Wet Fly Leader Question

[Loupe]

Crap I better get busy! haha

[Davyfly]

Pete,

Will get back to this later ,as it is a good thread.

Davy

[THOLT]

WIth a 5 foot butt and then another 20 inches to first dropper I've noticed then when trying to fish the Upstream method that I quite often can't see the top dropper in the film as I draw the line back by raising the rod. I assume that means I should shorten the butt by a foot or so.

[Davyfly]

Tholt,

OK l have some time to post about this.
Now without watching you it is difficult for me to know exactly what you are doing, so lets go with it this way.

If you are fishing more or less directly up stream or at a slight angle then you would in fact treat fishing wet fly or soft hackle in thesame way as you would for a dry fly, total dead drift.
Simply you watch for surface movement or the line to twitch or stop, the indication of a take by a fish, raise the rod and set the hook.
As a rule l would not be fishing at long range unless l was forced to do so due to depth of water or other reasons that would not allow for me to wade closer.

Now when it comes to working the top dropper.
This option is one that takes place when you are at a more up and across angle.
Distance that the top dropper fly is from the fly line is one issue, distance flies are spaced below in another and so is size/weight of the flies below the top as these act as your anchor flies, without those you cannot work a top dropper.

If there was one further tip l would give you it is this, do not have the flies close spaced aim for at least 25 ins min and up to 35.

There is a relationship so far as distance from fly line to top dropper fly.
The fly line acts as your end weight the flies as the anchor/drag.

Set up this one. 4ft of 15 and then 2 ft of 12lb Amnesia. To that add 2ft of say 4 or 5x and then add the sections for droppers at 30 ins spaced.

Here again practice makes perfect. It is a very subtle control of movement between both the rod hand and the other as both have to work in sequence with each other. It is not a case of simply raising the rod, and this is also relative to water speed and the distance you cast upstream to start with.
Your aim is to place the flies in a more or less straight line regardless of angle, do not then raise the rod in such a way as you cause the flies to drag back toward you, they should track at the same pace as the current speed, the point that the top dropper is worked to the surface is what l would call the sweet spot to early and too late then you will likely loose control and cause the flies to drag at a unnatural pace.
The longer the rod the further away you can do this. In fact with a 12ft rod it will allow almost perfect control at both short and long range. Pete is working on this one as we speak.

Pete,
As you well know the stillwater set up differs some what but not by much.
For sure l do have the confidence to go from fly line directly with the same BStrain for the entire system, but it is not how l prefer to teach it as l know unless the angler has real good casting skills it amounts to a total mess most of the time, particularly when long systems are used, 12 to 20 ft and maybe more.

Yes my systems differ some but this doe's depend on what l am fishing, and also what line and what wave conditions were on the water, flat calm or rough chop and also what drift speed downwind l have to deal with.
Typically for top water when using nymph type dry emerger combinations in flat water with maybe good surface ripple, yes long leader set ups.

The lakes of Chew and Blagdon were those that many of these long line methods evolved . Chris Ogborne who was in his day a outstanding angler and world champion had a great deal to do with that, also the same lakes that John fishes. They of course were then used at Rutland and Grafham. Chew and Blagdon by the way are shallow water reservoir lake systems and lend themselves to top water techniques, saying that a if you fish wet and soft hackles you will also kill em with the right flies, which few bother to use today, guess it goes in cycles.

If l was say fishing dry or intermediate with wet fly then this may well differ, the essence here is to be able to present the flies at a working depth and then work the flies to surface at given ranges. I would chop and change top dropper position but as a rule around 6ft from fly line to bob fly for a 3 fly rig around 30 ins space and for a 4 fly rig 25 to 30
There are some days that the same set of flies will take fish at range others they follow and take when the flies are closer to the boat, a change of line may also make a difference here at times as this is also related to the speed you wish to work the flies, a dry line will allow for the flies flies to be worked quicker at surface level.
I learned way back that Bows and Browns differ, more or less along the lines Bows will follow while Browns tend to make a quick decision, there for in the case of Browns what we term as short line is over all more effective,you give them way less time to see the flies, while Bows can be teased at range follow and take right below you, after following 20 ft or more at times.

My absolute favorite line was the wet cell 2, followed by the wet cell 1 was more the equivalent of the intermediate today. Dry line was the Peach 444. Now the Snowbee.
The 2 was the most perfect line for working wets for Browns.

Most of the time l use around 4lb and at time 6 lb line.

10 or 11ft rod.

Davy

[AaronJasper]

Watching you dead drift those flies down and across was an eye opening experience. The flies never were pulled from the track that you were fishing them in. Also, I could not believe how far away from your position you were able to fish them with a dead drift. Since then I have fished the soft hackles and wets in that manner and the catch rates on that style of fishing have gone way up.

Working that top dropper is an extrememly finesse style of fishing. As Davy states you have to get the rod angle and line control perfect. It takes a lot of practice.

Also, you better get the figure eight hand twist down perfect in order to be able to manipulate the line and fish the flies.

[pete erickson]

Thanks Davy,

Great Stuff as usual...

Pete

[THOLT]

Thanks much for all the info Davy. Lots to practice this season!