How to avoid Slack line During drift

rgloft · Senior Member

How to avoid Slack line During drift

drifter · Senior Member

I believe there is a section in the forum for "instruction." �But anyways, some may have different techniques but generally when you cast upstream you want to strip in the line (not out) at a rate that almost leaves you with a tight line. �Of course how much you need to strip in depends on how high you are holding the rod, what type of mending needs to be done, how fast the current is moving, etc. �But generally, i dont start stripping line OUT until my line is almost below me., and when your line is below you you should only have enough line out to allow your drift to match the speed and direction of the current. �Try to avoid any unecessary loops or slack in your line, and keep a lower rod angle when drfiting below you so you can have a better range of motion for hook sets. �Hope this helps. �

East Bay Ed · Senior Member

I'm not sure I understand what you are saying RG. If you cast up stream you should either be taking in slack until your line is straight out from you and then start letting out more line as it goes by you. You don't want a lot of slack line on the water from rod tip to where it goes into the water.

You can also raise your rod and mend your line so that you are not getting undue pull by the river in the belly of the line, which causes your fly to be pulled too fast through the water.

You should never have too much line out. If you are fishing nymphs you want to be able to feel you split shot bumping on the bottom. If you are fishing drys you want to have control of your line from rod tip to your fly without a lot of slack line. If you don't you will never feel the bump of the trout or the subtle pause when a fish takes your fly with nymphs, or you will never be able to set the hook with a dry if there is too much slack line out.

There are many good books on the subject of mending your line. In fact, if you go to google and type in fly fishing and mending line it will probably show you pictures and give you a good explanation.

Hope this helps,
East Bay Ed

bono · Master Fly Fishing Guide

First of all always set the hook downstream into the fishes mouth or if the line is downstream of you then you must at least set it across stream but never upstream out of thier mouths,remember the fish almost always are facing upstream,thats how they breathe and eat. when you cast upstream you must retrieve the line as it gets closer to you all the time reaching out midstream with the rod and following the fly or indicator keeping the slack line to a minimum without impeding the drift.Once the fly or indicator passes you and now is heading downstream then you need to start feeding line out all the time trying to keep the line directly upstream of the fly so it will not pull cross-current.This is called stack mending,that is because you are stacking line above the fly as it travels downstream.Hope that helps a little.

Flyin4:20 · Veteran Member

Yo RG,
�� I remember having the same questions while first starting out, but i did'nt know the correct terms on what to ask, so the way i started putting the puzzle together is I watched the fly fishermen on what� �they are doing and asked a few questions left and right while making new friends at the same time.� Most of the folks that I encountered are really helpful and real friendly.� Plus i watched a lot of Fly Fishing Videos, that i purchased at Sportsmen' wearhouse.�
�� You know what helps while asking a few questions, bring a full flask with you, ask a question while offering them a shot or two.� I'm also a bartender during the weekend, and i know an offer like that is rarely turned down.
�� I'll be flyin putah Wed, Thur, Fri, and Sat.� any one wanna join i'll be by the bridge all 4 days.� Look for a guy with a INDIANA JONES HAT.� That's me!!!!

brian clemens · Senior Member

hire a guide, call bono, he can teach you everything you need to know to start out fly fishing as well show you how to read what, rig set up, as well as catch fish. it will be the best money spent on fly fishing. i am self taught, and i started out very very slow, wishing that i had hired a guy like bono. lucky enough i am a very fast paced learning and i have fished with some great guys.

best suggestion is hire bono for half a day or maybe a full, bring someone with you as well you can split the cost.

Flyin4:20 · Veteran Member

i'm gonna have to agree with brian clemens.� When i started fishing at the age of 10, my dad and my uncle were the ones to show me how to cast, bait, set the hook, tie the correct knot (which only included 1 knot to learn).� And that's fishin in good ol San Pablo Reservoir.��Fished all my life there till i was intoduced to Fly Fishing.� A guide is highly needed, in my opinion, cause even if you got your boy to teach you, your boy still might wanna fish that daywhile trying to teach you the knowledge that he knows.� A guide that you pay for might be a little expensive but it is all worth every penny.� I've heard but not met this guide BONO, nuthin but positive stuff.� I've met a few folks in the water that highly recommend him, my buddy gave me a birthday present and we both took a guide up in the Carson River.� And i learned a lot from that guide.� One of the most memorable birthday my boy gave me.

Flying Dutchman · Senior Member

Great comments--quick, positive responses like these are what drew me to Bono's site!

As Ed mentioned, besides simply googling--I, too, have also previewed readily accessible (even if some pages have been omitted) fly fishing books like Nymph Fishing Rivers and Streams by Hafele.�

Use this site's Keyword Search.� Just wondering under Rants and Raves list some excellent sites to view...

Before purchasing any DVDs, see if your local shop has a rental/free check out of old VHS and more up-to-date DVDs.��

These have saved me tremendous $$$ the last couple of years and certainly excelerated my learning curve!!!

Packrat · Senior Member

Line control! Learn how to mend......

brian clemens · Senior Member

its all about mending to get a dead drift. lets not even get started with high sticking though, aint that right packrat. mend first high stick later. hahaha

LilWhippersnapper · Senior Member

You want the best dead drift you can get. Which means you don't want your fly line pulling your indicator in any way... Any drag on your indicator will greatly reduce your chance of getting a hit. Sounds like you need to hire Bono. You'll learn more in one guided trip than in 10 trips by yourself.

shon42073 · Senior Member

Rg, You should take what everyone else has to say and just practice, Try nymphing on a pretty short line, it's easier to learn line control on a short line.� Every riffle, run, pool, etc. is different so its really hard to teach mending.

Otter · Senior Member

Dead drifting is old school. It does work, but the newest techniques are to move your flies. Pick up your flies when high sticking. Rip some line in the middle of a drift and definitely swing flies at the end of the drift. Also look up some information on the J hook drift. It works!! Fish are used to chasing bugs why do you think they jump out of the water.

Psyfisher · Veteran Member

Dead drifting definately still has its place. For selective trout feeding on small inverts, its often the most natural presentation. Also, not to be contrary to the very nature of this board and who it supports, not all of us can afford to hire guides. If that is the case do not allow yourself to get discouraged. A guide can certainly help, but it is possible to learn without one. Be patient and start with simple techniques like dead drifting under an indicator. Learn to tie the two fly rigs that lots of Putah fishermen use (basically a size 12 or 14 weighted or beadhead nymph with a tiny 20 or 22 zebra midge or micro may or the like tied to a foot long tippet connected to the hook shank of your weighted nymph). If you have the cash for it, a day with a guide will seriously increase your chances of catching fish.� As far as instructional videos, Netflix does have a small selection of fly fishing instruction videos.� Just enough for you to understand the fundementals, but they helped me quite a bit.� If you don't already subscribe, there are some free prieview options.�

-- Edited by Psyfisher at 04:33, 2008-12-16

-- Edited by Psyfisher at 04:36, 2008-12-16

rgloft · Senior Member

Thanks for all the responses the last few were more helpful . however i still dont know �what any of these terms mean . they gave me more questions though. Thats probably normal and i cant really afford a guide right now. ive been teaching a young man of 14 years �who lives in the trailer park where i live to fish-- �i hope it helps him make his life more well-rounded. There's no one else to teach him, as his dad is in prison and he's a prime target for gangs. And that just makes the world a better place. You should have seen the look on his face when he caught his first fish! biggrin

�Are there any takers on giving me a free lesson?? p.s. saw someone walking the lower creek yesterday --where it splits and does a dogleg-- at about 2:30; was that any of you guys?

Psyfisher · Veteran Member

It can be very confusing at first, and there is so much information to absorb it can overwhelm you. What are you using for a reference? You need a book that explains these terms and the basic ideas and concepts of fly fishing. You just can't do it on the web alone. I used Tom Mcnally's Complete Guide to Fly Fishing when I was starting out. I loved it, and couldn't have learned without it. Mr. Mcnally is no nonsense, and thats a good thing when you are starting out. If you want to know how to setup a good rig for Putah start a new thread about it and people will help you out. If they don't I will, though I'm in Minnesota freezing my butt off and envious as heck that you guys get to fish in the winter. Maybe thats why I have so much time to post. By the way, are you Putah guys all on break or something? Enough of the witless banter, catch some pretty rainbows and post em! POST EM! I'm jones'in really hardcore here.� You guys are making it hard to live vicariously through you.

-- Edited by Psyfisher at 10:48, 2008-12-16

East Bay Ed · Senior Member

I just went to google and typed in "fly fishing mending line". �I clicked on the first one that came up. �(I listed it below.) �It included pictures and explanations. If that one doesn't work try the next few sites. �There are many.

East Bay Ed

http://www.midcurrent.com/articles/techniques/monahan_mending.aspx

East Bay Ed · Senior Member

Let me add to my last post. I just went to YouTube and typed in fly fishing and mending line. There are many entries that are listed that show people mending line.
Hope this and the last post help.
East Bay Ed

JT · Senior Member

Psyfisher wrote:

By the way, are you Putah guys all on break or something? Enough of the witless banter, catch some pretty rainbows and post em! POST EM!

I understand you want to see pictures to get your "fix," but lots of people have stopped posting pictures in the winter because of the vulnerability of the spawners.� If we post pictures of�big fish this time of year, everybody will be on the creek the next day raking the spawning beds.

Psyfisher · Veteran Member

I guess I understand that, but just for the record if it wheren't for me comming here to find pictures of fish, and then running into the much maligned Guide/spawner debate of 07, I would have trampled your redds when I paid a visit to your pretty little creek.� Anyway, you can still pm me some pictures if you feel like it.� Sure I'll show it to all my friends and say I caught it, but none of them will believe me anyway wink

-- Edited by Psyfisher at 18:09, 2008-12-16

pjfisher · Member

All very good comments.� I wanted to say that I have gone to the local library and have found some very helpful books, CDs and videos to watch on fly fishing techniques.� So, that's another source of good information.� As a new member to this website, I would like to say that I really appreciate the friendly advice that's posted as well as the kind interactions I have had with the guys I have met on the river.� You're a good group (so kudos to the leader of the pack as well!!).

dumbpig · Veteran Member

Just an addition to the great advice above. If you are in need of some new line, I'd suggest some of the Cortland (I think 444) line as it comes with a great instruction video. Helped a lot even after several years on the water. A guide is fantastic way to really increase the learning in a short period of time. And lastly, this is all reinforced by practice-practice-practice, best being the practice on the water.

rgloft · Senior Member

hey whats up . yah thats the case i cant afford a guide . but have watched some youtube links i think i need to hook up with someone on the creek went up today 12/19/08 and again no hits i tell ya my casting is alot longer but i must be doing something wrong hmm

�im seeing fish lets hook up

rgloft · Senior Member

whats high sticking

bono · Master Fly Fishing Guide

First of all i would like to thank all of you for the nice comments (I just sent the check!).Rloft I feel you're financial pain and totally understand not being able to afford a guide,especially in these times.I also think its a great thing that you took the time to teach a kid the great sport of fishing and in the mean time maybe making a positive influence.That is huge to me and thats one of the reasons that I coach the sports that I do.Anyway its best to just give me a call and I will do my best to help you with you're questions about flyfishing, I'm a slow typer so the phone is the best option, that way I can elaborate as I have been blessed (or cursed) with the gift of gab! Merry X mas to all. Bono

mx19 · Senior Member

This guy might give brian a run for his money in how to questions asked by a new angler.Its seen like just last year doesnt it brian.Oh ya it was...

�� I just couldnt resist.I had to make a joke..... biggrin biggrin biggrin biggrin

shon42073 · Senior Member

rgloft wrote:

hey whats up . yah thats the case i cant afford a guide . but have watched some youtube links i think i need to hook up with someone on the creek went up today 12/19/08 and again no hits i tell ya my casting is alot longer but i must be doing something wrong�im seeing fish lets hook up

Do you feel that you must hook a fish to have a successful day ? I beleive success in fly fishing is measured over periods of years, Not days, weeks, or months. Just keep at it.

-- Edited by shon42073 at 15:34, 2008-12-22