Are You Actually Presenting The Fly?
There is nothing more important, in fly fishing, than presentation. How’s yours?
The word presentation has been woven into the fabric of fly fishing lingo since the first fly fluttered to the surface of the water. We use it so often, and without thinking, that it’s dangerously close to losing it’s meaning.
I remember trying to explain fly fishing to a civilian neighbor once, at a party. “You have to present the fly to the fish in a way the fish can appreciate,” I told her. That got a laugh, and to the uninitiated I can see how that comes off. I still believe, however, that this idea is central to fly fishing.
There are a thousand different ways to fly fish, and as many species to pursue and some of them bear very little resemblance to the mainstream but they all have this one thing in common. It all comes down to presentation.
I think too many anglers forget that at some point. We focus way too much on the hot fly, or the holy water and at some point, at least for some portion of the day, our presentation gets put on auto pilot. We fall into the rhythm of cast, drift, repeat, or chock, duck, strip, or what ever it is we are doing and forget to think about the fish. I know I’ve done it plenty of times. Especially when I get to talking.
I’LL TELL YOU A STORY THAT STICKS OUT IN MY MIND AS A LESSON ON PRESENTATION.
In the 90s I was fortunate to photograph, and later become friends with
Read More »You went fishing where?
By Jesse Lowry
Slovenia! Who the hell goes fishing in Slovenia?
That’s the typical reaction I get when I start talking about my fishing trips to this little gem of a country that most people couldn’t point to on a map. I’ve been fortunate enough to visit Slovenia a handful of times and still am chomping at the bit to go back. It has a ton to offer anyone who makes the journey to this country of roughly 2 million people on the Adriatic Sea, at the cross roads of some very different cultures. Formerly part of the Yugoslavia (and numerous other empires prior) and now part of the EU, Slovenia has been influenced by Slavic, Germanic, and Italian roots. The people there are very proud, friendly and love the outdoors; hiking, rock climbing, white water kayaking, paragliding, and of course fly fishing. Many of the people I met would go fly fishing in the morning and then flying off the side of a mountain by noon once the thermals started to pick up, this worked to my advantage as the rivers were less busy in the afternoon, granted the fishing does slow down with the sun overhead and the gin clear rivers.
It truly is a spectacular place to visit, even if there were no fish in these rivers they are an absolute pleasure to wade through and hike along. Crystal clear turquoise waters, deep canyons, lush forests, gorgeous water falls, massive boulders sprawled throughout the river almost like they were placed there just for Fly Fishermen, old homesteads that have stood the test of time and blend seamlessly into the background, it’s like stepping back in time. Then add to all of this feisty Rainbows, Adriatic Grayling, Browns and the most sought after, Marble Trout (think bull trout head on a brown trout body, with feeding behaviour similar to browns). All these fish in sizes where you have to give your head a shake, given the water they are occupying. This is the total package, a sight fishing, upstream dry fly fishing mecca, accessible from your car, that seems like it was conjured from some of your fishiest dreams. Obviously, nymphing and streamers work great, but when sight fishing in gin clear water I find it hard to resist throwing a dry (probably to my detriment from a hook up perspective… hrrmmm I seemed to suffer from something similar during university days as well).
Fly selection wise I felt amply prepared with my usual western freestone go to’s, though some tail water selection would be a welcome addition. Dry Flys: Stimulators in Orange (lots of orange moths or Butterflys in July and August), Goddard Caddis, small tape wing black caddis, purple haze, green drakes, BWOs, ants and terrestrials. Nymphs: Hares ears, pheasant tails, stone flies, cased caddis, guides choice….you get the idea. I’m told streamers early hours in the dark in some of the big holding pools is the way to hook into the big meat eating Marbles, these pools are home to very tight lipped big fish during daylight hours, which people cast endlessly at and are mostly unsuccessfully. You’ll figure out which pools these are pretty quick, easy access to them, big fish stacked up, looks like shooting fish in a barrel, generally it ain’t.
In terms of finding the spots to fish, it’s pretty easy, a little Google Maps Satellite view and you’ll see most of the roads follow blue lines. Currently it seems the imaging was done in summer when flows are lower which allows you to identify pools and pocket waters quite easily. You will also notice there are lots of access points and turn outs along the road, mostly put ins and take outs for the kayakers and rafts, so bit of care needed when parking in these spots especially the raft access points. Note: satellite images make things look flat and seemingly easy to access, this definitely isn’t the case there are some very steep access points not ideal for the shaky legs, but they get you to some pretty stellar places. Also note all of my fishing in Slovenia has been done during Late June to Late August when flows are low and wading the river is relatively is easy.
Read More »You Can’t Go Home
William S. Burroughs, in his essay “Dinosaurs” wrote, “biologically speaking the one direction you can’t go is back”.
He was, of course, making a social comment but I was reminded of that idea while fishing the other day with a good friend. Joel Dickey was up visiting family over the holidays and was excited to do some trout fishing. For weeks he had been telling me that he was going to take me to the best trout stream he’d ever fished. The little creek in Tennessee that he grew up on. A stretch of private water owned by his aunt. I was excited to see the water and to spend a day wetting my boots with Joel.
I knew this was either going to be really good, or really bad. Joel has been living and guiding in the Keys for a long time now and things change. Things always change and where trout streams in the southeast are concerned, usually not for the better. In Joel’s memory this little creek was gin clear and full of big wild trout. When we arrived we found a different stream altogether. There were no fish of any kind. Only old tires and garbage, including a battery acid bottle. A sad sign of an unloved stream.
We moved on to a local tailwater and got into some nice fish and even some surface action, which is great for December, but Joel was heartbroken. It’s tough to see a stream
Read More »Keeping it Clean
By Bob Reece
WINTER HAS ARRIVED IN MY HOME STATE OF WYOMING. FOR ME, THIS SIGNALS THE START OF MY “TYING SEASON”. AS A FIRST STEP ON THIS FIVE MONTH JOURNEY, I FOCUS ON THE CLEANLINESS OF MY TYING DESK.
This may be a sore subject for some and emotionally disturbing for others. I’ve seen the surfaces of enough tying platforms over the years to know that they can quickly turn into a chaotic heap of fluff and debris. I’m not here to judge, just to offer suggestions on how to prevent chaos and increase the number of flies that you tie.
I am huge believer in the fact that organization is the foundation of maintaining cleanliness on my tying table. When those two factors coexist, the number of flies that I am able to tie significantly increases. That organization starts inside the drawers of my desk.
In the past I maintained a typical setup of dedicating different storage compartments to different materials. Over the last couple years I’ve moved away from that focus. Instead, I now use plastic organizers and Ziploc bags to group the materials that I use for specific patterns. Every pattern that
Read More »Catching Trash and Trout
By: Alice Tesar
Robbie and I headed down stream on a remote creek in Wyoming and passed the only other angler we would see that day.
He was headed the opposite direction, having already fished the holes we were headed to. He seemed unsteady walking but opted to cross through the strong waist-deep current regardless. My husband, who is always willing to help a stranger (sometimes to my dismay as we rush to an appointment), watched out of the corner of his eye ready to jump in and pull this man from the current should he lose his footing. The man, slow and steady, made it across safely however as he reached the solid ground of the shoreline a plastic sandwich bag fell from his pack. No doubt he didn’t not see it, but I am also certain given his physical state would not have gone to great lengths to reclaim the piece of litter as it drifted downstream. Robbie and I rerouted our planned course downstream to grab the bag. It was still far out from us and we could see it was going to get hung-up in a large eddy soon. As we headed towards the eddy, Robbie cast out his streamer in jest for some “casting accuracy practice”. His line landed on the bag, but the sink tip leader sunk the fly before we could catch the bag. Re-cast out and again line on the bag, but unable to reel it in. I kept walking to where I thought the bag would land when I heard a yelp from Robbie, “THAT’S A HUGE ASS FISH!”
Read More »Don’t Let Yourself Get Numb to the Reward
IS THAT COOKIE CUTTER RAINBOW TROUT MAKING YOU FEEL NUMB INSIDE? ARE YOU LOSING THE FEELING OF REWARD LATELY ON THE WATER?
Two decades have passed since I caught my first trout on a fly rod, and even with all those years that have gone by, I can still picture that beautiful 12″ trout in my hands clear as day. I remember that little bugger coming up and crushing my parachute adams, like it was the first piece of food it had seen in days. The feeling of accomplishment and reward I received from catching that trout was so strong, it gave me a perma-grin ear to ear, and a natural high that lasted the rest of the day.
Nowadays I often find I’m becoming numb to the reward I get from most of my catches. Landing a big trophy fish or fooling a lone sipper on the far bank still gets my adrenaline pumping, don’t get me wrong, but they all seem to fall short of the feeling I got from landing my first 12″ trout. Why is that? Am I turning into a snob? I’m sad and ashamed to admit it, but I think I am. That’s why lately I’ve made a point to try to take the time to always reflect back to those early days before I step foot in the water. If I’m guiding, I’ll show up extra early before my trip begins, and picture my anxious client driving over the mountains to meet me. I clear my mind and focus on how excited he or she is about the fishing trip that’s about to start, and how they probably lost sleep the night before picturing trout rising to their dry fly. Doing this, it gets me pumped up, keeps me grounded, and puts me in a zone so I can be the best guide I can be. When I’m fishing on my own, I’ll sit on the bank and watch the water flow over the rocks, through the riffles, and into the pools for a few minutes before I wet my flies. It seems to put everything into perspective for me and it enhances my overall experience for the day. Fly fishing can only be fully appreciated if we keep an eye
Read More »Cat Island Bones
WHITE SAND, BLUE WATER, BONEFISH AND RUM. WHAT MORE DO YOU NEED?
Cat Island is not known as a bonefishing destination. It’s a quiet island with beautiful beaches, warm people and modest fishing opportunities, compared to its neighbors. It’s not South Andros or Bimini but it’s a place I have grown to love.
The flats fishing is purely a DIY scene. The fish are small but really spooky and that makes them rewarding to catch them. They are a food source for the locals, so the fish who are on the flats have earned that right. I take a kayak and paddle to some flats I know to spend the day wading. The bonefish are always good to me.
It was inevitable that I get a GoPro camera. I took it with me on my last trip to Cat Island and shot this video. So, have a click and enjoy five minutes of Cat Island Bones!
Read More »Hook Selection for Nymphs
By Bob Reece
While fly pattern aesthetics can be pleasing to the eye, solid foundations are equally important.
In the process of fly tying, hooks provide that footing. The desired imitation and application should both be taken into account when selecting hooks for any nymph pattern.
When tying a pattern that has been created by a professional tier, follow the hook choice shown in the original recipe. That tier researched, tested and chose that hook because it accurately allowed for the imitation that they intended. By supplementing a different hook you may alter the posture or profile of the pattern. This can subsequently alter its effectiveness. If you’re in the process of creating your own pattern you should take into consideration the behavior that you are imitating. For example, a swimming scud takes on a straightened posture as it moves through the water. Conversely, a dead scud drifting in the current displays a hunched position. Due to this fact, a straight shanked hook more accurately imitates the swimmer while a curved shank properly mimics the deceased drifter.
In addition to behavior, insect proportions should be analyzed when choosing hook models. For my time spent on Wyoming tail waters I tie midge patterns on size 18 to 24 1x long nymph hooks. In a drastic contrast, I tie large chironomid patterns in sizes 12 to 16 on 2x long nymph hooks for the lakes that I guide on. This difference is not due to a personal preference. It is strictly based on knowing the proportions of the food resource that I am imitating.
Application of the nymph pattern you’re constructing should also impact the model of hook that you choose. While using the
Read More »Successful Fly-Fishing Is About Work Ethic
There are two types of fly anglers: those who treat it like a hobby and those who treat it like a job.
It’s not a judgment. There’s nothing wrong with being a casual angler. In fact, those anglers make me a little jealous sometimes, but the truth is we are not all wired the same and some anglers are more results-focused than others. Perhaps that means they want to catch a lot of fish, or big fish, or maybe you’re more motivated to master the skills than to catch the fish. One thing is undeniable: like so many things in life, if you are looking for fly fishing results, what you put in largely determines what you get back.
With that in mind, here are some thoughts on how to step up your fly-fishing game.
There are two places you have to display a solid work ethic to really boost your success. On the water and off. Off the water work is frequently ignored altogether but is the real key to success. There is something you can do every day to improve as an angler. It might be casting practice, fly tying, reading an article or watching a video. It might be swapping stories with a buddy over a beer. Whatever it is, the more you immerse yourself in fly fishing the more it becomes part of your nature.
Of all the things you can do off the water, I believe the most important is casting practice. After all, casting is the price of entry. There is no downside to being a good caster and it will not only make you a more effective angler, it will also make your time on the water more pleasant.
Casting practice accomplishes two things. It helps you develop new skills and it develops muscle memory to reinforce old ones. For that reason I always start my casting practice with the basics. I use a practice plan I learned from Tim Rajeff. Tim was kind enough to demonstrate it on video and you can watch that HERE. This practice plan is the perfect warmup and will do more for your fly casting than anything I know.
Once you’ve covered the basics, push yourself by working on your weakest skills or trying new ones. Maybe it’s a Belgian cast, a reach cast or a curve cast. Maybe you just want more distance or a better double haul. Whatever the skill you want may be, you can have it. You only have to put in the time. Even one day a week practicing will make a big difference. Better yet, practice more frequently for shorter periods of time and you’ll be amazed at the results. Get an Echo MPR for $35 and keep it at your desk. There’s no wrong time to practice.
The other place you want to get down to business is on the water. First, that means putting in the days. About twenty years ago I was talking with a casting instructor about doing some additional training.
“I don’t think I can help you,” he told me. “You know
Read More »Be Stealthy Like Czech Nymphers
I’m not afraid to admit I’m not a big fan of Czech nymphing.
I’m not an aficionado of the popular three-fly nymph rig either. It’s not the right rig for fly anglers that lack discipline or are daydreaming fly casters. Furthermore, a freshly tied rig can become a birds nest instantly, simply by a landed fish, rolling in the net. That being said, I’m not saying Czech nymphing doesn’t work, it undoubtedly has it’s place in trout fishing, and can be highly effective at times, it’s just not my first choice.
Here’s what I’ll admit and also highly respect about the die hard Czech nymph fisherman out there. Most are very good at approaching fishing holes with complete stealth so they don’t spook fish. They take the time to think out their approach before casting, making sure they’re positioned perfectly so they can execute the best presentation and drift with their flies. Why do they do this you ask? Because success in czech nymphing demands it. Fly anglers fishing this rig are limited to short distance casts and drifts. This ensures they’ll stay in constant contact with their flies for strike detection and will also be able to maintain proper fly depth during their drifts.
You’ll never see a veteran czech nympher fishing out of his/her boundaries, and that’s why we should be paying more attention and adopting some of their techniques into our everyday fly fishing practices. It doesn’t matter one bit whether you’re a dry fly purist or prefer to nymph fish with an indicator, like I do. Far too often, I see anglers
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