Photo by Louis Cahill
By Louis Cahill
Sometimes your best presentation to a fish is directly downstream.
Often, it’s just a matter of position. Maybe the water is too heavy to wade across or there’s no room for a clean cast from the far bank. Other times a downstream presentation is the only way to fool a well-educated trout. Making a downstream presentation shows the fish the fly first, before he has a chance to see the line or leader. For whatever reason, it’s important to know how to make a downstream presentation and still get a perfect drag-free drift.
Too many anglers have been taught to shake line out of their rod tip as the fly drifts down stream. This method is never ideal. It puts too much energy into the line and pays out slack too slowly. It’s an uncontrollable method, which usually ends in a poor drift.
A better way to pay out line is to use a mend. Start with all the line you need off of the reel. As the fly drifts, use a mending motion to pay out about two feet of line at a time. This not only gives you a more controlled presentation, it helps you be ready to set the hook.
Watch this video and learn to make a perfect downstream presentation.
Louis Cahill Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com Sign Up For Our Weekly Newsletter!
That’s a great, simple trick. I’ve even used it at the end of a swing with a soft hackle or a streamer. Sometimes, the strike is right at the end, after a little lift!
“Too many anglers have been taught to shake line out of their rod tip as the fly drifts down stream. This method is never ideal.” – Finally someone who thinks like I do! 🙂