. . . it takes several years of serious fishing before a
man learns enough to go through a whole season with an unblemished record of
physical and spiritual anguish.
Ed Zern, Are Fishermen People? (1951) Quote taken
from Nick Lyons, The Quotable Fisherman
No truer words have ever been spoken! Ask any unsuccessful
angler what happened and you’ll get a double earful. Too sunny! Too cloudy! Too
hot! Too cold! Rising barometer! Leaky waders. The list goes on and on. Why, to
hear them talk, the day was doomed from the moment they started, and tomorrow .
. . . . . . well, tomorrow is even worse.
We’re not going to catch fish every time we hit the water. That’s a given. Some days, for whatever reason, you just suck! The first cast you make spooks 5 trout you didn’t see. Your dry fly lands 4 feet wide left, and leaves rings because your presentation was so “light”. Your jig nymph, even inverted as it rides, seems to find every submerged branch in the river. You pop flies off on your back cast, or snap so hard the indicator flies off. You drop fly boxes in the river, and lose your forceps. Again. Every mosquito seems to be telling you, maybe I should be on the golf course, or cutting the grass.
And you can’t fall back on your standard reason any more. You’ve been at this for a while. You’ve done your research, reading books and online with the Mangler’s Resource Pages. You fish 50 days a year, and know things now. You’ve tasted the heady champagne of success, and it was good! What happened?
You’re not a novice anymore! You can’t say I’m just learning. You’ve climbed that hill. Of course, you never do stop learning, that’s the joy of this sport. But the days of everything being new are gone. You no longer rejoice at tying a Surgeon’s Knot on the first try .You know it’s PMD’s on the water, the Goldens will be there later, and if you make it, the Pale Evening Duns fly at dusk. You have the knowledge to succeed. What a double edged sword!
We all know mid summer clouds are magic. (Cloud Day)We plan our days to be on the water when conditions are perfect. Yet the sum of our day is measured in single digits, in both fish length and count. We pounded the water to a frothy lather, we delved deep in the vest for last years magic, changed tippet, leader and tactics. We got squat.
And then the knowledge starts to come out, slowly and
painfully! It’s a full moon- the fish were feeding all night and now they’re
sated and not moving in the day. I knew that! Why wasn’t I out last night!! A
new weather front came in, and trout hate barometric change. I know this! I had
oatmeal for breakfast. I never catch fish when I have oatmeal for breakfast!
How could I have been so stupid!
The list grows. Every minute on the water seems to reinforce
another reason for tiddlers, one dink every three hours. You’re sunburned,
because you took the sunscreen out of the bag to make room for that new box of
killer flies. You forgot to hydrate, and there’s nothing more annoying than to
be thirsty surrounded by water! How can I fish with all these problems! This
never happened before. I know what I’m doing. Why, just 4 years ago, I took 18
fish out of this stretch in just under two hours.
Woe is me!
And visions of 7 irons dance in your head. You haven’t had
the mountain bike out for a spin in quite some time. And yes, if asked, maybe,
just maybe, the garden could use a little weeding, and the garage could be
tidied up. You haven’t been able to park in it for two months, so it might be
time to clear a little space.
Your feet don’t listen. It’s like they have a mind of their
own. They shuffle a little further up the river, taking care not to disturb the
water. Your mind goes into overdrive. If the weeds are growing, so’s everything
else. Last time I golfed, my idiot cousin almost beaned me with his crappy
slice. And it’s summer. The car is fine in the driveway.
You twist another fly on. It comes from the box that
replaced the sunscreen. You take two baby steps, and then tiny third. Flick,
and the fly is air born, cutting through the air with the grace and skill
you’ve worked long and hard to attain. You can see the spot 35 feet above you,
where the bright silver water drops off to dark green, just below a dancing
riffle. At the last moment, just as the fly is about to hit the water, you
twist your wrist and make a left reach cast. The fly lands, two feet above the
prime spot, with just enough slack to float exactly as you’d planned, using all
the skill you’ve gained on the water, all the guile you’ve worked so hard to
learn, and starts it’s float to the zone. . . . . . .
You know every reason why it’s not going to work. Too hot! Wrong tippet! Should have mended right! Full moon! Oatmeal!
Your brain, locked in the cranium and covered by a hat so
ugly a guy at the put-in offered to loan you a different one, is babbling
excuses like a drunk husband coming home at 3:00 AM. But just like his wife, you’re not listening to
that BS! You’re listening to your feet, you’re listening to the feel of the
rod, you’re listening to that little voice, located way under the drone of
non-stop negativity, saying, just one more cast. Just one more, and then I
weed.
Just one more, and then I maybe I’ll get the mountain bike out.
Just one more cast. . . . . . .
Because you know every reason why you shouldn’t be on the
water. All those lessons learned- some the hard way, some the easy way. All
molding an angler who has savored great success, and choked down bitter
failure. An angler who’s put in his time, and found out that there’s only one
lesson that really counts. It’s the tenet they learned first, the most important knowledge any angler ever
gains. No matter what else is lodged in the fishing brain, screaming out one
more rationalization for another fishless cast, another fishless day, fishless
week, month. . . . . .
YOU CAN’T CATCH FISH WHEN YOU’RE NOT ON THE WATER
Yeah, it’s too cold. Too this, too that. But we go anyway.
Because it’s what we do. Because we honor the first lesson. Because the essence
of all angling, the spark that drives the first lesson home is hope. We know
all the reasons not to go, but then the most powerful force in the fly
fisherman’s arsenal takes over. We remember a 100 degree August day 7 years ago
when we crushed with ants. A March day in a white out, with every trout in the
river eating Skwalas. Shouldn’t have been out then either.
You did it. You bought your first fly rod. You stumbled and suffered
through the steep learning curve, and you stuck to it. All the knots that
failed, all the flies that mysteriously flew off after someone shot a pistol
behind you, those days are past…. mostly. You’ve done some very foolish things,
most prominent being borrowing a buddy’s rod. And now you have it. Rod envy. We
know, it starts small, but then it begins to build and build. There comes a
time when you say to yourself, my best fly fishing in Missoula is only going to
be found with a new fly rod. One that I want, and depending on how you roll, is
SO much better than your buddy’s!
This is all good. Starter rods have definite limitations, and you’re starting to find them. It means you’re growing as an angler, acquiring new skills to be more effective. You know the old rod works, it simply no longer enhances your experience. The die is cast. You’re on the hunt for a new magic wand. That old 5 wt is being relegated to the back of the closet, or a niece. That’s not clear yet. What is clear is it’s time to make the move.
As you go for rod two, you should be aware that there are so
many rod manufacturers out there making high quality rods. They all cast really
well. In fact, if you spend over $100, it’s very difficult to find a lousy rod
in this day and age- a far cry from 35 years ago when most rods weren’t even
decent tent poles! That’s a comforting thought, that you can’t really screw
this up too badly.
You’ve done research and know that some rods are fast action
(don’t bend as deeply, return to straight more rapidly) and some are slow (flex
deeply, takes longer to return to straight). Each rod has it’s advantages and
disadvantages. That’s a completely different subject. This is not about why you
want fast or slow.. This is about you. Because, truth be told, you don’t
actually need a fly rod, you just want one. This is about finding what you
want.
Now you’re on safari, searching for the elusive white tiger
that will transform your time on the water. Your first move is to set a budget.
This very important, and not as much for monetary reasons, though those
certainly matter! When buying a car, you don’t go test drive Cadillacs,
Mercedes and Ferraris, all while really contemplating buying a Ford or a
Subaru. Because when you go to drive the car you’re going to buy, you’re going
to think it’s terrible. And we know for a fact its not. But in comparison, its
not in the same league, and therefore feels lesser. This applies to fly rods as
well.
If you enter a shop and say you want to cast rods, you might
end up with a $1200 rod in your hand. And yes, it will be phenomenal. And then
every rod you look at after won’t be up to snuff. Set a budget and stick to it.
If you have an unlimited budget, our address is 802 S. Higgins!! We’ve been in
business for over 30 years and we know some things about tackle. Once you hit a
certain point, and for rods its about $300, to get 10% better it costs 50%
more. That seems to be a pretty good rule of thumb. Here’s another thought
about buying fly rods. The longer it takes to find a fly rod, the more you’re
going to spend. The longer you spend looking at fly rods, the more satisfied
you’ll be down the road. It’s a trade-off.
We’ve seen this done as well at our Missoula fly shop. A customer is looking for a new fly rod, and has the old standard, a 9’ 5wt. They come into the shop looking to upgrade, but they’re not comfortable about duplicating. They’re thinking about spending $500 or more on a 7 ½” 3wt, or a 9 ½’ 7wt. Both those rods are more specialty sticks when it comes to Montana trout fishing. Why would you spend so much money on an ancillary fly rod, and have your main rod be a less effective tool. Get ready to purchase pretty much the same thing you’ve already got, because it’s your go-to rod. Put your money where you’re going to use it most. It’s why your niece is getting the old one!
When you bought your first rod, you probably had no idea what you were buying. You bought something inexpensive, in case you didn’t like it. You trusted the people who sold it to you, and it worked. You might not have even put it together. This time is different. This time you know what you want. And if you don’t know, you’re going to find out. The only way to find out how a fly rod feels is to cast it. Shaking a fly rod doesn’t get it done. You need to put a line on it and go cast it. That’s the only way to know how its going to perform. If the fly shop doesn’t have a line for you to use, bring your old one.
We’ve seen this happen when traveling or just in other shops.
A customer walks in and says they want to buy a fly rod. The salesperson says I
know exactly the rod you want, and starts his spiel. Beware! You’re buying this
rod because you want to, not because you have to. Sure, the salesperson might
be right. But probably not. They haven’t seen you cast, so how can they make a
recommendation? Everyone at the MAngler
has their favorite rod, and at some point it’s going to be in your hand. But
we’re doing more than handing you rods and saying how good it is. We’re
watching you cast, we’re watching your loop, and comparing distance to the
other rods you’ve tried. This next bit sounds rude, but it’s not. We don’t care
what rod you buy. Our only vested interest is you buy it from us, and you’re
happy with your purchase. Many times we sell rods we’re personally not enamored
of. Why? Because the customer casts it better than our favorite. We’re not buying
the rod, you are! So we watch you cast, and then start matching rods to your
preference.
Your Mom always says, don’t fall for the first pretty face
that comes by. The same applies to fly rods. Even if the first rod feels like
magic in your hands, go cast more. Sure, that rod might be the one, but you’ve
got to check. Don’t be swayed by some slick talking salesman or a discount. Do
your due diligence. The rod will be there when you go back. And if it’s not,
they can order another one! The last thing you want to do is buy the first rod
you cast, and then later cast a buddy’s you like much better. That will haunt
you every time you use your rod, and the haunting will go up in proportion to
how much you spent!
Because you’re doing this to make yourself happy. Its not a
chore to go and cast a bunch of rods, it’s a privilege. Go out and enjoy the
experience. Have a great time casting each rod. Every time you pick up a new
stick, you learn more about your casting. You find out more about likes and
dislikes. You hone in on your happy place, and crystalize in your mind exactly
what you’re looking for. Because the goal is to find a rod that makes you go
“Ooooohhh” every time you fish it. You want a rod that makes you smile when it
comes out of the tube, that fills you with confidence every time you take it
out to play. Because if it doesn’t, then what’s the point? You have a rod that
works- this is about a rod that makes you smile. It will take a little time and
a little effort. Trust us, it’s worth it. Having that magic wand, the rod that
does it all for you, is such a good feeling on the water. It’s worth the time and
effort to make your second rod exactly what you want.
At the Missoulian Angler, the jig nymph has positively changed fly fishing success rates to such a point they outsell standard nymphs a pace of 3:1. They are considered to be some of the best trout nymphs by many. Unless a very specific hatch matcher is needed, it’s rare for anyone in the fly shop to recommend a standard nymph. Why has the jig nymph so quickly and completely changed the way we fish? For all the same reasons the jig nymph will change the way you fish whenever you decide to catch some fish and go deep!
It starts with a slotted tungsten bead. The fishhook is a
product of 1000’s of years of design, and it’s designed so it aligns itself in
the water shank up, hook point down. By definition, a jig rides hook point up,
shank down. It’s the tungsten bead, with its high density and excellent weight
to size ratio that changes the hook from riding point down to point up. Of
course, enough weight to offset the balance of the hook also means the jig fly
sinks faster than a classic nymph tied with a standard bead.
We all want our trout nymphs close to the bottom, and the tungsten bead helps in that aspect. But as every angler knows, the bottom is also an excellent place to snag. This often starts the process of re-rigging, which often gives us a chance to closely examine the cost benefits of being close to the bottom. The jig style nymph shines in this aspect as well.
Riding hook point up, the jig nymph is significantly less prone to snagging on the bottom. You can do it, but with the hook point up, there’s less chance of snagging to a point you can’t get your fly back. When you see the jig nymph is less prone to snags, you’ll regain the confidence that every fourth cast won’t be so costly. You’ll start to work closer to the bottom, where the fish are looking for food. The tungsten jig s get you closer to the bottom, and snag less. You fish longer, rig less, and stop worrying about cost benefits!
Many jig nymphs are the flies you’re already using, tied on an inverted hook. The Pat’s Rubberlegs, Pheasant Tail Nymph and Hare’s Ear Nymph immediately come to mind. These flies produce everywhere a line gets wet. Now they’re available as jig nymphs, and these top producers just got more effective. If you’re looking to ease your way into jig nymphing, going with a classic fly, inverted as a jig, to jumpstart your entrance into this fly style.
The jig style has also spawned its own style of fly. Loosely known as the Perdigon, this jig nymph is sparse and has a coated body. It’s designed to sink rapidly, getting where the fish are faster than any other nymph we sell. Make sure to vary your sizes, to match your local insects. Be ready to be closer to the bottom, and then be ready to start taking more and bigger fish! It’s what the jig nymph is all about!
Here is a list of some of the best nymph patterns tied with the Jig style hook that work across the country.
It all starts with knots. Everyone learns the surgeon’s knot to join monofilament together, but don’t understand why. Why add monofilament pieces to a leader, or why change the monofilament size at the end of the leader? There are good reasons, but let’s start with some basic statements and definitions. The leader is defined as a tapered piece of monofilament connecting the fly line and the fly. Tapering means it’s thick at one end, thin at the other. Tippet (for our purpose) is the thinnest part of the leader, where we tie the fly on. Tippet is sized by diameter, not pound test, which is expressed as an X value. The smaller the X value, the thicker the tippet, so 5x tippet is thinner than 2X tippet. This sizing system dates to the time when leaders were made of gut (pre-1950 or so). Gut pieces came in very few diameters. To make your piece of gut thinner, you pulled it through a V shaped razor. One pull through the razor- the gut piece is now thinner- 1X. Two pulls through the razor- gut is now even thinner- 2X. That’s how we got the X nomenclature. All leaders are designated by length and tippet, so a 9′ 4X leader is nine foot in length, tapering down to 4X diameter.
Matching Diameter To Fly Size
Flies are also sized in the same counter-intuitive way. The larger the numeric value of a fly, the smaller the size of the fly, meaning a size 12 fly is smaller than a size 8 fly. This system is based on wire gage used to build the hook. The thinner the wire, the larger the number. Knowledge of fly size and X diameter is important for matching the proper tippet size to your fly. There are 2 rules for sizing tippet to fly, the Rule of 3 and the Rule of 4. Take your fly size (Example: size 12) and divide it by 3. You get 4. Or, take your fly size and divide it by 4. You get 3. So a size 12 fly would be properly matched with size 3X or 4X tippet. For a size 8 fly, divide by 4, to get 2. Divide by 3 and get 2.666, so we round up and get 3. So a size 8 fly would be properly matched with 2X or 3X tippet. Those two rules will provide the correct tippet size for your chosen fly.
Tapered Leaders
Tippet size is dependent on fly size, and
we need to apply that knowledge effectively to our leader design. To understand
leaders, we need to understand the energy transfer that goes through them.
Energy transfer is most easily understood as water being poured into a gutter.
If you place a gutter flat on the ground, and splash a bucket of water into it,
the water travels a certain distance down the gutter, and then stops. The
energy has dissipated. But if you were to take that gutter and taper it,
compressing the path of the water, the water travels much further before it
stops. In essence, this is what a leader does. The leader starts thick and
tapers down to the tippet, allowing the energy from the cast (generated by the
fly rod) to flow effectively through the leader. Point of fact- the front taper
of the fly line does exactly the same thing, tapering the energy of the cast
into the leader. So, a leader would look like this diagram, if seen from the
side.
You can see the taper of this leader as it goes from the butt (thick end) down to the tippet (level skinny end). The example shown is a 9′ 4X leader. It is 9′ in total length, with 7 feet of tapered monofilament and 2′ of 4X level tippet at the end. Perfect for our size 12 fly. So you tie on your size 12 fly, and use up 4″ of tippet tying the clinch knot. And you lose that fly. So you tie on another size 12 fly, and again lose 4″ more of tippet to the knot. Then decide to change flies. Cut it off, tie on another size 12 fly – lose 4″ of tippet again. And so on. After 5-6 flies have been tied on, there is no more 4X tippet left on your leader. To replace the 4X tippet, use the Surgeon’s Knot to add another 2′ of 4X tippet. Adding tippet protects the integrity of the leader’s taper, which is why you paid $5.00 for 9’ of monofilament. Adding tippet protects that investment.
Splicing Tippet to Leader
Here’s where leaders get interesting. You
want to change to a size 8 fly, which means your leader’s tippet should be 2X.
Note on the leader diagram there are markings where the diameters of 3X, 2X, 1X
and 0X are located. To add 2X tippet, cut the tapered section of the leader at
the 2X point. Please note there are no markings on an
actual leader, so you will need to judge the diameter by sight or feel (not as
hard to do as it sounds). Then use the surgeon’s knot to add a piece of 2X
tippet, a little over 2′ long. Then go through the fly-tying-on procedure
again, now using the 2X section of tippet and size 8 flies. With this step, you
have maintained the integrity of the taper of your leader, but have changed
tippet sizes.
Now it gets more interesting. You want to return to using a size 12 fly. You will do this often, changing fly sizes, and by necessity, tippet sizes. What is the procedure? Look at the leader diagram. The approximate length of the leader between 2X and the start of the 4X is 6″. So, cut your 2X tippet off at about 10″. Then use the surgeon’s knot to attach a little more than 2′ of 4X tippet to your 10 inches of 2X monofilament. You will lose about 4″ from each piece (giving 6″ of 2X, and approximately 2′ of 4X), and now you have re-created a 4X tapered leader. Why do we do all this?
Simple. Economics and efficiency. It costs a lot of money
if you pull out a brand new leader every time you’ve tied on 5 flies. It’s also
annoying to change leaders every time you change fly size. So we use our
knowledge of tapers, as shown by the water in the gutter, to maintain efficient
energy transfer through our leader. Efficient energy transfer becomes more
complicated when adjusting your leader from 0X to 5X. In order to maintain
proper energy transfer, you need to step down (jargon for making your leader
thinner) using 2 pieces of monofilament, not one as in the previous example.
There are two rules for maintaining proper leader taper. Never jump more than 2
sizes of tippet at a time (so no tying the 5X directly to the 0X). You should
go from 0X to 2X, then 2X to 4X, then tie on the 2′ piece of 5X tippet to
complete your 5X leader. Second rule, when tapering your leader, the subsequent
piece tied on (the skinnier piece) should never be longer than the piece tied
on previously, until you get to the tippet. So if the 2X piece is 8″ long,
then the 4X piece must be less than 8″ long. This protects the efficiency
of our leader’s taper. Again, go back to your leader diagram. Check the
approximate distance between the 0X point and the 4X point, and then make sure
your 2 pieces of step down leader are approximately the same length.
Why do we create leaders this way? Let’s
start with reasons for not tying 5X tippet directly to 0X, by going back to the
water in the gutter. If you abruptly change from wide gutter to narrow gutter,
most of the water will spill over the sides, and very little water will enter
the narrow section of gutter. Additionally, water entering the narrow part has
little power behind it. The same principle applies to energy transferring from
a thick piece of tippet (0X) to thin tippet (5X).
The reason the subsequent piece of leader
is always shorter than the previous piece is explained this way. During
casting, as your leader extends, it loses energy (thin can’t carry as much
energy as thick). So a shorter subsequent piece of thinner mono always makes
sure the energy being transferred is sufficient to continue the turnover of the
leader.
The tippet always breaks that last rule. Simply put, you want a little squiggle, or slack, at the end the leader. The long, thin piece of tippet transfers energy quite poorly, allowing the energy to dissipate and the leader to develop some squiggles. These squiggles create slack, allowing the fly to float naturally, unaffected by the current.
Importance of the Leader
The leader is one of the most important
pieces of tackle we use, because for a fly to move naturally it must be drag
free. Slack allows the fly to float freely. A tight (straight) leader is
immediately affected by the different currents in the river, causing the fly to
be pulled by the leader. This pulling movement causes the fly to move counter
to the current, which is the definition of drag. A properly tapered leader
transfers enough energy to be accurate, while allowing some slack to be present
near the fly for proper drag free presentation.
Let’s return to matching the tippet size
to the fly. Imagine a size 12 fly attached to a piece of 1⁄4″ diameter
rope. The thick rope
transfers energy very well, and easily extends straight out. However, the thick
rope is greatly affected by the current due to its size, pulling the relatively
small fly along the path of the rope. If the fly is following the path of the
rope, it is not floating naturally with the current. It’s dragging, and that is
a dramatization of what happens when using tippet that is too thick for the
fly.
Imagine the same size 12 fly attached to fine sewing thread. With no
effect from current on the thin, supple thread, the fly floats naturally, which
is drag free floating. However, the thin thread is incapable of transferring
enough energy to “turn over” the fly accurately. Turn over means the leader
extending away from you, not curved back at you. That is the dramatization of
using too thin a tippet. That’s the reason it’s so important to match tippet
size to fly. The tippet must be thin enough to allow the fly to float freely,
while being thick enough to transfer the energy to the fly.
There’s more to building tippets. Imagine taking a 2 foot piece of tippet and holding it in your left hand, with two inches extending to the right. With your right hand, pull the 2 inches of tippet hard and to the right, and let go. The 2 inch piece of tippet is stiff and remains parallel to the floor. Now imagine holding the leader in your left hand with 23 inches extending to the right. With the right hand, pull the 23″ of leader hard and to the right and let go. The leader flops down. What does that tell us? If you only have a couple of inches of tippet on your leader, even if it is correctly matched to the size of the fly, it will be stiffer than if you had a couple of feet of tippet. The shorter piece of tippet may affect the float of the fly, while the longer piece is less likely to affect the fly’s drift. So, if a longer piece of tippet is better, why not tie on 25′ of 5X tippet and never tie another surgeon’s knot again? Because the energy generated by the cast will not transfer along such a long length of very thin conduit (tippet), and you won’t be able to cast it.
Some additional points about leaders. The longer a tippet you can control, and stress control, the better your fly will float. The thinner a tippet you can control, the better your fly will float. The longer a leader you can control, the better your fly will float. Leader tapering is trying to get a long, thin tippet to turn over accurately, and provide a drag free drift. The leader is not just an invisible link between the fly and the fly line, it is what controls the fly on the water, and that is why it is so important.
And while these concepts are described in terms mostly
affiliated with dry flies, the same leader design concepts hold true for nymph
fishing. Thinner and longer gives a better drift. And with nymphing, thinner is
also better because thin tippet is less affected by sub-surface currents than
thicker tippet, and sinks more rapidly. The only time these tippet concepts are
not important is when fishing a streamer style fly. Because a streamer is
fished on a tight line, there is no need for drift, and therefore, less need
for many of these other techniques. But when nymphing or fishing dries, the
ability to balance and control your leader to provide a drag free drift is
paramount.
Before the advent of extruded tapered leaders, as we have
today, a leader was created by knotting together many pieces of monofilament of
various lengths and diameters. Almost every book on fly fishing up until about
1975 had a formula for creating the perfect hand tied leaders. Many older
anglers learned how to create leaders this way, and while there are
disadvantages, there were some advantages as well.
You learned your knots, because each leader required tying anywhere from 7-11 pieces of mono together, and in specific lengths. You also rapidly learned how leaders worked, because you had to build them. Changing designs was simplified, because adjustments were actually made easier by the fact that each diameter was clearly labeled, with a knot at each end. Cause and effect was easily seen, because changing section length was so simple. It allowed anglers to understand, on a fundamental level, how a leader worked, and how to adjust it to make it more effective. Anglers learned they could make a leader behave in any way by adjusting its length and taper. To turn a leader over in a heavy wind, use a short, rapid taper. Or create a leader that allows your fly to land gently by extending the taper and using thinner diameters. It’s interesting to go back and study those old leader taper diagrams, to see what a taper looks like and learn about the actual leader diameters used throughout the taper. The continuously tapered leader does the same job as the hand tied leader, so it would make sense that the relative lengths of the different diameters would be the same. Armed with your taper knowledge, and the ability to balance tippet size to fly size, the leader will go from being something you tie on to something that will actually help you catch fish.
For novice fly fishers, learning how to fish streamer’s can feel very intimidating. Which is strange, because as a technique streamer fishing is the easiest to master. Nymphs and dry flies demand a drag free drift, which is not always easy to obtain. Because a streamer imitates a minnow or leech- creatures which can control their movements in the water- they do not require the subtleties of the dead drift. They can be tugged and pulled through the water in any desired direction. Instead of searching for no drag, you’re creating drag that will entice the fish.
Choosing Streamers
The number of streamers available to the angler is absolutely
mind-boggling. They’re found in every color under the sun, and range in size
anywhere from 1” in length to 7”. Start to add variables like weighted v.
weightless, articulated v. single hook and other variations, and it’s enough to
send you back to the nymph section!
Choosing streamers is not as difficult as it looks. There are considerations to take when choosing your streamers. The first is the size of the streamer. It needs to be compatible with the line weight you’re using. The lighter the line weight, the smaller the streamer should be. Think of it this way. If you attached a fly to a Ping Pong ball and threw it, it would go a certain distance, and land fairly lightly. In comparison, if you attached a fly to a baseball, you could throw it much farther, and land with much more disturbance. The Ping Pong ball will carry less weight and travel less distance than the baseball. In a nutshell, that’s how fly lines work for streamer fishing.
If your main rod for trout is a 4 wt., you’ll need to choose
flies small enough to be controlled by such a light line. However, if you’re
using a 7 wt. for trout, you will have access to much larger streamers. The 7
wt. is a much heavier line, and will be able to control a much larger fly. If
your fly line falls between, adjust your fly size accordingly.
The leader also plays a critical role in streamer fishing. With nymphs and dry flies, anglers try to use the lightest tippet possible for a better drift. In streamer fishing, a light tippet is counterproductive. Trout taking streamers are not leader shy- they are slashing at a moving target with very little concern for tippet size. If you decide to fish streamers, a spool of 1X tippet, or a 7.5’ 1X tapered leader will prove to be very helpful. The thicker leader will transfer more of the casting energy to the fly, allowing you to straighten line and leader with less difficulty. The thicker tippet also resists abrasion, which is important, as larger trout often live in some pretty gnarly spots!
Once you know the correct and approximate streamer size, you need to decide what colors you’re going to carry. To simplify matters, we’re going to fall back on some classic thoughts on streamers from the 40’s and 50’. Dark day, dark fly- light day, light fly- bright day, bright fly. Which means on a cloudy day, or in stained water, a black fly will provide the best silhouette. On a lighter day, try a tan or white fly. On a sunny day, try a fly with a lot of flash. So as you choose your streamers, choose with that in mind. The other thing to keep in mind is size. Have a big and small fly in light dark and bright, always remembering the limitations in size as defined by the line size you’re using. Now you have your flies, it’s time to go fishing!
Streamer Tactics
If you’re floating the river, tactics for streamer fishing are
quite easy. Since 80% of the fish are found within 10’ of the shoreline, you
will be casting your streamer to the edge of the bank, and moving your streamer
away from shore. Correct streamer technique has the angler pointing the rod tip
directly at the fly, and manipulating the fly with your line hand by pulling on
the line. If you use the rod tip to move the fly, the tip is moving backwards,
and if the trout strikes near the end of your rod’s backward swing, the rod tip
will not be able to move further back far or fast enough to set the hook. The
streamer is a large hook, and it takes a lot of force to set it it.
Additionally, the trout is slashing at the fly, and the time you have to set
the hook is very brief. Having the ability to sweep the rod its entire length
while yanking on the line gives the angler a better chance to hook the fish in
that brief moment.
A wading angler has a different approach. You will be fishing
your streamer across the river, casting at approximately a 30 degree angle
downstream. The fly will swing down downstream through an arc. Allow the fly to
extend almost straight out below you. The line should extend for two reasons.
One, if you’ve attracted a fish from mid river, the extension of the cast
allows the fly to stay in the water longer, allowing the trout a longer time to
decide to eat. Second, since most fish live next to the bank, the full
extension allows the trout by the shore to get a look at the shore.
Once you’ve completed a cast, take a step downstream and do it
again. Streamer fishing is about covering water. You want to give as many fish
as you can a chance to see your fly. Standing in the same spot limits how many
fish will see the fly. As you cast downstream, again, you will be manipulating
the fly with your line hand as you follow the path of the fly with your rod
tip. The manipulation should be arrhythmic, imitating a wounded or injured
baitfish. As a strategy for manipulation, start with small, slower movements,
and as you progress, make the movements bigger and more forceful. Don’t worry,
you can’t move the streamer so fast a trout can’t catch it if it wants your fly.
Let the trout tell you how they want the streamer moved, so make sure you vary
your retrieve throughout the day.
Streamer fishing is never the “wrong” way to fish, though the results will vary widely from day to day. At any given time in a body of water, there are smaller fish available for larger fish. So the streamer is never wrong. However, biologists say a trout needs to be at least 3 times larger than its intended prey. That means if you use a 3’ fly, the smallest trout that will eat that fly is 9”, and will probably be larger than that. When you fish a streamer, you are removing approximately 60% of the trout population from eating your fly. It’s too big for those trout to eat/attack. Which means streamer fishing can be slower than other types of fishing, but the rewards can be very big!
Final Thoughts
A last thought on steamer fishing. When thinking of dry flies, nymphs and streamers, the least intrusive type of fishing is dry fly fishing. Since dry fly fishing only disturbs the surface, it affects the least amount of water. Nymphing, because it’s underwater, disturbs the stream a bit more. Streamer fishing is the most intrusive style of fly fishing, as the streamer is subsurface, and pulled vigorously through the water over a longer distance. So if you’re planning on fishing a section of river for an extended period of time, don’t start with streamers. Work the water with a dry, move to nymphs, and then try streamers. Unless you plan to keep moving all day, the streamer may not be your first choice when you approach the river. But when you decide to dedicate some time to the streamer, you’ll find the size of the trout you’re catching will get much larger. Big fish eat little fish!
Runoff is here, and it’s here to stay. The weather is warm, and
the mountains still have snow. We’re going to have high water for the next five
weeks. But that’s no reason you can’t fish. It’s not like the fish get to go on
vacation when the water gets high. The trout are still in the Blackfoot River,
Clark Fork River, Rock Creek and the Bitterroot River, doing the same things
they always do. You just need to change your tactics.
Changing tactics means revisiting some basic principles. A trout
can’t survive expending more calories than they take in. The high water has
dramatically changed the nature of the river, and for a trout to survive, it
must find shelter from the fast flowing water. While it might be obvious, the
faster the water is moving, the more energy a trout must expend to maintain its
lie. As you approach the river, you’re
looking for places where the water is eddying, or very slow, as that’s where
the trout must be to conserve calories. Use the foam on the surface to locate
these places.
Another basic principle is 80% of the fish are found within 10
feet of the bank. That is so important during high water. The currents are
always lesser near the banks, and since trout are looking to avoid the pressure
of the water, they are hugging any shelter they can find. This is so much more
prevalent near the shore, so much easier for the trout to locate. So you’re
working the shore, looking for eddies and slower water.
When you’re standing at the river’s edge, it’s not always easy to
see where the eddies are moving, or where the slower water will be. If you’re
having difficulty defining the slower holding water, leave the edge of the
river and go find a higher vantage point to view the river. It might be a high
bank, a bridge or just walking up the bank a little way. As you get further
from the river, the patterns of current become clearer. Once you’ve identified
the slow water and places of trout shelter from above, then head to the river’s
edge and look at those same places up close. It will soon become apparent what
the best holding water looks like up close.
Another factor comes into play near the shore once you’ve
identified the better holding lies. As the water moves more slowly next to
shore, the mud, dirt and everything else the river is carrying will begin to
precipitate out. This means near the shore, visibility will be better. We
didn’t say good, only better. Because fish have to eat even in run-off, any
advantage they can find they’ll take, so slow water next to the shore offers
better sight as well as requiring less energy expenditure to stay there. Keep
an eye on the weather. A couple of colder days will slow down snow melt, and the slower water will get
more visibility as less debris is entering the water.
Finding access to the edge of the river can be challenging during
high water. Gone are the days of long gravel bars and easy access. Right now
the rivers are bank full, and running through the vegetation that is normally
25 feet from the bank. Run-off fishing is often about where can you get to the
river and safely access casting to trout.
Safety is no accident in run-off. Not only is the water moving as
fast as it will all year, which of course makes wading very dangerous, the high
water is moving all the debris that’s gathered on the rivers edge since last
June. That means logs, downed trees and other flotsam are floating down the
river as well. So even if you’re in shin deep water, if a tree or log goes by
and you don’t see it, it will sweep you into the river. Be smart, stay dry
during run-off!
It also takes some planning to actually land a fish in run-off.
You might find a place to access the river, but you also need to plan how
you’re going to land a fish when you hook one. The first move is to use tippet
about two sizes heavier than you usually would. Not only are you fighting the
trout, you’re also fighting the current. A little extra pound test will help
you bring the fish to the net, which is a critical piece of tackle for high
water. It’s just too dangerous to get so close to the water so that you can
grab the fish. Bring your net and use it. Before you cast, think about how
you’re going to land the fish. Check for impediments, and make sure you have a
clear, safe space to bring the fish to hand.
99% of run-off fishing is going to be subsurface. Sure, the stars might align, and you’ll run into a Mother’s Day Caddis hatch or an early Stonefly hatch, and even water where they’re rising. But don’t count on it. Be ready for nymphs and streamers. The most important part of your rig may be lead weight. You don’t have much room to cast, and your flies don’t have a long time to sink. Think about it this way. If your flies sink at a rate of one inch per linear foot of river covered, you will need to cast 60 feet upstream to get your fly 5 feet deep to a trout’s lie. But if your fly sinks at one foot per linear foot of river covered, you only need to cast 5 feet above that trout suspended 5 feet deep. It makes a huge difference, so have your lead weights and tungsten bead flies.
The Wire Worm, Pat’s Rubberlegs or any dark DoubleBead Stone are great flies to use during run-off. These are some of the fastest sinking flies we carry, and they will be very useful for getting deep quickly. But just because the water is big and fast, that doesn’t mean the fish only take big flies. Make sure to drop off a SR Quill Bullet, TH Duracell Jig or any other quick sinking smaller nymph off of the larger, heavier point fly. Most insects in the river are small- so don’t be fooled by the thought big water, big fly. Make sure to run smaller bug off the back of the big one. Don’t worry about using a heavier tippet and fouling up your drift. In fast water, the fish need to make a quick decision to eat or not. Add the difficulty of locating food in stained water, and you’ll find the fish to be a bit less fussy than mid-August. The heavier tippet also helps control the cast when you have an indicator, two flies and two split shot running along your leader.
When choosing a streamer, fly choice depends on the line you’re using. If you have a sink tip or sinking leader, a bulkier fly that may not sink as rapidly is very effective. The bulky fly helps the fish find it in off color water. If you’re using a floating line, a sparse fly with weight and maybe even a split shot or two will get the fly to where the trout are. (Dirty Hippie). Whatever streamer you choose, make sure you allow the cast to fully extend downstream. Work it as close to the shore as you can, for all the reasons that have been mentioned before. Fish where the fish are, so make sure your streamer spends as much time as close to the bank as possible.
It’s not easy to find the prime spots during run-off. The access points are few and far between, and it seems to change every day. A few cold days and nights, and the water starts to drop. Warm temps of course bring the water levels up. What’s good today may be gone in two days. While the access points may be few and far between, so are the anglers! If you’re looking for solitude, it can be easily found in the month of May. There’s not a lot of pressure on the Blackfoot River, Rock Creek, Bitterroot River and Clark Fork River. We can’t say you’ll find the best fly fishing in Montana of the season in May, but you will find some fish. Be safe, stay dry, and good luck when the conditions are difficult!
