Dry Fly Fishing Basics

After taking a few weeks off from fishing for trout (and remembering how much I love bass fishing in the process), I got back out on the streams this past weekend, and while I didnt get huge numbers, I had a great time fishing, both with a friend and alone. Several times, I forgot all about the fish and found myself checking out the bugs.

Friday also marked the day I took my first trout on a dry fly, a #14 elk hair caddis that I tied myself.

Still, I think I could have caught at least 4-5 more over the past few days, but somehow I'm missing them. Its not that they're giving me refusals (many have), or that they're throwing the hook (many have done that too), this is me, just plain missing them on the take. I'll be watching the fly, see a fish nose up underneath it, and dimple. The fly is gone, the line goes with the fish. I set the hook, feel, for the briefest of moments, the weight of a trout, then the line goes slack. Its really exciting, and the fact that I managed to get one has me convinced its not the rod, tippet, or anything like that. Really, the only thing I can think of equipment-wise is that the flies other than the first one were tied on 2X-fine hooks (not sure if or how that changes things for the angler), but really I think its just either me doing something wrong or failing to do something right. It could be a simple matter of bad timing that will come with experience too. I know one rainbow that owes his unpierced lip to too much slack in the flyline.

Really, I'm just looking for dry fly guys willing to share some wisdom with a newb. Any little tips, tricks, or anything will be appreciated.

So...like...so that the bend doesnt go a full 180 back toward the eye...or, like looking down from them top, the point isnt directly under the shank?

Hmm...how long will a fish hang onto a fly he's chomped? Its definitely possible I'm striking too hard, too fast. Had a few fish "miss" too. I thought I was getting a last-second refusal, but its possible that they missed. Also had one that would "nibble" on my caddis, not even pulling it under...not sure what was up there.

The EHC I was using didnt have hackle, just the elk hair tail and wing, and a dubbed body. The one I caught a fish on had hackle though, and I missed a few with it too.

This is my first trout on a dry, btw :

Also, a somewhat less technique-specific question...

I was out yesterday in the cold drizzly weather, I definitely saw sulphurs and hendricksons, and some that might have been red quills and possibly a few olives. Also saw 3 mayflies that were large and dark gray, no idea what they were, but that "nibbler" fish chewed on one for about 25 feet before he finally managed to pull it under.

Still, I only saw a few small trout taking the sulphurs (birds, on the other hand, were having a field day with them), and only that one chewing on the big gray one. Hendricksons werent really ON the water, so much as OVER it, and the rest of the trout were rising to something I couldnt see. The only think I can think of is to try some small griffiths gnats or something, or possibly emergers.

Thoughts?

cold, 99% of the time i set the hook the split second the fish takes the fly, dimples or splashes after it. i rarely wait unless i'm missing them and in that case i'll count one second before setting the hook when the trout takes.
 
i might bend the hook point out slightly only when i'm fishing big fish with small midges.
 
you don't need to set the hook too hard on a dry fly usually just a quick wrist set will do.
 
just think that when you're nymph fishing with an indicator, do you wait long once the indicator goes under? i don't, as soon as the indicator, or i see the end of my fly line jerk, i set the hook.
~just me ~dt
 
 

ORIGINAL: doubletaper

the large dark gray flies could have been slate drakes. when i see bigger flies with gray thin bodies i'll match it with a #12 or #10 quill gorden.

if you think the fish were going after emergers try a parachute dry first. that's what i do. ~dt

Hmm...I'll have to learn to tie parachutes then, I suppose...

for the sulfurs, it was probably emergers. You'll see the trout actively feeding, but not breaking the water. That is the time for a sulfur nymph or emerger/soft hackle.

ok, i'm ready, where you fishing at? i'll show ya how to catch'em.

Cold,
     If DT says he will help you you need to meet the man on Oil Creek or the "j" or Spring Creek some day.  I know how to find them, he definately knows how to catch em.

Try casting from an angle that is more behind the fish and curve a line in where you can. Otherwise, a downstream sweep helps set the hook in the corner jaw. Fish eating in the film sometimes don't turn downwards but sit looking for the next bug.  And Sometimes the fish just take it softly, especially fish that have been caught and re-caught in the popular areas. Yesterday I landed about 25 of the 30 fish that struck (I'm bragging). I later fished a DHALO area and only landed 50 percent. Smaller flies (22's) actually held better than the 16-14 range as they seemed to eat the little ones with more confidence.  That's the way it is sometimes. Don't be surprised it they hammer the fly the next day.

BTW, I met a 3star general on the stream yesterday. General Sattler. He brought some Marines down to do a little fishing.
He's a fine fisherman. We only talked about fishing strategy and fly type vs. rise form.
They lucked out with hatches coming off all day long. Even a late morning suphur hatch and early evening spinner fall.
It was an awsesome day. Awesome.  

Some other tricks.
 
On a real Elk Hair Caddis (one with hackle), take a pair of scissors and trim the hackle on the underside flat so that the fly lies completely flat on the water.  The elk hair will hold it up and the hackle won't impair the hooking of the fish.  This can be done with any hackled fly.
 
On traditional Catskill dries, lay the fly on a flat surface.  It should have three contact points -- 1) the hackle tips; 2) the hook; and 3) the tail.  If the hackle and the tail touch, but the hook doesn't, the hook point will be pushed away when the fish attempts to inhale the fly.  When you tie, that is the reason for the hackle to be sized against the hook gap and the tail to be sized against the shank length 00 it provides the correct proportions to get 3 point contact.
 
As for nibblers -- they are just too small to eat the fly -- remember, the real bug is soft and will bend into the fish's mouth -- one with a hook is rigid and won't.
 
As for the bugs you were encountering, hard to say what was going on since I wasn't there, but if there are Sulphurs about, and they specifically are not eating duns -- meaning that you see the little sailboats get actively eaten most of the time -- try either an emerger or, gulp, a spinner (even if there are no spinners). 
 
And I actually usually go for the spinner.  Emergers and duns are active bugs.  They wiggle and move.  These are the ones that you see trout do dumb things to get on occasion.  But spinners are dead.  They float in predictable patterns (to the trout) dictated by the current.  They take little or no energy for the trout to rise and take. 
 
In other words, they are an easy meal.  In addition, the flies you saw above the water, but not on it, more than likely were spinners of one sort or another.  Once they are on the water, unless they float very, very close to you (in which case you are standing in a feeding lane dummy), you aren't going to see them.
 
Also, due to thermodynamics, spinners can't land on the water unless the air temperature is 68 F or less (yes, humidity has a part in it too, but I can't easily measure that).  Much like landing a hot air balloon, the cushion of air next to the water won't let the bugs get through it to the water.  Shsss, don't tell anyone that stuff -- most people just assume that the spinner fall "isn't going to happen tonight" and leave about 15 minutes before it does.  Watch the thermometer, not the clock.
 
A spinner is also a good choice when there is a mishmash of bugs because it is an easy target.  I'll post a photo of my favorite spinner when I get through some work.
 
On the hook set thing, I set immediately at the rise, splash, dimple, the perceived rise, splash or dimple, an imaginary rise, splash or dimple -- in other words, I set as soon as I even think they fly has been taken.
 
My hook set, which I am told is very odd looking, has two parts -- the start of the set is actually very hard and sharp -- this usually takes the slack that I inevitably have somewhere out.  The second part, which happens as I see or more correctly sense that the slack is out or almost so is what others above have described as a wrist snap or, if the fish is close (under 25 feet) just a tightening.
 
With regard to bending the hook, it is off to the side.  And I bend the hook on every fly -- dries, nymphs, streamers -- I even have my Tarpon guide doing it now.  It hooks the fish in the corner of the mouth.
 
Best of luck and if you are anywhere near the Little J in the next month or so, give me some notice and I'll try to tag along.

there are those that match the hatch with the correct fly, therefore you would have to KNOW your flies and tie a lot of different ones. this works well on picky trout.

the adams is an attractor pattern, much like a hares ear, it matches a lot of different mayflies. for those who do not know specific mayflies the adams works some of the time. you wouldn't have to carry so many different flies and can get them in many sizes. if you tie flies you wouldn't have to buy so much matterial either.

it's like beer, you can drink the same kind and it will quench your thirst but variety is the spice of life, may get a little expensive with a variety but it's usually worth it!!

Did someone mention "Drink Beer"?  And fly fish?  Who would ever do such a thing?  LOL  Go fish    <-))}}}><

Cold,
    My opinion:  the Adams is a good fly but I prefer the mosquito in sizes from 12-20, and even an emerger (pupa) tie.  There's always mosquitos.  Just swat one on your arm and then match it for size.

Touch of grey with a little peacock for the head, white body wrapped in black thread so just a little white shows through.  Grandson ties one with black translucent nylon thread (like 6 wt line) with a very small peacock head.  It works.  that's for the nymph.
    Winged version:  Grey body wrapped in black thread, barred rock for the hackle, a small parachute of white doesn't hurt either.  Tie the parachute fiber under the top of the body to give the thorax buldge.