How to cast with

[Ron Troversial Clay]

Many experienced fly fishers in still water use long leaders with a weighted point fly to enable them to fish deep with a floating line. It has become a popular technique since great anglers like Cyril Inwood and Arthur Cove proved many years ago how deadly the method is.

However many anglers struggle to get a long leader with 3 flies on it out, especially to land straight.

I often use a leader twice the length of my rod and that means 19 feet or so.

For a start, keep the top fly a decent distance from the end of your fly line or you will have a job landing your fish.

Next the casting.

Do not try for maximum distance with this technique. Double haul casting does not work too well. You need to cast with an open loop rather than a tight loop.

The cast however must be made with sufficient power to get the tackle out some considerable distance than you will let it. In other words at the end of the cast, the line should stop the leader going out any further and allow that leader to straighten out in front. When done properly, the line comes up under the rod with a good old thump.

 

[Chris Cook]

Hi Ron,
if I can also add to that a wee point regarding adding droppers to a long line. Every time you add an extra fly to the leader you get a hinging effect. Each added hinge makes it harder to cast. You get different parts of the leader going off at different angles at the same time.

Long leaders are also more liable to getting tangled. In windy conditions this can be an added problem. If you need depth then think about using a sinking tip line or even an intermediate, however do note the difference in which the fly will fish when used on a different line.

Also, plan ahead. Yesterday I was fishing a team of buzzers on a 20 foot leader on a 9 foot 6 rod. The problem was that my first dropper was about 5 foot from the fly line meaning when I had the fish on the bottom dropper, or the point fly, which was the case in 2 occasions, I had 15 foot of leader from my rod tip out. I could not bring any more in as the top dropper would have caught on the end ferrule and you can probably guess what would happen next.

The only time I will fish long leaders at this time of the year is when I'm fishing a team of buzzers. Most other flies can stand a compromise of line change. Buzzers are probably the only exception, apart from a couple of nymphs.

Chris

 

[Ron Troversial Clay]

A few good points there Chris.

There is of course an ideal length to a dropper. I have experimented with dropper length for some time now and find it to be about 31/2 inches. What do others find?

There are many ways of tying a dropper. I use a three turn water knot. I also tie my droppers at home very carefully, making sure that the droppers hang in line when the leader is held vertically. You have to be carefull with the tying of the second dropper to get this effect.

The next secret of good presentation is to make sure the flies all lie in the same plane with the hook bends downward.

All this I have found is worth the effort.

The heaviest fly, normally a weighted nymph goes on the point, Then a midge pupa (sorry, but I loathe the term "buzzer" - they don't buzz) on the middle, and often a traditional such as a mallard and claret on the top. Why I catch so many trout in the early season on a M & C, I do not know, but it also worked for me in SA in 1999.

In very windy weather, I do of course use an intermediate line, the clear slow glass which I find excellent. I fish a much shorter leader with this set up of course.

I like to fish across the wind where possible, with the wind coming from my left as I am right handed. There's another good reason for this. Fish tend to move with the wind when they are taking nymphs, so that they see your imitations side on.

I've often wondered if we should consider what a fish sees when the fly is end on. They certainly do not seem to mind the bend of the hook.

 

[Ron Troversial Clay]

By the way I must point out that the methods Chris and myself are describing are fairly advanced and I would not recommend long leaders and multi-fly droppers to a beginner until his or her's casting has become really proficient. Stick to a single fly on a leader no longer than 10 feet.

 

[Chris Cook]

All true Ron,
also I think we should dispell a little myth here. 3 times the number of flies does not mean 3 times the number of fish. It merely means 3 times the number of tangles and 3 times the size of tangles!

Also, in regard to the word buzzer, I think chironomid may be a better word too.

Chris

 

[Ron Troversial Clay]

Very true Chris.

But I am sure you, like me have had two fish on at once. And when you do. isn't it strange how those fish swim together. It may be something to do with spawning activity.

I once landed a nice trout of 3 lbs on the middle dropper. I decided to keep it so I unhooked it in the net and gave it the last rights.

As I did so I noticed the line tightening and just as the reel started to scream I managed to pick up the rod. I landed a nice brownie of 3 lbs plus which had to go back. It took the damsel nymph on the point whilst it was stationary on the bottom and right in the edge in about 12 inches of water!

On another occasion whilst attempting to land two trout at once, I brought them into the margin and grabbed the middle dropper fly in the fishes mouth and unhooked it.

The fish on the point fly swirled and sped off, embedding the hook into my thumb and smashing the leader at the same time.

Ouch!

Thank goodness the fly was de-barbed.

Still, there was blood all over the place.

 

[Chris Cook]

Hi Ron,
I fished Thornton in the second week of this season. I was fishing a team of buzzers and there must have been a shoal of fish that went past. I had 2 fish on at the same time. Normally when this has happened to me in the past the two fish have gone separate ways when they feel one pulling and you end up losing both fish. This time I managed to land them both which was nothing short of a minor miracle. It's quite funny but you do look a bit of a plonker if you end up losing both of them!
It can also land you up sh1t creek if you have 2 fish on at once and you are fishing at a water which only allows single fly fishing. But we never do that anyway

Chris

 

[Ron Troversial Clay]

By the way Chris, what's that fish you are holding?

It looks like Barbus kimberleyensis to me, with the mountains of the Barkley East area in the distance.....

Caught on a fly?

 

[Chris Cook]

Ron,
if a photo tells a thousand words it would appear that there are a lot of mistruths spoken about my photo!

Last year I went to New Zealand for the prime reason of fly fishing for trout. This was the result of one of the fishing trips. It was taken from a small stream on the South Island, within an hours drive of Wanaka but that's as specific as you will get. That fish probably saw one or two anglers a year. It was caught on a small dry fly - Red Humpy - and it was my first cast to it when it took. It was one of those moments where everything falls in to place - perfect cast, presentatiom, perfect drift, perfect strike - you know the story. That fish was going on 8 lbs and was as wild a fish as you will find.

A beautiful brown trout, a totally different fish to our stockies over here.

If you haven't been to NZ then go. In fact, book your tickets now

Chris