Another new recruit

Sorry if this is a really basic question -

Coarse fishing for me haas been rubbish since I got kicked off the river on March 15th along with all the other plebs so after having a casting lesson at Chatsworth last week, yesterday I bought myself a 9 1/2ft 6/7# rod, reel, 7# floating line and a few flies.

A little late for this spring as it's soon barbel and chub time again but I will be after the spotties next year!

I mainly intend to fish my local rivers but may also venture onto stillwaters too.

I've been reading through the older threads on this board and I've seen reccomendations for fisheries near me, so no need to go over that again.

I've also seen several threads for fly reccomendations, but not actually how to fish them.
Obviously, a dry fly on a river you let the currant carry it downstream to the waiting fish, but what about on stillwater?

Scondly, bearing in mind it'll soon be open season soon, can does anyone know any good chub flies, or flies for other coarse species?

If you are fishing the dry on a river Jonathan it's best if you cast upstream. The fish will have their heads upstream and will not see you.

You need to learn the upstream mend which will put your fly in line with the fish first before the leader.

It does take a little bit of practice to get it right.

One of the most deadly tactics on a river is fishing the nymph upstream. You cast your nymph upsteam and then watch the line as the current brings it back to you. If it stops, lift and you might have a fish.

I would suggest a good book on both river and still water tactics.

You will find on many rivers that fishing the fly or nymph downstream is banned.

What I meant was the currant will move the dry fly for you, when I said downstream, I didn't mean downstream of me but that is the way it is carried by the currant, sorry if I was a little unclear, but the crux of my question was, what do you do with a dry fly on a stillwater? Do you slowly retreive it as you would a wet fly?

Retreiving a dry fly on stillwaters is ok with the moth or sedge imitations as these quite often drag themselfs across the surface. Usually though you observe a feeding fish and cast infront of it. Eg fish rises every 2 feet cast 4 foot infront of it this lessens the disturbence from the cast. You could also just fish it blind but in my opinion fishng buzzers or emergers is better for this.

Also remember on a river fishing dry fly you will only have a short drift depending on swim before your fly starts to act unaturally by dragging on the water surface. You are aiming to cast a foot above the fish unless it is lieing deep then you might have to cast a little further upstream. Your aiming to land the fly outside its cone of vision and let it drift into view.

I can highly recomend the book. The Educated Trout by goddard and clarke there is also a vidoe.

Sorry Jonathan, probably my mistake too.

Sedge flies will often skate across the water causing a wake. This is exciting still water dry fly fishing.

Dries on still water like Daddies must be left alone. Don't retrieve them at all. This also goes for hawthorn flies, which by the way are late this year.

When fishing the static dry fly on still waters make sure your leader, right up to where it joins your fly, is sunk. Otherwise the trout will hardly ever take it.

Thanks for the answers, Ron, Bryan. Some good info to get me started.