Get the Drag Out!

I hesitate to post a blog with fly-fishing tips or advice.  Believe me, I am far from being any kind of fly-fishing expert.  I do however know a guy who guides fly anglers in Montana and have learned a thing or three from him.  He is my nephew.  From my time whipping fly rods in the air and drying off a few, I know this is true.  Write it in stone:

Oh, by the way, some of you quit reading and did not watch the video because you do not fly-fish, “this ain’t got anything to do with how I fish”.  Big mistake.  Again, let me say it, it is cross-training!  The skills and presentations you use for one type of fishing, one species of fish, apply to others.  Being aware of how your baits and lures, drift, are presented, to the fish makes all the difference in the world!

Saw this happen once while trout fishing a Nebraska water with a couple, three other guys.  To start I set them all up with the floats and nymphs I knew they needed to catch fish.  Told them where to cast and how to present those baits.  Then I watched for half an hour while they caught nothing.  I knew the fish were there, knew they were not getting bit because they were not paying enough attention to their lines to get drag-free drifts (“Mend!  Mend IT!”).  Finally, picked up my rod just to prove to them the fish were present.  In three drifts I hooked two fish, landed one.

They never did get it.

This also applies in lakes, reservoirs, pits and ponds.  There are water movements, currents, even in those standing waters.  You better believe the fish are intimately aware of those water movements and use them to find and catch prey.  The better you understand that, the more successful you will be.

And it has nothing to do with which magic fly, bait, or lure you are using.

I believe folks make fly-fishing out to be something more complicated than it really is.  Do not get me wrong, like any kind of fishing there are skills, intricacies, and an infinite amount of learning that will take a lifetime of practice.  My fly-casting alone surely needs a lot more work!  But, keep it simple, ______!

Folks get wrapped up in “matching the hatch”.  Then, some of them also get hooked on fly-tying.  That is great and expands the knowledge and enjoyment of fly-fishing exponentially.  However, many times the fish are feeding opportunistically and anything that looks “buggy” presented in the right place and right way (remember:  no drag!), will get bit.  Even when the fish are selective, matching size, basic shape, and color is probably enough to catch enough fish to make your arms tired.  Flies, baits, lures, do NOT have to look exactly like the real thing.

OK, admitting that I am not any kind of fly-fishing expert, I will tell you that there are several resources on the interwebs that I like to check out and learn from.  As you could see, one is the source of the video I posted above, Ventures Fly Company.

Again, I know some of you will grumble because I am using my blog to promote some company that is selling something.  Yeah, it is called capitalism.  Yes, they sell products.  More importantly they offer lots of simple, practical teaching that will help you become a better angler!  For free!  Check out their YouTube page.  Guarantee that you will learn something there, and then sure, maybe you will want to purchase something from them too.

Now, I have to go work on my roll cast.