly Fishing With Streamers

By Steve Galletta

Fly Fishing With Streamers

This is a favorite way to fish on a guide's day off and also one of my favorite things to introduce anglers to who have not tried it before. Streamer fishing is one of those techniques that is hard to have confidence in, until you have been successful with it. While anglers often streamer fish to go after some of the largest trout, streamer fishing at the right times can bring quantity as well as quality to the net. On larger rivers such as the Bighorn and Yellowstone, a certain level of casting proficiency tends to be necessary in order to be successful while fishing streamers.

At times hitting your spots and placement of your fly is key to motivate a trout to chase. Whether fishing the banks or mid river structure, your ability to place your fly in likely holding areas is going to be the key to your success. And more often than not, the more spots you hit, the more fish you will have come to your fly.

Some people often consider streamer fishing to be a less technical form of pursuit while chasing trout. I don't agree with that. Matching your streamer technique and fly patterns to variables such as river type, water clarity, weather and water temperature will have a significant impact on your success rate.

Streamer Technique & Fishing Conditions

There are many ways to present your streamer, from pounding the banks, to slow and deep strips, long strips, short strips, strip-strip-pause, mend & twitch, dead-drift and swing. With the equipment and rigging style I presented above you can use several techniques to present your streamer to the fish. A little common sense goes a long way when deciding which method will work best the day you are on the river. Here are a few examples: I tend to fish slower and deeper during the winter and late fall or when a significant temperature change has occurred. At this time I typically incorporate longer and slower strips, many times in the deepest and slowest part of the run. When water temps are lower and the trout's metabolism is low, being methodical in your approach is key, hit the trout on the nose.

When fishing the banks, I like to key in on structure, seams and drop offs within five feet of the bank. I typically do the best pounding the banks when water temperatures are ideal for trout--in the 50′s or so. Your strips are typically fast and erratic and your arm should be thoroughly worn out at the end of the day. This fishing is not for everyone, but can certainly be exciting. When fishing banks, as an angler I am trying to appeal to a trout's opportunistic feeding behavior, where as a predator the trout cannot pass up an easy prey. This is when we typically get the most explosive takes and what I call kill shots. There isn't any chase to the boat, just hit your spot with the fly, line goes tight and fish on. If you are getting several chases but no kill shot, then first change the pace of your strip and if that does not work, change your fly. When a river rises and clarity diminishes, the fish will move to the banks. Prime streamer fishing on the banks often occurs when a river is dropping and just clearing. As visibility improves, it is time to pound the banks hard. This trend is very evident on a river such as the Yellowstone.

Another technique I like to use is a dead drift and/or mend and twitch approach. This approach is fished slower and works well in pocket water, around mid-river boulders and fishing runs out of a boat. For example, when you come upon a mid- river boulder you will have deeper holding water in front of, on the sides, and, most of all, behind the boulder as well as in the accompanying downstream seam. Fish in all of these. But the most ideal conditions will be (???unwilling to elevate to a streamer just below the surface), in a short deep hole. Your ability to manipulate your line through mending will allow you to get your fly deep in the hole and most importantly keep it there. Once it's in the strike zone, you can impart action to your fly, in association with the plunging action of the current, through short twitches. This technique is valuable in sculpin rich waters. Sculpins hold tight to the river bottom(hence the shape of their body) and keeping your fly sliding across the rocks, using a dead drift technique, will increase your catch rate.

Equipment and Rigging

I typically streamer fish with a 9 foot rod of 6 weight or 7 weight, with a matching weight line or a line one weight higher than the weight of the rod. My lines typically have quick loading front tapers that are ideal for throwing short sink tips.

I typically always use a sink tip around 7 feet in length. The tips from RIO come in sink rates ranging from 1.0 ips(inch per second) to 7.0 ips and can cover a wide variety of streamer fishing conditions and can match well with many different rod actions and weights. I do not use full sinking lines for my river fishing because they take longer to load and are difficult for non-advanced fisherman to pick up off the water, because of their length. Off the end of my sink tips I fish heavy monofilament or fluorocarbon in 2 foot to 4 foot sections to my fly. There is no need to go light here--12 to 20 pound test is ideal and you do not want to use too long of a tippet section off of your sink tip. If you use too long of a tippet section, your fly will not sink at the same rate as your sink tip and your fly will stay up in the water column.

Pattern Selection

If there is one rule to streamer pattern selection it is to fish the fly you have confidence in. We all tend to have a fondness for that one fly that caught that one 20+ inch fish on that one day when all the stars aligned and that big beautiful trout ate your fly. Go with your instinct. It worked well once--why not again? I always enjoy changing flies and trying new patterns, but I do have have certain trends I seem to follow when it comes to streamer flies.

What I look for are: movement of the fly in the water, silhouette and color. I have a thing for flies tied with rabbit strips and marabou. These materials move or "breathe" extremely well in the water. I also like deer hair heads. They not only imitate sculpins, but deer hair on the the front of your fly pushes water, which is picked up by the extremely sensitive lateral line of the fish. I find this to be especially key when fishing dirty water. One of my favorite patterns also incorporates lead in its body, which allows the fly to wobble in the water, making the fly act as if it's injured. Carry a wide selection of flies in various silhouettes and colors. There is nothing wrong with trial and error. Keep your hooks sharp and fish hard. You will discover patterns you regularly rely on and be pleasantly surprised when a new pattern moves fish.

Steve Galletta is the owner of Montana Trout Anglers, a Bighorn River based Guide Service. He also maintains a Bighorn River Blog at bighornflyfishing.com.

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