Watching Your Fly Line Tells You If You’re Fishing
When fly-fishing in saltwater, if your fly isn’t moving, you’re not fishing.
This is one of those ideas that’s dead simple in principal and damned complicated in practice. For a fish to see your fly as food, it must have the right action, but there are factors at work that the angler may not perceive. Have you ever wondered why many saltwater fly lines are so brightly colored? It’s not a fashion statement, it’s a tool and often the key to catching fish.
Too many anglers making the transition from freshwater to salt think of the ocean like a big pond. In truth, it has more in common with a river. The water in the ocean is always moving and it’s often not readily apparent in which direction or how quickly. If you are fishing from a boat, the boat may also be in motion and not necessarily with the flow of the water. On top of all that the wind can influence the motion of the water, the boat and the fly line. It’s a lot to keep up with, but if you don’t you’ll pay the price in missed opportunities.
I’ve seen a lot of good casts fail to produce fish because the angler was not aware that their fly was dead in the water. Picture for a moment that you are on the bow of a flats boat. Your guide is poling against the current when he calls out a fish at 11 o’clock. You make a nice cast but because the boat was moving toward 12 o’clock you failed to notice that the current is coming toward you. If you strip as though you were in still water, you’ll never come tight to the fly. You will only take up the slack as the fly sits dead on the bottom and the fish will swim on by.
The opposite can be just as deadly. Suppose your guide
Read More »The Finer Points of the Ready Position
I’VE TALKED ABOUT THE READY POSITION BEFORE BUT IN TEACHING THE BONEFISH 101 PRIMER ON OUR TRIP TO ANDROS SOUTH, IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT SOME OF THE FINER POINTS BEAR REPEATING OR AT LEAST MORE THOROUGH EXPLANATION.
A good ready position is vital in making a quick and accurate presentation. It will save you the embarrassment of pulling a fly out of your pants, or worse, while you watch the fish you’d hoped to catch swim away. It’s a simple thing but easy to screw up. Here are a few points that I consider important to the ready position.
THE LEASH
The leash is the amount of line outside of your tip top. The length of your leash should be, fly line at least the length of your rod plus your leader, so 9 feet of fly line plus, let’s say, a 12 foot leader to equal 21 feet of leash. This should be enough line to load your rod quickly and start shooting line immediately. It’s also enough line to make a fast short shot at the occasional fish that gets up your skirt.
As important as having a good leash is maintaining it. What I mean by that is keeping up with what your leash is doing. A good leash is no help if it’s stuck under the bow of the boat or dragging a clump of grass. Keep an eye on the current and wind conditions to figure out where you need to hold your rod to keep your leash out of trouble. Sometimes I find it helpful
Read More »Haunted Dreams
She was surely the largest bass I would have caught on a fly, I thought to myself as I studied her every move.
Taking notes of her general attitude and behavior towards the other fish around her. I stumbled upon her while walking the banks of a public pond near my house and quickly retreated up the nearby knoll. I frequent here often, and this place is known for producing some hefty Largemouth Bass. Spring is in full effect and the spawn is in full swing. Buck bass hover over the beds dotted along the shallows, and, with the angling pressure seen here, the females hold well off the bed and out of sight for the most part. For this reason, I’m surprised to find this big gal so close to the bank, sitting in barely enough water to cover her folded dorsal. Her bed is tucked in a corner surround by lilies and submerged timber. It’s where you would expect to see a bed. Her male companion is constantly chasing off bluegills and anything else that might come within a couple feet of him and his unhatched brood. Meanwhile, big girl sits calmly, about six feet away, tucked underneath some of the lilies, but in plain view of anyone with a sharp eye and some polarized shades.
Leaning against a big pine, I contemplate my approach as I watch her glide back and forth, unbothered by the happenings around her. It’s an ideal situation. She’s not overly stimulated and the overcast conditions provide me with a little more cover while also voiding any chances of casting shadows. The surrounding lily pads also give a great angle of approach, allowing me to creep in behind her to decrease my chances of being seen even more. The next task is picking out the fly to tie on. I’m likely to only get one shot at this fish. One shot. One fly. So what’s it going to be?
I wanted a pattern that was going to aggravate her and provoke a strike, but without being so irritating that she would flee the scene. What I decided on was a Jiggy Craw, tied by Pat Cohen. I went with the orange/brown color scheme to ensure that it was easily seen in the stained water. I also knew this fly would have good movement in the water even when lightly twitched. After checking my leader, I tie on this “chosen one” and double check my knot.
Now the moment of truth. Time to make my move and present my fly. Just off the bank, there was a small opening in the lilies between her and the bed that I could pitch my fly into. This window was about a yardstick across, which I hoped
Read More »G&G Beginner Series: Rods, Reels, and Ready-To-Fish Kits
By Justin Pickett
The first pieces of equipment we typically look for when getting into fly fishing are the rod and reel.
After all, without those two things, there isn’t a whole lot of fishing that’s gonna get done. So what do you buy? Why do you buy this vs. that? Where do you buy? Picking the right rod and reel setup can be a daunting task. There are numerous options, but we’ve got you covered with what we think are some of the best for beginners while also providing some leftover moolah for gas and flies.
Let’s start with where to buy. While I realize that it’s not always possible depending on where you live, I strongly suggest finding a reputable fly shop to help get you started. Let them know your budget and ask questions. Don’t just assume you know what they’re talking about, or that you’ll figure it out on your own. You have to have an open mind and be teachable. Doing this will help immensely with the learning curve. Don’t have a fly shop nearby? Use the internet to search for reviews on equipment, or ask other anglers in the parking lot. Orvis has a great program oriented to the new beginner. They offer tons of Fly Fishing 101 classes across the country and there’s a ton of info available on their website. And that’s just one resource! There are tons!
Alright let’s get to the meat and potatoes. The FLY ROD.
The fly rod is your magic wand. Without it, you would be an awful magician. There are tons of fly rods out on the market. Some big, some small. Some are affordable, while others might require a bit more explaining once the wife found that charge on the account. The most important thing about your first fly rod, and this is just my opinion, is that it needs to be affordable and appropriate for the fishing that you plan on doing. Forget the fancy talk about tapers and technique-specific rods. You just need a dependable rod that can multi-task and get you out on the water. The fancy stuff can wait, I promise. The next important thing is
Read More »12 Tips for Taking Awesome Fishing Photos
WANT TO TAKE BETTER FLY FISHING PHOTOS?
Just the other day one our Facebook followers asked if I would post some tips for taking better fishing photos. I’ve written a good bit on the subject, but the articles are scattered across the site. I thought this would be a great opportunity to put together one source for some of my best photography tips and tricks.
So here it is, 12 tips that will make your fishing photos rock!
Holding Fish For Photos
The first step in getting a great shot of a fish is knowing how to hold it properly. I am constantly amazed how many anglers don’t know how to hold a fish for a photo, but to be fair, Kent and I have had a lot of practice and we have it down to a science. Here’s an article from each of us on the subject.
Hold That Fish
4 Tips For Getting A Better Picture Of Your Trophy
What if you’re fishing alone when you catch the fish of a lifetime?
No problem. Here’s an article that will give you plenty of options for getting a great shot.
Getting The Hero Shot When You’re Fishing Solo
Great photos start the basics.
Read More »The Thrill that Comes From the Unknown
If you ask me, I think the surprise factor in fly fishing is underrated.
Most of us choose to spend our time preparing and planning out every single detail of our fly fishing trips, so we can eliminate it. We spend hours tying recommended flies, we go threw our gear with a fine tooth comb checking for imperfections, and we research everything we can about the water and species we’ll be tackling. We do this because we want to feel in control. Furthermore, we do it because we want to catch fish. Problem is, fly fishing isn’t all about trying to squeeze out every bit of success we can muster out of a day on the water. A big part of fly fishing for me is letting go and
Read More »Tell the Story With Fewer Photos
This is the easiest way I know to become a better photographer.
It’s been a while since I posted a photography tip, but this is a good one. I had a conversation the other day that made me think about photographic storytelling. I took a really nice photo of a friend with a big fish. In the process I actually shot about fifty photos. That’s easy to do in eight frame per second bursts. Of course, everyone is excited about having a photo of themselves holding a nice fish. In his excitement my buddy told me,
“Send me everything!”
“Ok,” I replied. “Which shots do you want? The ones that make the fish look small or the ones that make you look bad?”
He immediately realized it was a silly request. The point of fishing with a professional photographer is not to tell him how to do his job.
One of the first things I learned as a photographer was that the best way to take a good photo is to take a lot of photos. That doesn’t mean that you show a lot of photos. Each photo of any given event creates its own unique reality for that event. That’s the nature of freezing a moment in time. Every moment is unique. Since the photographer, whether they realize it or not, always has their own interpretation of that event it is generally best represented by one, or at most, a few images.
It’s a common flaw in new photographers to be enamored with the process and want to share every image with anyone who will take the time to look. What the photographer doesn’t realize is
Read More »Better Fly Rod Grip For Better Casting: Video
The grip is the most fundamental part of your fly cast.
When I’m helping someone with their casting, their grip is always the first thing I look at. The grip is so basic that many anglers never take time to learn it. A bad grip has effects that ripple out through your casting. Even if you have a good grip, you may be using it wrong. It’s more common than you’d think. In fact, I struggled with it myself for years.
Don’t let your grip slow you down. Take some time to learn the best way to hold the rod and work on it when you practice your casting. It will pay you back in more fish.
WATCH THIS VIDEO TO LEARN THE BEST WAY TO GRIP A FLY ROD.
Read More »Reece’s Clearwater Crawler
The Clearwater Crawler provides an anatomically accurate imitation of the prevalent gills found on the abdomen of this class of mayfly nymphs.
In addition to this the thorax of this pattern displays a translucent quality seen in the naturals as they carry out their lives on the stream bottom. The reflective base of the thorax displays a trait seen in crawlers on the verge of emergence. The vast majority of nymphs employ dubbing in the thorax of the pattern. This allows them to display reflectivity, or dull mottled coloration but not translucence. My choice of materials and processes allows this pattern to present both of these attributes simultaneously. This vastly increases effectiveness in term of fish brought to net.
During the summer and fall I guide on the freestone portion of the North Platte River. The latter half of our season is usually defined by increasingly low water conditions that result in easily spooked, picky trout. As with the vast majority of free stones, crawler type mayfly nymphs are a common food item for trout in our waters. I needed a crawler nymph pattern that could be carefully analyzed by trout in clear slow water and still be accepted as the real deal. After countless tweaks and changes I found a design that was taken without hesitation. Throughout the second half of summer and into the latest reaches of fall this pattern produces fish as at high level of consistency. The pattern shown in the video is a size 12 which I most commonly use during the summer months. However, as summer fades and fall progresses I drop in size down to the smaller size 16s in this pattern.
HERE’S A VIDEO.
Read More »Cast With A Purpose!
By Justin Pickett
Arguably, the most important aspect of fly fishing is the cast itself.
If you can’t deliver the fly properly, the chances of you hooking up spirals down the toilet. Before taking a client onto the water, my first questions have to do with their fly fishing experience and their casting ability. Ask any saltwater guide what is the most important thing to do before stepping on the bow of their boat and they will tell you, “practice your casting”. So you step out on your front lawn, or maybe head out to a dock at a local lake or pond. You strip off some line and you make some casts, but are you really getting anything out of just making some casts for fifteen minutes? Well, yes and no.
In order to make yourself a better caster and, in turn, be a more successful angler on the water, you must practice with a PURPOSE. Whether you want to practice your distance, accuracy, or casting into the wind, get the most out of your time.
First off, always tie on a piece of yarn at the end of your leader. I use bright pink egg yarn. This will allow you to see what’s happening at the end of your leader. How the fly is landing and where. It really doesn’t do you a whole lot of good to just cast a bare leader.
Set up targets, or use trees, plants, pets, children, trolls, etc., as points of aim. Set them up at different distances so you get used to how far 30-40-50-60-70ft looks, how much line needs to be stripped from the reel, and the timing and technique involved in casting those distances. My Labrador loves chasing my fly line around the yard and that gives me a great opportunity to use her as a moving target. When it comes to saltwater fishing, you’re almost never casting at a fixed target. Instead, you’re often leading a fish or a school of fish with your fly. If you don’t have a kid or a pet, use a jogger as they run by! Their facial expressions are usually worth a pretty good laugh.
Find some wind! Don’t go out a cast on dead calm days. You’ll inevitably end up on the water with 25mph crosswinds that will ruin your day on the water if you’re not prepared for it. If you notice that it’s really windy outside, get your butt up and toss the fly rod around. See what the wind does to your cast and find out what you need to do to present your fly to a target.
Work on your line speed. Speed equals distance, and that means perfecting your double haul. There are numerous drills and techniques that you can practice. Find one that works for you and ingrain it into your casting stroke. Even mess around with your grip. You’d be surprised how your grip can affect the amount of power that can be applied to your casting stroke.
Don’t be a one-trick pony!
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