Steelhead

Fonzi Fry

Posted by Ted Kraimer - April 5, 2012

Fonzi Fry

Each year as millions of salmon eggs turn into salmon, both steelhead and trout take notice and advantage of these naive, freshly hatched “minnows.” I originally developed this fry pattern for steelhead, but it didn’t take long for the trout to convince me they like it too, making it a staple in my fly box from March through June.

In rivers like the Manistee, Betsie, Bear Creek and the Pere Marquette, where natural reproduction of salmon is prolific, have some fry patterns with you. After the salmon eggs develop into alevins in February and March, the egg sack disappears and small fish/fry swim in much of the same gravel section of water that steelhead have recently migrated to.

Fry Eating Steelhead

While these small fish are a protein source, they are also future competition for the steelheads’ offspring. As nature and instinct takes over, the salmon fry is eaten. Trout recognize these naive fish as a food source, too, and are often the reason you see trout breaking the surface when no hatch seems to be taking place — they are chasing these fry to the surface to eat them.

When fishing for steelhead, I fish this fly like any other nymph — typically below an egg pattern — and I tend to swing the fly at the end of the drift, even as it rises off the bottom. These slack-less drifts/presentations are unrecognizable as you feel the tug from a fish immediately. Look for the take to be anywhere through the drift with this pattern.

Brown Trout Love “Minnows”

Both fry and trout tend to move to the edges of the river— especially in higher water — which makes it a great place to target trout. Fishing the Fonzi Fry on a floating line with either a mono leader or sinking leader with a down-and-across swing (think soft-hackle fishing) works well. At the end of your drift (the “hang-down”), twitch the fly and strip it back in to add movement and possibly elicit a fish. This pattern can also be fished on a smaller sink-tip line to get a little deeper or it can be fished as a tandem rig behind a much larger streamer pattern.

The Fonzi Fry is available from Rainy’s Flies and can be bought in stocking fly shops. Below are tying instructions for you fly tiers.

Wet Fonzi Fly

Recipe

Hook:           TMC 2457 #8
Thread:         Gray Uni 6/0
Tail:              Grizzly Marabou
Body:           Ice Dub – UV pearl
Thorax: Ice Dub- UV pearl
Collar: Teal Feather
Eyes: Bead Chain – Black, Small
Back:            Ice Dub – peacock

Tying Instructions

Step 1. Wrap base layer of thread to above hook barb.

Step 2. Tie in tail – length to be as long as hook itself. Tie off

Step 3. Dub ice dub body, loosely, 2/3rds up shank towards hook eye.

Step 4. Tie in Eyes just behind hook eye on underside of the hook

Step 5. Tie in teal collar by the tip and fold, wrapping at least once just in front of the dubbed body.

Step 6. Dub in front of the teal and around the hook eye (figure-8)

Step 7. Prepare some peacock ice dub and tie in so it extends forward,
over eye, wrap down behind hook eye, then move thread behind eyes.

Step 8. Pull Ice Dub back towards hook bend and tie down. Whip Finish.

Notes:

Pick out some of the body dubbing to give the fly a minnow like appearance but be careful it doesn’t extend beyond the marabou tail.

Be sure to use water-based head cement on this fly as other types will ruin the synthetic ice dub back. I have found Fish Pimp – Hard Headed head cement to be a very good product.

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Trying New Methods

Posted by Jeanne Kraimer - March 27, 2012

A great aspect of fly fishing in northwest Michigan is the variety of fish we have to pursue – we aren’t limited to just one or two species or the methods we fly fish for them. While you may have fished one or more species already, there are variations in how we can chase your preferred species. Below you will find a short synopsis of the less popular species and/or ways to catch them. Often as anglers we are looking to mix things up, experience something new, or add a new species to our bucket list – here are a few that you might consider adding to your angling plans:

Carp on the Fly

Over the years this has become one of the most inquired about species and fishery that I guide for and why not? It’s intriguing to many that people actually pursue with flies a species once considered a trash fish. And they travel a great distance to do so. These fish offer the angler the closest thing to a saltwater fishing experience right here in Grand Traverse Bay. Carp are often easy to see, but getting a fly to them and getting them to eat it is what makes this species challenging and rewarding when success is accomplished.

Time of Year: The month of June is best, with good fishing in mid-May through mid-July.

Skill Level: Moderate. The successful carp angler needs to be able to cast accurately to 35 feet often in wind.

Notes: Smallmouth bass often are among the carp and can exceed 5 pounds!

Streamer Fishing for Big Trout

The concept isn’t new, however many customers haven’t tried it yet. The idea behind casting big streamer patterns is to trigger the territorial response of the alpha fish and/or offer them a large meal at once. Because the flies range from 3 to 7 inches in length, the fish usually playing along are bigger, too — “qualifying the buyer” so to speak. The number of fish caught tend to be fewer than other methods, as we drift a few miles of river, but size typically makes up for it. Besides, there is something about watching 20-plus inches of brown trout pounce on your fly that makes this all worth while.

Time of Year: Best months include May, June, September and October, but can be done effectively from April through November. It’s a great alternative anytime you don’t see trout.
Skill Level: Moderate. A decent understanding of loading the rod and casting is necessary as is stripping line.
Notes: Like anything new, there is a learning curve, and the only way to learn is to learn along the way.

Swing Flies for Steelhead

For years we were told in Michigan that we need to get to the bottom with lead and nymphs to catch fish, and that our rivers aren’t like those of the Northwest where swinging flies is the norm. Things change. Thanks to a handful of guides here in Michigan who refused the status quo and persevered, fishing two-handed rods for steelhead has become a viable method to catch fish in the Great Lakes state. While it isn’t as effective as nymphing techniques, swinging wet and spey flies and streamer patterns is simply fun. When I started doing it back in the late 90s I dubbed it as being a “Born Again Fly Fisher” — the intrigue, uncertainty, novelty and not knowing whether that long swing was going to be “the one” makes fly fishing seem new again, and a lot of fun.

Time of Year: Late April through early May, October through November
Skill Level: Moderate
Notes: The fall fishery is best as water temperatures are usually conducive to a swung fly and the fish aren’t preoccupied with spawning. In spring the post-spawn or drop-back fishing is best as water temps are ideal, the fish are done spawning and they’re looking to eat before going back to the lake.

Bass Fishing

Fishing top-water flies to largemouth bass can be some of the best fishing of the summer. As the water has warmed and the weed beds have grown, bass tend to congregate around them looking for easy meals; flies that look like frogs or others that “CHUG” across the surface commanding attention often get the “bucket mouth” to eat and that in and of itself is the best part. When the surface bite isn’t on, go subsurface with baitfish streamer patterns.

Time of Year: Late June through Early September
Skill Level: Moderate
Notes: Like many of the techniques mentioned in this article, a decent command of the cast is required to get the big wind resistant flies to where they need to be.

Smallmouth Bass in the River

Once the middle of summer is here, the fish know it too. With lower sections of the Manistee warming up, the smallmouth migrate and become an active target. Smallies are known for their fight, and the river fish are no different than their lake-living brethren. The techniques are varied but include streamers and top water flies. Chugging a popper or swimming a diver just below the surface to have the water erupt is a great visual. The streamer fishing is similar to the streamer fishing described above.

Time of Year: July and August
Skill Level: Moderate
Notes: Casting a wind-resistant popper or a sink-tip with 4 inches of rabbit isn’t for a beginner, but someone who has a good understanding of the cast can typically pick it up quickly. And the more you do something, the better angler you become.

Streamer Fish for Salmon

This is similar to fishing big streamers for trout, except when caught we measure the fish in pounds, not inches. Oh yeah, you better hold on tight to the rod, as the jolt can be just that. Casting large streamers to fish that have recently moved into the lower sections of rivers is work, but often hard work is paid off. The early, bright King/Chinook Salmon in the river aren’t happy — kind of ornery — and this attitude is to our advantage, as their predatory nature is still engaged and willing to eat a fly before they transition to fish with spawning on their minds.

Time of year: Mid-August through Early September
Skill Level: Moderate/Advanced
Notes: Weather conditions are key to this fishing — if conditions aren’t right for fish to be in the river, they simply won’t be there. However, it can all change with a wind shift and a little rain.

Like just about anything new we try, there is some learning, adjusting, tweaking, etc. involved. Often these new adventures or approaches don’t come easy at first, but most likely neither did your first time on the water with the fly rod. If you set out with the intent to learn a new technique with an opportunity to catch fish, you will do well. I pride myself on being able to gauge where your skill level is and teach you a new skill(s) in a linear approach. Casting lessons are always available prior to trips and sometimes are encouraged so you can practice ahead of time to maximize your time on the water. After all, it’s a good time on the water with the potential of that photo op that accompanies a new story about a new-found skill.

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Rigging for Steelhead & Salmon

Posted by Jeanne Kraimer - March 16, 2012

There are a number of ways anglers can pursue steelhead and salmon with a fly, and different techniques require various approaches to rigging: line, leader, tippet &/or terminal tackle like swivels and weight.

Just like many things, there are numerous ways of doing something – my goal is to demonstrate some of the most common and practical methods used on Michigan Rivers and their steelhead that have worked for me and my customers over the years.

Duck and Chuck

Probably the most common, effective and easy method for steelhead in the Great Lakes region is Chuck ‘n Duck. This technique gets your fly down quickly and doesn’t require traditional fly casting skills, making for a flat learning curve. Running/shooting line is typically used as the fly line with a butt section attached via either a Nail knot or Albright knot. I prefer to use Maxima 12# Ultragreen or 12# Fluorocarbon if water clarity is a concern.

Smaller Rivers

On smaller rivers like the Betsie, Bear Creek, Pere Marquette, and others, the length of the butt section is usually about 7 to 8 ft because the rivers rarely have holes that approach that depth. I tie the butt section to a quality barrel swivel and leave a long, tag end which serves as a dropper to attach various pieces of split shot. In theory, the shot – if caught – will slide off the line under a deliberate pull, potentially saving your entire rig or at least part of it. If the shot is slipping off the tag easily, tie a double overhand knot to provide a stopper – a must if using fluorocarbon since it doesn’t compress very well when attaching the split shot.

On the other end of the barrel swivel I attach my “leader,” which varies in strength – 5 to 8# test depending on conditions and species. I usually tie my first fly 30 +/- inches from the swivel and the second fly about 24 inches from that; secure the line around the bend of the hook of the first fly. Some like to tie both pieces of leader material to the eye of the first fly – it’s your choice.

Larger Rivers

On larger rivers like the Big Manistee, Muskegon and AuSable where depth becomes a consideration, use an 8-12 ft of butt section. Because flow and depth tend to be greater on the larger rivers, the need for extra weight is also a concern. Rather than use split shot, I use pencil lead, which comes in one-pound coils and can be cut to whatever length/weight is required. A hole is punched through the end of the lead which attaches to a snap swivel running along the butt section.

To change the amount of lead, simply open the snap swivel and replace with a different piece/size. To protect the knot use a 4mm plastic bead (I prefer black) between the sliding snap swivel and the barrel swivel attached to the end. Fly placement is similar to the rig used on smaller rivers, detailed above.

Floating Line & Optional Indicator

The floating line method has become more popular in the past few years as anglers’ abilities to cast and mend have improved. When used with an indicator, this method offers advantages such as detecting light takes and suspending flies over obstacles on the river bottom. By casting longer sections of line, unlike chuck n’ duck, you don’t need to strip in as much line before recasting. Slightly heavier fly lines like Scientific Angler’s Magnum Taper make casting these rigs easier.

A tapered leader is used with a floating line, attached either by a loop-to-loop connection or Nail Knot. Stiff-butt leaders like Bass and Stripped Bass leaders work well in this application to help cast the weight of two flies, split shot and optional strike indicator. These leaders are typically about 8 feet long. I like to use one that breaks a minimum of 10# test (often I will replace the tippet section of the leader with fluorocarbon for clear water). At the end I tie a barrel swivel and leave a long tag (aprox. 2-3 inches) to apply my split shot to, often with a double overhand knot at the end to keep the shot from slipping off. The flies are attached to tippet/leader material tied to the swivel – 30 +/- inches to the first fly, 24 inches after that.

If you choose to use a strike indicator/float/bobber, attach it to the butt section at the proper distance for the depth you are fishing. Indicators like the Thing-a-ma-bobber offer simplicity – quickly add it to your leader and easily adjust it once on. Balsa style indicators like Thill’s Ice’ n Fly cast a little better as they have more mass – I like to run the line through it, and back through again, then adjust the length by loosening the loop and sliding the indicator up or down. When fishing water that is “snaggy,” I like to suspend the flies and prefer a Drennan Piker float. The line runs through the float and is held in place by either bobber stoppers or a heavy piece of mono attached via uni-knot as a bobber stop. The floating line rig is most effective when fishing holes and runs less than 5 feet deep.

Float Fishing/Fly-Pinning

Center Pin reels have become popular over the past decade mostly because of their effectiveness at presenting long, drag-free drifts. Fly anglers have adjusted their tackle and are doing something similar to the Center Pin approach. By using long, 11ft +/- rods, floats and fly lines, fly anglers, too, can get their flies to drift drag-free with lots of careful mending. This is a great way to keep your flies off of the bottom and moving through promising seams. When the float moves, get tight – it might be a fish. Adjust your float length per run to keep it off the river bottom and its snags.

The leader set-up I use consists of 1 foot of 30# Maxima Chameleon attached to the fly line and 10# Maxima Ultragreen, 6-8 ft in length for the large, deeper rivers with a barrel swivel tied at the end. On the other end of the swivel, I tie a leader/tippet approximately 18 inches long to the first fly and 12 inches to the second. When using a Drennan Piker Float be sure to run the butt section through it before tying on the swivel. Attach small split shot along the leader to get the proper amount of weight for depth and flow conditions. This “string” of split shot makes casting easier and helps keep the line directly vertical between the flies and the float making for a better presentation and strike detection.

Swinging Flies

Each year more anglers are swinging streamers, spey and wet flies with sink-tips thanks to the recent popularity of switch and spey/two-handed rods. Single-handed rods work too for this method but don’t have the advantage of line control and ease of casting the longer rods offer.

In almost all cases, swinging flies in Michigan rivers requires a section of sinking fly line, often called a sink-tip. Regardless if you are using interchangeable tip or a fixed length of sinking line, you need a leader. Umpqua makes a Freshwater Shorty leader which is 5 ft in length which will work but I prefer to tie a quick and simple leader – here’s the recipe:

18” Maxima Chameleon 20#
12” Maxima Ultragreen 15#
30” Fluorocarbon – 12# Scientific Anglers or Rio Flouroflex

The different sections making up the leader should be joined by using a blood knot. Once tied, secure the heavy end of the leader by either a loop-to-loop connection or nail knot to the fly line; the fly is tied to the end of the leader with your preferred knot.

With our many rivers in Michigan and throughout the Great Lakes region which receive a run of steelhead and salmon, being prepared with the right equipment can lead to success. These methods are relatively straight forward and should assist in making for some good fishing and if done right, a few fish to the net. Good luck.

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Keeping Spey Fishing Simple

Posted by Jeanne Kraimer - March 16, 2012

The title of this article might be a misnomer, since spey fishing, a minor segment of the fly fishing industry, has grown with lots of equipment options, specialties and styles, but also because of the never-ending supply of suggestions and opinions about the sport. This article is just that — some of my opinions to help those of you who are either newbies or novices to two-handed casting/fishing. Hopefully these suggestions will make the experience not only easier to get started, but less confusing and intimidating.

Brief History

Spey fishing was originally developed in Scotland on the River Spey where long casts were required but little room for a back cast existed. Long rods were employed and a unique style of casting developed that allowed long casts with short back casts. Today, this method – spey casting – is commonly referred to as two-handed casting. The predominate presentation used with this method has typically been a wet fly swing – casting at a downstream angle and letting the fly “swim” across the river as the current brings it to the downstream position below the angler.

The advantages of using these longer rods and “organized” roll casts goes beyond making long casts with short back casts – they include: requiring a minimal effort to cast long distance, excellent line control, leverage to cast large flies with heavy sink-tips, and overall efficiency.

Today

Within the last 30 years, North American anglers adopted this technique and originally applied it to steelhead and salmon fishing, the most common species targeted with two-handed rods. Most places where flies are presented on the swing for just about any species (trout, smallmouth bass) are applicable for two-handed casting/fishing – using these rods just makes it easier and efficient once learned. The original “spey” flies with their slim profile and often wispy materials are still available today and remain effective, however they have been combined with various streamer designs, tying materials and techniques offering a great selection of fly patterns to choose from for a number of species.

Considerations & Suggestions for Learning Two-Handed Casting

Avoid Intimidation. There is a lot of equipment out there, lots of jargon, shop slang and other terms that might seem confusing, overwhelming and even contradictory – it is easy to step back and question whether or not to try two-handed casting but it’s like many things that are new to us. Remember the first time you used a computer? Choose one or two sources of information that you trust to get started and consult those sources with questions you have about the sport. These sources could be an experienced friend or a fly shop with an understanding and experienced staff you trust.

Choose a Casting Style. This is where your trust in the sources mentioned above can first help. There are a number of different casting styles with two-handed casting/fishing – Classic, Skagit, and Scandinavian are the most common. Each style offers pros and cons. The species you intend to target, the rivers you are most likely to fish, and the flies you will use should help make this decision easier.

Learn that Style. Now that you have picked a style, learn it. Too often I have seen anglers bounce from one style to another without having a solid grasp of either method. The long, fluid motions often used with the longer lines of Classic does not lend itself to Skagit style, nor does the abrupt bottom-hand casting of Scandinavian casting work well the other two styles. Stick with one style and become proficient with it before experimenting with other styles.

Practice. You probably don’t get a chance to fish enough, so the few times you can hit your favorite river when conditions are ideal is no time to learn how to cast a two-handed rod – it’s the time to fish. Spending time in the off-season on rivers, lakes or even the lawn can assist in learning and provide the muscle memory, ability and efficiency required to take advantage of two-handed casting/fishing. Keep in mind that while floating lines are typically used when learning, as they are more forgiving with bad technique, they don’t cast the same as a sink tip. If you intend on fishing with sink-tip lines, begin practicing with that line setup once you can execute the fundamentals of casting with a floating line.

Practice Makes Permanent. Make sure that you are practicing the right thing, not reinforcing the poor technique. There are lots of resources to help you learn the fundamentals of casting, including DVDs, books and instructors. Find what works best for you and once you know what you are supposed to do, practice and learn the right things, not the wrong. I personally found a combination of all three resources worked well for me, and as I continue to advance with my technique, I often consult the same resources.

Learn the Same Length. When initially learning to cast, determine what amount of line is ideal to load the rod while offering you control of the line through the cast. Each time you will find that casting the same amount of line will be much easier to control vs. a varying length thanks to the muscle memory you have developed by repetitively making the same motion with a fixed amount of line. Once determined, make it easy to identify the right amount of line by marking your line at your hand with a permanent marker. Should you choose to shoot the line on the forward delivery, go for it – this step takes place after the crucial line placement, but remember it’s easier to learn to walk before running.

Two-Handed Rods vs. Switch Rods. A two-handed rod is designed to be cast with two hands for specific applications and presentations. A “switch rod” is a rod that allows you to fish it with one hand or two; one hand while doing conventional overhead fly casting or you can “switch” and use two-handed methods. Both rods require two hands to cast, but the switch rod is no replacement for a two-handed rod. With that being said, there are applications for a switch rod that make them a better choice over two-handed rods. Two-handed rods often require a significant amount of the line to help load the rod to cast. If fishing smaller rivers or making smaller casts, the longer, two-handed rod isn’t necessarily the best choice whereas the switch rod often lends itself to smaller bodies of water and shorter casts. Further, two-handed rods typically cast longer distances, heavier flies and longer sink-tip sections.

Find a Line, Then Buy It. This can be the one of the more difficult, confusing, timely and often expensive aspects of learning to use a two-handed rod. Single-hand rods have a line weight designated for each rod – that is a 6 wt. rod casts a 6 wt. line. While there can be a few exceptions, it generally holds true. With two-handed rods the line weight printed on the rod is not a determining factor for which weight to use.

Two-handed lines are much heavier than their brethren. An 8 wt. line for a single-handed rod will not work on an 8 wt. two-handed rod. Two-handed rods often have a “grain-window” meaning it will cast a number of different line sizes (measured in grains) that load the rod. Each person has a preference for how the rod feels and the best performing line size. Fly size, style and amount of sink-tip are all factors in narrowing down which line is best for your rod. Confusing, I know.

Buying a line, trying it and finding out it isn’t what you hoped can be expensive – especially after a number of attempts. You can ask what others like on your rod, but that’s what they like and there are typically variances in everyone’s opinion. But asking can help establish a starting point. Fly shops dedicated to spey fishing often have a demo kit consisting of a number of fly lines for you try on your rod before you buy the line. Think: “Test Drive.” Another way is to try lines that your friends own. Once you have identified which line is best for you, buy it with confidence.

Learn Four Casts. As technique, equipment and styles for two-handed rods developed, so have casts. Still, there are some basics I think one should learn which will prove effective under most situations: Single Spey, Double Spey, Snake Roll and Snap-T/Circle Spey. Because wind direction varies as does our position in river, it suggested that you learn to make all four casts with your left and right hand on the top fore grip to keep your back cast downwind of us – with gusts of wind, and sharp hooks the ability to make your casts safely is just good thinking.

Speyclave. Two-handed anglers are often dedicated members of the fishing community who not only like to fish, but choose to do it in a particular manner. As such, they tend to communicate their lingo, jargon, share their experiences and what seems to be never ending supply of opinions – some good, some not necessarily so. One format for this sharing is through Speyclaves – one or two-day events which are organized near a river with manufacturer representatives, guest speakers/instructors, and anglers like you. These are great venues to learn more about the sport, techniques, and demo/try lines and rods – check out for more information about a Speyclave happening near you at www.speypages.com/speyclave.

Confused?

Go back to the first suggestion which is to have a resource or two who you can consult with. Most people find it’s worth learning to cast and fish a two-handed rod as it’s similar to learning how to fly fish all over again, bringing with it the excitement we once had when we first picked up that single-hand rod. Remember, when it is all said and done, all we are trying to do is feed a fly to a fish. In this case, we are using a rod that requires two hands to cast it. Simple, isn’t it? At least in concept. Good luck and have fun.

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Tips For Better Streamer Fishing

Posted by Jeanne Kraimer - March 16, 2012

Streamer fishing has really evolved over the past 15 years, from fishing small patterns like Mickey Finns and Grey Ghosts fished swung and quickly stripped back on floating lines, to flies commonly ranging from 4-6 inches long, often with lots of bulk, a large profile, shimmer and flash, weight and other accessories and fished on a heavy sink-tips. By doing so, we take big flies to big fish and break-up those periods where surface action is nil but we still want success on the water.

This is not the “gentleman’s” way to present a fly. Often, this presentation triggers a pure territorial response, getting the fish to eat; other times, they just want to eat something big and go back under a log for a while. That’s how they get bigger. This isn’t necessarily a new style of fishing for many, for others it is. Regardless of your experience or the species you cast a streamer to (trout, salmon, steelhead, smallmouth bass), the following tips are suggestions for improving your streamer fishing and scoring big.

Mix it up

Fish can be particular from one day to the other and even throughout the day – not so much to fly sizes, but color and movement. Anyone who has been fishing on “the day” knows that streamer fishing can be some of the most exhilarating and successful ways to catch big fish. But it can turn on and off quickly and/or the fish can have an attitude change and decide something else looks good. Sunlight can make a fly look different, so if the light changes, consider how your once-hot fly might appear in the new conditions and change it if need to be.

Mix up not only your patterns with respect to their colors, size, profile, action, amount of weight, but also how you fish them: faster, slower, deeper, jig-like, lots of pause/suspension, quickly, jerkily; in the heavy structure, in the middle of the river, perhaps the inside seams with little structure. Mix it up, look for a behavioral pattern and always assess. The more you fish the more you will develop your favorite patterns for certain conditions. Let your gut dictate what you should try, but don’t be stubborn and stick with something that isn’t working.

Don’t Recast

If your cast fails to hit the target and falls a little short, rather than pick it up and attempt to get that extra 2 feet of length, let it go and fish it – that is, unless it’s going right into a snag or something else ominous. Here’s why: If you pull that fly out, you may have pulled out of the water just as a fish was about to smash it. Further, if you recast it will you really hit the target the second time? Lastly, when you pull the fly out to recast, you often spook fish and alert them that something isn’t right so your second cast comes through disturbed water with an educated fish in it. Make your cast and fish it out.

Feel The Fish

Set the hook when you feel the fish, not see the fish eat. It has happened too many times – a brown trout into the mid-20s or a 15-pound salmon comes up to eat, mouth opens and the fly rips through the water thanks to a premature hook set. Strike one – you’re out. Keep that fly moving, and when you feel the tug, set the hook as hard as the equipment will allow you to. If you do everything right, the hook fails to stick and the fly comes up and out of the water, cast it right back in there immediately. The fish is typically committed and is now pissed that they ate but didn’t get it in their mouth and are looking around for the “escapee.” I have witnessed fish chasing and eating a fly a number of times before it all connects and the fish is on. Really, cast it in their again and move the fly.

Present Your Fly, Not Your Line & Leader

If fishing with a streamer, you want your fly to be what the fish see, not your line and/or leader. Because we often use such short, stout leaders to dark color sink-tips, we can do things incorrectly with ease. Since fish mostly look upstream, cast your fly at an angle to the river that will keep your fly moving slightly across the current and broadside, exposing the fly to more fishy looking water. With streamer fishing being a predator/prey scenario, keep in mind that the prey (the fly) will use the current of the river flow to escape the predator (fish) rather than move upstream and fight the current to escape the danger. When the cast gets swept downstream and turns to go upstream, strip it back upstream once or twice, but not in completely – it’s time to recast.

When we cast the correct angle, we need to be sure we keep the fly moving the right direction but not too swiftly where the fly is streaking across and downstream too fast and without enticing action. To help with this, mending goes a long way to slow the speed and present more of the fly to good looking structure and hopefully fish, too.

Multi-Task

You have two eyes – use them both. Keep one eye on your fly and your line and how it is moving through the water, adding mends, looking for response from fish and avoiding snags. With the second eye, look downstream for your next target. Rather than cast out immediately after you strip your fly back in, it might be prudent to move a little downstream before casting so the fly gets as close to the structure as possible.

Choose Your Leader

Use a short leader, not a long one with sink-tips. The sinking section of the line is used to penetrate the water column and present the fly at the depth we desire. A short leader keeps the fly close to the sinking line, whereas a long leader can end up riding higher in the column due in part to the current forces and any buoyancy characteristics of the fly. I prefer a leader no longer than 5 ft. in length.

Use a long leader, not a short one with floating line (7 to 9 feet). We do this for the opposite reason as above. If we want the fly to sink and get deep, we need enough leader that will allow separation of fly from floating line. Make sure the fly has some weight to it when using a floating line, unless you aren’t looking to fish it deep.

Keep It Moving

As we strip that fly through the water, yet again, sometimes that big fish appears from nowhere tracking the fly. Too often anglers stop moving the fly to let the fish “catch-up.” Don’t – keep it moving! By stopping, it’s typically a game-over situation as the fish recognizes something is wrong and goes back to where he came from – why would something fleeing for its life just give up? Anglers’ shoulders slump, jaw opens and some profanity slips out.

Keep the fly moving — maybe slower or more erratically to entice the bite, but keep it moving. It’s not a guarantee that the fish will eat but you should know there are no guarantees in the sport just experience to learn from. As such, sometimes smallmouth bass like the fly stopped when they follow it. Try it – if it doesn’t work after a few attempts of pausing it, go back to keeping it moving.

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