Some More On The Dry Fly

[OwdTrout]

3 or 4 feet with a single fly is perfect.

 

Don't forget to use loop to loop for the tippet as a knot will cut the leader when you get a fish on. The force on a loop to loop is compressive (If properly formed) whereas a single piece of mono put through the loop and tied is a shear force. Not good!

 

If you look after a furled leader it will last you several seasons. My current one is on its third. Its just like yours only about 8 feet long.

 

I have made them down to 18", but only for a demo.

 

Try casting the leader with your hand. you'll be amazed how well it turns over.

 

If you want to practice casting indoors with your new rod take about 8 feet of chenille and tie it to the ring one down from the tip, put it through the tip ring and try casting that. You will need very little power. It takes a lot of practice but will help you on the river.

 

Cheers

OT

Edited April 14, 2009 by OwdTrout

[Vagabond]

Brilliant report Steve, and that is definitely my sort of small stream !

 

Went out this week on one of my streams, which is heavily overgrown. Very narrow, but too deep to wade in knee boots. So most of the fishing was from the bank, and judging from the untrampled undergrowth, I was the first to fish it this season. Got four trout, of which one came home for lunch. Didn't make a single overhead cast all morning, and not many rollcasts either. Nearly all improvised side-switch casts aided by a strong upstream wind.

 

Over the years, my leaders for this type of fishing have got shorter and shorter ....but I still invariably start the session with a leader that is too long ! Ten minutes fishing sees me shortening it to about 30 to 36 inches - usually because I have lost a fly to an overhanging bramble.

 

Would like to do some pictures, but the camera is on the blink (see Non-Fishing Chat) Hopefully the problem will be resolved soon with a new camera.

[Steve Walker]

Thanks Dave - it's all very new and interesting, technically, though of course they're just fish at the end of the day. Usual rules apply, just new tools and techniques. I'm really glad I've made the effort this year, and can see fly fishing filling out my calendar quite nicely!

[Steve Walker]

I managed an hour or two after work today - I was in two minds whether to bother, because we've had a fair bit of rain. I went anyway. The water was up a little and carrying a bit of colour, but it looked perfectly fishable. There wasn't much rising, however - whether down to the colour in the water or the lack of flies about with the weather, I don't know. I had a dabble in a couple of promising looking swims, but eventually went to the swim that had produced most fish last time. Sure enough, there were a few rises under the trees. I lost the first fish I hooked, but got the second in.

 

 

I also got a better photograph of where the fish were:

 

 

I made a point today of trying my furled leader (thanks OT). I can really see the benefit of them, they turn over beautifully and lay the tippet and fly out so gently, and the two fish I hooked, I hooked using it. I did find, however, that as the fish retreated under the trees and my casting got more and more distorted to try to keep the loop low, the weight of the butt of the leader could slap down messily on the surface. I got into a bit of a vicious circle with this, the disturbance pushing the fish further out of reach and inviting ever more desperate and cack-handed casting. By the time I gave up and put a nylon leader on, it was too late. So I think the lesson learnt from that is to use my furled leader for really good presentation where I can get a nice cast in - it was far superior while the fish were out of the trees.

[Worms]

Nice fish and a nice little river, well done!

[OwdTrout]

Steve, do you double haul? if you do you will get a much tighter loop. Its not just for distance!

 

If you don't, the way to learn was shown to me by Philip White. Learn the action without a rod in your hands. it is like learning to pat your head and rub your stomach at the same time. If you are right handed point your index finger of your right hand and make a casting movement. Move your hand back, the back cast. Then move your left hand down and up. Move your right hand forward, the forward cast. Move your left hand down and up. Practice this move. As you get used to it, you want to time the move of your hands so that the movement of your hands coincides. That is that your left hand finishes its down and up move as your right hand completes the casting stroke.

 

Once you can make this move without it feeling strange then try it with your rod. The rod will give you the timing. I struggled with this, until Philip White showed me this technique. It is always better to try to learn one thing at a time, doing it this way you are.

 

Another tip that helps is that if you are dropping your back cast, cast in front of your face. then if you bend your wrist you hit yourself in the face. You will not do this twice!

 

Right its Saturday morning... Time to go fishing

 

Cheers,

OT

Edited April 18, 2009 by OwdTrout

[Anderoo]

Lovely fish Steve - I'm looking forward to having a little go there soon! I couldn't get out all weekend unfortunately, so I don't know what my stream is like at the moment.

 

I kept looking out of the window and grimacing!

[Steve Walker]

Steve, do you double haul? if you do you will get a much tighter loop. Its not just for distance!

 

I was trying all sorts of things! That's a good tip, though. I think I tried overhead casts with and without double hauling, and roll casting. It was just basically awkward to cast to and out of my comfort zone, and in between avoiding the brambles behind and the branches overhead and the branches overhanging where I wanted the fly, I couldn't always manage a graceful landing of the line. Just needs more practice, I think.

[Steve Walker]

Lovely fish Steve - I'm looking forward to having a little go there soon! I couldn't get out all weekend unfortunately, so I don't know what my stream is like at the moment.

 

Just let me know when you're free and we'll sort it.

 

I was in half a mind to try it again last night, but instead thought I would try an evening ticket on a local stillwater, Watermark. It's only 15 minutes drive away, though there is no C&R. It was OK, bit too much in the vein of Bushyleaze at Lechlade, really. When I arrived, people were telling me that it wasn't fishing well, and they'd blanked, and for an hour or so there was nothing doing, but by 7pm there were fish rising all over the place. I had one on a buzzer and then spent a while trying to catch one on a dry. Eventually put the buzzer back on and had another fish in no time:

 

 

I'm not sure I'm really bothered about fishing it again, but they do have a little bit of river. I'm not sure what the situation is with fishing the river, there's nothing on the website about it.