Fly Fishing

Dusboy7 · Location: Port Republic,VA

Whats the best tactic?I usually fish up stream,but have seen some people fishing down stream.Does it make a difference?

Marcel_Karssies · Location: Enschede - The Netherlands

I have seen people do that downstream fishing but I am not good at.
Since I figure the fish are facing the current they will probably spot me before I spot them and scoot off.

So I tend to fish with dry flies and nymphs upstream.
When I fish with streamers though I prefer to fish downstream.
I can feed line out for a long distance and fish the pools and edges of the stream. This is the way I fish on the small streams in my neck of the woods but I can imagine that it works differently on other types of streams and rivers.

Just saw a comment on facebook when you fish in waters with silty bottoms. If you fish upstream the silt you kick up will move behind you - makes sense right Very Happy

rhultz · Posted: Sun 04/04/10 8:01 pm Post subject:

It can depend on what you are fishing. Drys and most nymph/egg patterns are fished up stream and slightly across so not to line your target. However when I'm fishing emergers, I will will cast down and across so the current raises the nymph as it makes the swing and imitates a raising nymph. I'll fish this way during the beginning of a hatch,and fish the other method of up and across when I'm more or less just searching. There are other guys on here that are real good with nymph fishing and can probably add more to this but I hope this helps.

kory_k · Location: New York, NY

For dry fly fishing, fishing down and across gives you quite an advantage since the fish sees your fly before anything else (tippet, leader, flyline) so they are more likely to take the fly in that scenario. You can also let the fly land above the fish without much disturbance which is another advantage. When you cast a dry fly from below the fish you are much more likely to have the fly, tippet or leader land on or near the fish spooking it. Of course you can definitely still catch them this way, it is just that you have more of an advantage fishing down and across. Getting a good drift from upstream requires better line control because you need to feed line out as the fly floats downstream and if you don't, it will easily drag. As Marcel said you can also spook them easier from this position so you have to keep a low profile.

As far as nymphs, you are usually better off from below so the fly can sink although I let the drift go far below me and swing up before the next cast so that I can maximize the time in the water.

For streamers, typically you want to cast across or down and across so that you can strip the fly back across the current. There are times when I cast up and across in order to let it sink more or to give a slower presentation in colder water or when the fish are reluctant to chase the fly.