To Dry Fly or Die?

[FIGHTONSC]

Where I live now, there is an abundance of quality trout streams and rivers to fly fish in. Many fly fishermen and women from all across the U.S. come here to ply their skills and pursue our bountiful wild trout populations. I often observe fly fishers with out of state license plates here on a daily basis chasing our Gem State trout.

What I also observe and speak with, is a lot of frustrated fly fisherman who fish a "Blue Ribbon Water" all day long and only catch one or two fish when fishing dry flies only. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy dry fly fishing as much as the next guy, but since trout feed about 80% of the time sub-surface this strict adherence to "dry fly only" usually rewards these anglers with nothing more than sore casting arms by the end of the day, even in the most opportune of settings.

Yes, fly fishing is about the total experience (I get it and dry fly fishing is exhilarating ), but when I talk to these purists on the stream and they have only caught two or three 9 inch uneducated tidlers for a full days effort, I often wonder if their total experience was really that great for the effort they have expended. True, the scenery and wildlife add to the mix, but you can get that four hours away in the eastern or western Sierras as well. If they are not here to catch quality fish, then why drive one thousand miles to practice your casting?

You can't "will" a fish into taking a dry fly when there is no hatch, no matter how hard you try (I know I've tried it), but you can entice a fish to hit a sub-surface offering similar to what is naturally being offered by making a quick change to your technique. It seems to me that all that is really needed to step up the dry flyster's game is a little bit of flexibility i.e. fish streamers/nymphs/emergers when there is no hatch and dries when there is...very simple! You get the best of both worlds that way.

I spent many years fishing Hot Creek Ranch, so I've been completely surrounded by the dry fly mentality and I have also practiced it in the past. I guess I came to the realization (or became a sinner depending on how you look at it) that I enjoy actually catching quality fish more than just casting towards them.

Adaptability up here (or just about anywhere) seems to be essential to success! Success has different meanings to different folks, but I believe the goal of all fly fishermen is to pursue and hook the best fish available to you in the stream you are fishing. I doubt that any of us ever start a day by saying that I want to focus on catching just fingerlings today. Sadly, I see a lot of dinks caught by experienced fly fishermen where trophy fish are lurking and willing to play, just because the wrong technique is being deployed.

I'm curious as to what the rest of our community thinks or has insights about the "Dry Fly or Die" mentality.

Best regards,

Jeff

[NorcalBob]

I have a pretty simple mentality when it comes to fishing, I fish whatever way I feel like at that time. I am not a beholder of the mentality that one way of fishing is more "superior" to the other. And I throw pretty much every way under the sun and have a very diverse set of skills. But to be honest, I'm very much into the catching aspect of fishing, so my choice of methods is usually heavily influenced into using the method that will most likely offer the greatest chance of me actually hooking up something. And for trout and steelhead, that most likely means nymph fishing.

[lucfish]

I don't do alot of trout fishing anymore but this can be adapted to many fish species. First off, I want to get them on the surface, but something has to tell me it's possible. When I fished the locals for trout I would most always fish a dry. I know I was going to get my 20 fishing that way. I also know I probably would get 40 fishing a nymph. When I steelhead fish, I love to get them skating but where I fish the window is so small, you're going to just be casting. Same goes for carp and bass. When conditions are right, we get carp on dries and bass on poppers, which is the way I want to catch them, but if the water is too cold, you're just flat out not going to get them, so you have to decide, do I want to catch fish, maybe alot fish or very few or maybe none at all. Somedays I do choose to catch less fish if I think I can get a few on the surface, but there is always a cutoff point where the diminishing returns are not worth the visual of the take. Yesterday I fished poppers for two hours and managed 3 good, most likely I could have doubled that count fishing subsurface but 3 is good and enough. Zero on the other hand would change my line of thinking. Just my idle thoughts.

[Bernard]

The moment of a dry fly take and the skill required (such as drag free drifts - if needed) add up to such a sweet moment. I love fishing of all sorts and fly fishing using many sub-surface techniques but it is often that I really feel the need to make sure that I can entice a trout (need not be huge) in a sportsman-like/traditional DF situation. Example: A subtle riser opposite a fast current in a tricky eddie next to some snags etc. This thread may not apply to taunting makos off of S. Diego!

[Ants]

The philosophy of only catch a trout on a dry fly can be traced back to UK and some purists on chalk streams.

In current times a drag free drift over a feeding lie, gives an opportunity to practice one technique. No need to stop there.

Another technique is fishing a nymph or streamer in a deep pool with no indicator. On my local Kern River, this technique puts much more tug into my rod. Nymphing requires learning different techniques since the visual take is absent at the fly.

I like catching fish since it helps me understand where the fish are holding. I also get a kick out of finding the the holdover fish in non-stocked areas.

A bigger learning experience is working with a single rod to effectively present flies using various techniques. Is it harder to land a holdover fish with a nymphing Rod or is it harder to nymph with a bass Rod? Gives me good reason to get out there, spend time on the water, mutter about technique a lot, and cherish the results (as they happen).

Ants

PS. I hate trying to match the hatch. The pleasure of a well placed attractor fly is not underrated.

[WanderingBlues]

I spent my first year or two nymphing or swinging a wet fly. In fact, I didn't even try a dry fly until Craig, the founder of FFA, encouraged me. While fishing the top is fun, I'll usually nymph because the tug is the drug. And if I've travelled great distances, I want to catch fish, not worry about meaningless pomp.

[Rigormortis]

Best of both worlds??? I am certainly not an expert but 75% of the time I'm fishing under indicator with nymphs or a bugger/nymph trailer rig. 24% Dry/dropper....1% Dry.......

[planettrout]

Believe it or don't...




PT/TB

[FIGHTONSC]

But to be honest, I'm very much into the catching aspect of fishing,

Bob, like you, I am also into the "catching aspect" of fly fishing. I love the scenery, wildlife, and the sound of the water, but as Curtis said...the tug is the drug and I will use any technique in my quiver to make that happen.

in a sportsman-like/traditional DF situation.

Bernard, sometimes I get the feeling that the dry fly purist actually thinks that using any other method than a dry fly is not "sportsman-like" and is categorically resented by the DF following. This feeling was partially the reason behind posting this thread.

I want to catch fish, not worry about meaningless pomp.

Ditto on that, Curtis. Too take it a step further, the formal fly fishing attire being adorned by some anglers today, rivals that which was worn on English fox hunts during the late 19th century. Is all of this fancy garb really necessary to catch a trout? It certainly doesn't impress the fish!

Another technique is fishing a nymph or streamer in a deep pool with no indicator. On my local Kern River, this technique puts much more tug into my rod. Nymphing requires learning different techniques since the visual take is absent at the fly.

Ants,

I agree with you about nymphing, in that the learning curve to nymph effectively is a far more complex task than learning the dry fly regimen.

First off, I want to get them on the surface, but something has to tell me it's possible. Somedays I do choose to catch less fish if I think I can get a few on the surface, but there is always a cutoff point where the diminishing returns are not worth the visual of the take.

Luc,

As a seasoned fly fisher, you look for the conditions and ques which will dictate how you are going to fish the immediate area. Your main purpose is to catch fish, so you weigh your options and decide which method will either bring you the most joy or produce the most fish. If the joy method (top water) doesn't work you have no problem switching over to the production method....you don't keep flailing away on top!

Best of both worlds??? I am certainly not an expert but 75% of the time I'm fishing under indicator with nymphs or a bugger/nymph trailer rig. 24% Dry/dropper....1% Dry.......

Looks like you have got the percentages right!

Believe it or don't...






PT/TB

[/quote]

I believe it!

Thanks for the responses,

Jeff

[BrownBear]

I know several guys that just prefer dry flies and watching the fish take. To a man they're older guys who've been fly fishing 50 years and could teach classes about fishing nymphs and streamers. They'll all tell you that these days they're more interested in HOW they fish than fish counts they can brag to their buddies about. They just like doing it with dries now.

You're not likely to cross paths with them when there are many other rods on the water because they also don't like being around people much. There are a couple of other points they share. They're all fishing bamboo, and not a one of them visits fishing web sites. You might have caught a glimpse of them now and then on the water. If they see you coming, they're likely to reel up and leave before you get within talking range.

Yup. Crusty old pharts, every one one them! They don't care what you think, and they don't want to listen to you or share the water.

[FIGHTONSC]

I know several guys that just prefer dry flies and watching the fish take. To a man they're older guys who've been fly fishing 50 years and could teach classes about fishing nymphs and streamers. They'll all tell you that these days they're more interested in HOW they fish than fish counts they can brag to their buddies about. They just like doing it with dries now.

You're not likely to cross paths with them when there are many other rods on the water because they also don't like being around people much. There are a couple of other points they share. They're all fishing bamboo, and not a one of them visits fishing web sites. You might have caught a glimpse of them now and then on the water. If they see you coming, they're likely to reel up and leave before you get within talking range.

Yup. Crusty old pharts, every one one them! They don't care what you think, and they don't want to listen to you or share the water.

Good for them!

[BrownBear]

Good for them!

Yup. They're about the happiest guys I know on the water. They're doing what they want and no apologies (and no discussion). I fish "with" several of them. As in, we drive to the water together then go our separate ways til meet-up hour back at the truck.

I mis-characterized them on one point: If you find them, they're likely to be sitting on the bank enjoying the day and place. They're as happy to sit and watch fish rising as to cast for them. Guys can't really do it that way with only a few days or a few hours a week to fish. But with time and opportunity to be picky, they're being really picky and enjoying themselves more.

My favorite in the group and his wife stay with us here in Alaska two weeks to a month each summer. He and I weren't keeping track, but our wives were: The four of us fished 5 days straight with neither of us wetting a line while getting max pleasure from watching our wives catch fish. You'll know us crusty old geezers when we arrive on the water, because about the first thing we do is break out our folding chairs!

[briansII]

I really enjoy discussions like this. I hope I don't fall into the crusty old pharts category, but I can related to some of that.

Overall, if I think I can get trout to rise to my dry flies, or eat a streamer, I don't even bother to bring my nymph box. Not to say I don't fish nymphs, but it's not my 1st or 2nd choice. When I first took up fly fishing, I fished nymphs 90-95% of the time, simply because it was effective. It takes skill, and concentration to dead drift nymphs, so I found it challenging and fun. Things change. What makes fly fishing fun for me now, is the challenge, the casting, the grab, and the tug. That can include nymphing a particularly challenging stream, but mostly it's presenting dry flies, or swinging streamers/wet flies. I enjoy catching trout, but I don't need to catch a lot of fish to have a successful outing. One might think my priorities changed when I took up two handed rods and spey casting(usually catch less fish), but it was more than a few years before I ever thought about spey. I live relatively close to trout water, and have done a LOT of nymphing for trout. Jaded? Probably a little bit.

A perfect day on a trout stream would be swinging streamers/wets on a trout spey. When the hatch comes off, presenting dry flies on long, thin leaders, to sipping fish. Oh, and a stream side cigar and brew. If I don't have fish stank on me, that's ok.

BTW, I do not have the same perspective with other species. Mainly warm water species. There is a "need" to catch certain fish, and usually bigger/more, the better.

briansII

[BrownBear]

I hope I don't fall into the crusty old pharts category....

Ah, c'mon. There's room for lots more of us!

[flybob]

Since I have only been fly fishing for 8 or so years, just the act of catching fish with a fly is a rush for me.
And since I do not get out often enough to satisfy my urges, I will catch them anyway I can!
But I have to be honest here, the most successful style for me has been stripping wets/streamers.
I have fished mostly fast moving creeks and have done quite well with my * of small wet flys.
I have taught myself how to keep the fly moving just ahead of the flow of the water, and then seeing the line hesitate, followed by a good set, and the subsequent pull back up stream is just a rush for me!
I have caught my share of nice trout on the typical surface attractor patterns, especially on the lakes, but for me it is more of a cast and wait event, how long do I wait before I lift and cast again? With the wets, there is no question, there is no waiting, cast, strip it in....cast again, I feel much more engaged, and for me, this presents more opportunity to catch a fish.

I can appreciate the grizzled, or maybe not, fisherman who becomes more specific and challenging to himself, "I only fish from 10am to noon, and from 3pm to 5! I feel that they have caught their lifetime quota of every species on their list. Now it is purely about HOW they catch their fish.
I doubt that I will ever get to this stage.

FWIW, I have yet to see this mythical "HATCH"! LOL!

A great post Jeff!