Streamers

[JUICE]

Aaron,

What is the best way to cast a streamer. When I am tossing them out there they go about eight feet and smash right into the water. Any suggestions on casting methods?

[Defeatist]

Juice,
To be quite honest with you a delicate presentation isnt necessary for streamer fishing, I prefer the fly to smash the water, it brings attention to the fly, and acts like an injured baitfish and sometimes induces a vicious strike. What you have to ask your self is, what kind of line are you fishing? Is your leader too long? That may take part in your difficulty and ability to present the fly the way you want to. I generally fish specific types of integrated lines that have a sinking portion fused together with an intermediate or floating running line. THey cast better, and sink to the proper depth, and that being said require a minimal leader of 18-36 inches of heavy tippet....nothing less than 1x and more often than not 0x....this allows for easy turnover, less lost fish, and when you hook a rock or a bush you lose less flies. Lets face it, streamers are expensive, and you want to keep as many as possible. Also there is no need to fish light tippet while streamer fishing, you will be donating flies to the river and you are giving movement to the flies anyway, light tippets are'nt the norm...remember you are targeting those larger more dominant fish in a run...big fish, big tippets....good luck...

[JUICE]

Awesome info Rich. I want to come to your clinic so bad but I have to deal with the girl's family. Thanks for the killer info though. I won't worry about the boulder splash my streamer is making then! Hope so see you out soon!

[alanb_ct]

This is all great information. When I rig my streamer lines, I use a short maxima chameleon butt section about a foot, and use two feet of 0X fluorocarbon for the "leader." That's all you need, any aggressive fish striking a 3-5inch streamer doesn't care about the tippet. The fluoro gives you good abrasion resistance, since the sinking and sink-tip lines always keep your fly near the bottom bouncing off of rocks.

One caveat I should mention, if you are snagging bottom a lot, try lengthening your leader by a foot. Unless you are fishing weighted streamers, this should help avoid that.

Finally, don't forget to fish your streamers up and across or directly upstream, so the strips make the fly dart cross current. Sometimes a traditional down and across works, but I think predatory fish prefer to attack bait from the side or at the head.

The current high water and warming temps make for excellent streamer weather. Use black flies in the muddy water or closer to dark, yellow or white in the clear water or mid-day sun.

[Nymphmeister]

Good advice Alan, I couldn't have said it better myself.

[alanb_ct]

You did indeed say it yourself, as I am simply passing along advice you (and Kelly Galloup) gave me over the years, and combining that with some experience. You got me started with this type of rigging and fishing technique. Thanks.

[Nymphmeister]

Aw shucks, thanks.

[Nymphmeister]

I think you are gonna see the streamer fishing really turn on this week on the Housatonic, the water temps are coming up and the Caddis will be starting up- that is usually when the big, holdover browns get really aggressive toward large streamer stripped fast across the current on sinking lines, love it!!!!

[Night Angler]

I cant believe it....


the more I read on this site... the more I fell like one of the guys!!!


Im 100% Maxima all the way...
Ive transformed 3 guys for using 6 & 7x Rio to 4 and 6lb Maxima... even when they are nymph fishing....

Question...
can any of you guys get ahold of the Maxima knotless leaders ... Cabelas carries them.. but there are always out of them...