If you've fully embraced the Stillwater dry fly technique, as I did during the early years of my fly life, you know it's straightforward and versatile! There's no need to get caught up in complicated methods or being a distance fly-casting champion. Forget about super long distance, depth, and elaborate presentations; pay attention to what the fish feed on! These keen observations eliminate any guesswork. Dry fly fishing is the most relaxed way to cast a line, even for those who are particular about their approach. Spot the rising trout, choose your fishing location, and you're all set—no worrying about depth or fly speed! Dry fly fishing offers the purest enjoyment of fly fishing for any trout species, whether in a lake or river. Many of us start our journey in fly fishing by learning to cast with floating fly lines and dry flies. However, for lakes, we often overlook the importance of controlling and utilizing wind, designing and maintaining our leaders for lakes, selecting lake dry flies, and playing the short game effectively.
Different dry fly patterns create varying impressions on the water's surface, known as footprints. This footprint refers to how a fly affects the surface film, influencing how it sits on, in or below the water. In turn, this impacts light distortion and presents a unique silhouette to the fish. For many beginners, using dry flies represents the pinnacle of their fly-fishing experience.
First, let's define our terms. "Dry fly" can mean fishing with static flies on, in, or slightly below the water's surface, but not fishing with wet flies or flies sunk well below the surface and/or some form of jewelry on a floating line or leader. However, skating and popping some dry flies impart action into the fly pattern at the surface.
Check out the Article: Rise Forms - in Rise Forms, it tells you how to interpret the rise and will help you determine if you should be on, in or slightly below the water's surface.
However, for those who are just starting to explore this technique, I'd like to share a few tips that might be helpful. Remember, I still learn something new every time I fish with dries. That said, I've fished alongside a few experts and beginners and noticed several areas where they could benefit from minor adjustments. Here's my advice for anyone looking to improve their dry fly fishing this season on lakes.
We have to get to our fishing locations first quietly and stealthily. The phrase "good sailors make better anglers" is especially true on lakes when there is wind. Understanding the Beaufort wind scale is crucial for all fishing conditions. Wind strength and wind direction significantly impact your choice of approach, fishing location, your cast and the type of boat craft required that you should use based on the fishing conditions you'll encounter that day. Utilizing and manipulating wind is the most critical environmental factor influencing fish movement and behaviour. Wind affects where food is pushed on the lake, how high in the water column fish will feed, their activity levels, and the development of feeding lanes, among other things. When considering anchoring options, you can choose between one or two anchors, apply the Northampton anchor or drift methods, or deploy a drogue to drift broadside or inline with the wind. Each option will depend on wind velocity and how to effectively utilize wind power while moving across a lake or down a shoreline to your advantage. In short, wind is your friend and your BFF if you learn to work with it.
Check out the Article "Boat Craft for Lakes." This article explains how to use your boat to harness the wind effectively as a free mobile power source while maintaining boat control to drift or anchor.
Presentation and Boat Craft: Whenever possible, approach the fishing location on a lake from the upwind side during light air to strong breeze conditions. In calm, light air and light breeze wind conditions, I typically do not use an anchor or drogue; instead, I let the boat slowly drift through a lane or along a shoreline in moderate to shallow depths without a drogue. If you decide to anchor, allow your boat to drift downwind quietly toward your chosen spot. You can use either a single anchor off the starboard side or a double anchor from the starboard side, securing it at both the front and back anchor points broadside in the wind. A dual anchor setup will help keep the boat positioned broadside to the fish and the wind, as this aids you in utilizing the wind to cast downwind to the fish moving upwind. Avoid motoring or rowing directly into likely fishing spots; take your time and drift in quietly. In a Gentle Breeze to a fresh or even strong breeze, I will primarily deploy a drogue to reduce my drift speed as I cast downwind. When large trees sway heavily, or it is difficult to walk into the wind, I will leave and head for shore. Always remember that wind creates currents, and trout swim upstream in these currents, including those found in lakes. You might not see a current as clearly as you would in a stream, but trust that they are present. Fun fact: Alberta's average daily wind speed varies depending on location but generally falls around 20-30 kilometres per hour, with southern Alberta experiencing the strongest winds.
Everything up to this point is simple. However, boat control and equipment setup are areas where most people have a lot to learn. Since we are casting our fly into the delicate interface between our world and the fish's world, it's essential to do so carefully to avoid spooking the fish while managing the wind. Or is it easy, as at times noise and a hard landing of the flies will be the attractant to fish in some cases? Stay seated in the boat and keep a low profile. Wear flat, dull-coloured clothing, and using a flat, dull-coloured rod can also help. The serious boat anglers have painted their rods in flat grey, white, or light blue to blend into the background as much as possible. The sky serves as the background, while the shoreline regions are characterized by vegetation.
Casting while standing can be much more challenging if you cannot shift your weight and a boat is tossing about. This inability can create ripples on a flat, calm lake, establishing a 30-meter zone around you where the fish sense your presence and avoid your casting area. Similarly, we don't stand openly in creeks to prevent spooking fish; the same principle applies to lakes. Keep your profile as low as possible.
Being in a boat with a fishing partner who constantly stands and moves about is incredibly irritating. It spooks many, if not all, the fish. Sit down and stay seated while casting, retrieving, netting, and releasing your fish. Standing is unsafe, as many people have gone overboard because of it; some never return. Many people have accidentally hooked their fishing partners, especially in windy conditions.
Standing in a boat presents another challenge: casting harder to reach the fish creates more significant ripples that can scare the fish away. This also makes it difficult for your boat partner to cast safely, as they must navigate around you to avoid hitting you in the head. I have experienced this frustration firsthand on several occasions.
It is much better to focus on being as quiet as a mouse. Be mindful of your body's movements and concentrate on casting without rocking the boat. Use only your arms and shoulders for the cast, avoiding any motion from the waist. The more you practice this technique, the closer the fish will come to you. When the fish are closer, you will expend less effort casting; you will not require long casts as fish come closer, and you will make fewer movements. This approach is much better for the novice to advanced angler than attempting long casts.
What specific techniques can enhance casting accuracy from a boat?
I often practice casting on my lawn while sitting in a lawn chair to simulate the conditions and distance I would use when sitting in a boat. I also mark my fly line in ten-foot intervals to keep things accurate. A well-placed 30 to 50-foot cast with a 12 to 20-foot leader is much more effective and offers better hookups when the time comes. On most days, casting between thirty and sixty feet of fly line is sufficient, especially with a leader twelve to twenty feet long. If approached quietly, fishing at shorter distances is usually the norm for me.
Moreover, the shorter the line, the less likely it is to be elevated in the air for multiple back casts, which reduces the chance of spooking the fish. A shorter line also allows for more accurate coverage of the area where the fish are. Focus on minimizing your back cast; even for a fifty-foot cast or longer, you should need no more than two or three back casts if your casting technique is good.
Using a single fly allows the angler to maintain a classic tight loop, making it easier to cast to a target or a moving fish by aiming well ahead of their location. The cast should include several S-curves in the leader and tippet section. We want slack leaders on the water, particularly before the dry fly, especially in the more extended tippet section. The leader should maintain its curves and not straighten out upon landing. This slack can then be pulled out by the angler or by currents generated by the wind on the lake. When targeting moving fish, a cast placed gently about 20 feet in front of them typically does the trick. Being patient and giving the fish time to find your fly is essential.
However, a tight loop can hinder the angler from using multiple flies on your leader. In this case, the angler should cast towards the horizon with an open loop. This technique allows the multiple flies to spread as the loop unfolds, lessening tangles and tailing loops. Aiming for the distant horizon helps the leader, and flies lay well above the water's surface before settling down nicely.
One of the most critical factors in dry fly fishing is the visibility of your flies to the angler, which can be improved by using a shorter fly line cast. When you tie dry flies, such as Shipman's buzzers, Dryets, and hair-winged patterns, position the wings and tilt them upwards and forward to enhance their visibility or add fluorescent-coloured wing or body material. Additionally, flies like CDC-winged patterns can benefit from having a white-wing tuft for the same reason. Incorporating bright-coloured CDC into the wing, like white, orange, pink, or hot yellow, can also help in low-visibility conditions. Seeing your flies is crucial because it lets you notice when a fish takes them, which is the essence of the dry fly fishing experience. Shorter casts and refusals from fish also allow the angler to observe this outcome.
Don't second guess, as there will be times in wind and waves when you cannot see your flies. If you notice a fish rising where you believe your flies are, give a slight lift to your rod. If you feel resistance, continue lifting into the fish. Even if you don't feel a take, the movement you've given your flies may be enough to trigger a fish to bite.
There are two scenarios for fishing with dry flies: when fish actively feed on them and when they are not.
When fish feed, it's important to avoid casting directly downwind (at 12 o'clock position) while your boat drifts, as you might do when working with wet flies. Instead, casting at a slight angle will allow you to cover more water, repeatedly introducing flies into new areas and catching more fish moving to the side and around your boat.
When you and your partner sit angled outward, position the aft rod to focus on an arc of water between 9 and 11 o'clock while the fore rod covers the area between 1 and 3 o'clock. Remember to be mindful of your back casts!
To ensure safety and coordination, I recommend calling out "CASTING" before you cast so your partner knows to wait for their turn.
How can I choose the dry fly pattern to match my conditions?
I want to encourage all anglers to expand their thinking about topwater fishing. When we talk about fishing at the surface, we're referring to the area just on, in, or slightly below the meniscus. We use the same fly line, leaders, and casting styles to cover all the scenarios of how a fly or flies could lie on, in or slightly under the surface. Specific fly patterns are designed according to style, function, and form to target these regions effectively. These fly styles sit high enough in the water that trout must expose themselves to the surface to take the fly pattern. Classic hackle dry flies, palmered and Bi-Visible flies, CDC-designed dry flies and flies that sit fully or partially above the meniscus, with a body on, in or submerged below the surface, such as many emerger patterns (Klinkhamers and Shuttlecocks), all belong to the world of topwater fishing.
Attractor dry flies are used when fish are not visible on the surface or when no distinct insect hatch occurs.
What is an attractor dry fly?
An "attractor dry fly" is a type of fly fishing lure designed to attract fish by being highly visible and eye-catching, often featuring bright colours or large profiles, rather than mimicking a specific insect species precisely; essentially, it's a suggestive fly meant to grab a fish's attention and trigger a strike even when the exact food source isn't clear.
Key points about attractor dry flies:
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- It attracts fish to take a fly when natural insect activity is low or when the angler wants to provoke a reaction from a fish.
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- Attractor dry flies are generally large and feature bright colours and flashy materials such as tinsel, flashabous and vibrant dubbing. They often include moving elements, including rubber legs, to enhance visibility and sound, effectively attracting fish.
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- Some popular dry fly patterns that act as attractors include the "Wulff series," the "Humpy," the "CDC (Comparadun) Attractor," as well as large, brightly coloured parachute flies and sizable BiVisible style dapping flies. Additionally, a fly that moves across the surface and produces sound can effectively entice even the wariest fish. Skating dry fly patterns that sit high in the water and create a V-wake during retrieval can be particularly effective. Patterns like the Gurgler or the Deer Hair Dubbing Caddis are excellent examples of topwater attractors, demonstrating their appeal to rainbow, tiger, and brown trout. The strikes on these flies reflect a fish's agitated or impulsive response, driven by the instinct that "if it moves, it must be food."
Take a moment to observe the water closely. If you notice any feeding fish, choose an imitation that resembles the most likely food source. If you don't see any feeding activity, try using an attractor-style fly pattern representing a common insect or baitfish in the area.
If you catch a fish, utilize a stomach pump to confirm your findings or adjust to what you have pulled out of the fish's stomach. Qualify size first, then the profile and colouring of your findings.
When no fish are moving, we adopt a more general approach and fish a combination of different sizes and patterns on the same leader. This is a good approach with a three-fly system. If one of my three flies is catching fish, I will adapt to having two of the same patterns on the leader, if not three, and, if necessary, different colours.
Rods: Choosing the appropriate rod can significantly enhance your dry or topwater fly fishing experience. The rod's length, action, and weight are based on individual preference. Rods vary from slow to ultra-fast action, with some specialty rods measuring eleven feet or longer.
When fishing from a lake boat, mainly while drifting sideways in varying windy conditions, a rod in the 9 to 10-foot range that accommodates seven or eight-weight lines is ideal. This setup enables long or short, accurate casts, making it practical for calm and windy conditions while dry fly fishing. The goal is to cast consistently well in any wind situation without needing multiple rods for every scenario.
A rod measuring between nine and ten feet and rated for 4 or 5 line weights is ideal for calm to light air conditions. However, I prefer a 10-foot, 7-weight rod when fishing in calm or light wind conditions on lakes. Most anglers, especially new anglers, will cast a medium to fast-action rod better than an ultra-fast, slow, or moderate-action rod.
A through-action rod allows you to fish with finer tippets and smaller flies, even in calm to light wind conditions, increasing your chances of catching more fish. Additionally, it helps individuals with average casting skills, like myself, cast a longer line in calm and breezy conditions, enabling us to cover more water effectively. Even when using seven and eight-weight lines, I can achieve a delicate landing of the fly line with the correct taper in my line selection. In this context, long-belly floating fly lines play a crucial role in ensuring a delicate presentation of the dry fly.
For the past 12 years, my setup has included an Eikre Aquila, a 9-foot, 3-inch, 7-weight carbon fibre rod commonly known as a Graphene rod in the fly fishing community today. I prefer this rod for boat fishing because it enables me to effectively use dry flies or a team of wet flies in slight to fresh breeze wind conditions and strong winds when paired with long belly floating weight forward fly lines.
Rod Selection Tips
- Longer and heavier line-weighted rods have a distinct advantage in casting further and more efficiently in the wind and have better leverage in fighting larger fish.
- Carry seven and 8-weight boat rods to cast in windy conditions and multiply fly setups.
- Use four or 5-weight rods when fishing one or two flies on calm or light air days. (optional, but fun)
Leaders:
Educated trout are fish fished throughout the open-water season that have become wary of anglers, boat presence, and fly selection as the seasons progress. This issue arises frequently due to increased fishing pressure during peak vacation seasons. As a result, the diameter of the leader and tippet line becomes very important. The leader is easily visible when the fish looks up against a brightly lit background. Even in overcast conditions, the light source still comes from above the leader and flies. The angle of view for the angler in the boat is less than ideal, making it challenging to disguise the leader and tippet while still trying to see it and your flies.
The problem becomes more pronounced if the leader lies on the water's surface. Even a fine leader and tippet can become evident to the fish, as it causes a break or distortion in the meniscus.
To overcome this issue, we should use degreased leaders and tippets and ensure that the tippet sections are submerged up to the point of attachment to the fly. If the leader is submerged, we can avoid distortion on the meniscus. Or we can utilize degreased camouflage leaders to blend into the debris floating in the water combined with the finest leader that the trout will tolerate, which is a better approach. There are tippet-to-fly size guidelines that can be utilized. Keep in mind that these are only guidelines. We divide the fly size by three to achieve an approximate correct tippet size for the X factor. However, dropping one or two tippet sizes from the guideline is often recommended and even necessary. Anglers should look at line diameter charts and make their own decisions on what to purchase. What to look for is the comparison between line diameter and breaking strain. We want the thinnest diameter with the highest breaking strain and good knot strength. As tippet and leader development progresses, you may have to re-evaluate and switch brands.
Many of my dry fly patterns for the prairies generally range in size 10 to 16, but most commonly, I use sizes 12 and 14 with a 0.185 mm (8 lbs. test) tippet. However, a 0.165 mm (6 lbs. test) tippet can be more effective with calm or light breezes on bright days. The margin for error is slim in calm to light breeze conditions with fine leaders. Trout allows for a heavier tippet section in light to strong breezes because the waves diffract the light, reducing leader visibility in most cases.
To set the hook effectively, it's best to gently lift your rod over your shoulder or keep it parallel to the water's surface. This allows you to feel the weight of the fish more accurately, rather than using the stiff, over-the-head hook set often seen on lakes. This type of gentle hook setting takes practice yet is much more effective.
Trout do not have hands and use their mouths to feel and taste things and the fly if they are unsure if the size, colour and pattern type is actual. If fish ignore your fly pattern after a thoughtful fly selection and presentation or swim up to it and do a turnaround, something is off for them. The trout's reaction, just like the rise form, will provide you with valuable information. Be observant and listen to the trout; these things are sign language and need to be adjusted to while on the water at that moment and time. If the cast is good, your presence is not detected, or if the fly has not put off the trout, then we typically assume that the leader is the problem first and foremost. The telltale clue is if they come and have a look and don't take the fly, it is almost always the leader's diameter or glare if the leader has not been degreased with the mud of your preference.
My typical leader setup features a degreased, monofilament, camouflage ten-foot casting section that remains on the water surface longer than a fluorocarbon leader. Fluorocarbon has a heavier density and sinks more quickly, making monofilament a better choice. Additionally, monofilament offers more stretch, acting as a shock absorber when setting the hook and fighting the fish.
At the end of this leader casting section, I attach a micro ring connecting to a long fluorocarbon or monofilament tippet fishing section. This fishing section can be anything from 3 to 10 feet long, with up to three dry flies when needed. With a one-fly cast, a three to four-foot section is sufficient. The diameter of this tippet will be matched to the appropriate dry fly size using the "divide by 3" method to determine the approximate tippet diameter. Remember, these are guidelines for increasing or decreasing tippet size to suit conditions and trout behaviour.
Before attaching the fly or flies, the entire leader and tippet section should be degreased using degreasing mud to remove any sheen from the leader.
For me, a standard dry fly leader typically ranges from 12 to 16 feet in length for one fly setup, although it can extend up to 20 feet with two or three fly setups. Think of the leader as having two parts. The front section, made of heavier tapered mono or fluorocarbon leading to the micro ring, serves as the casting section. This part should provide shock absorption, low visibility or disguised visibility, and halter enough energy transfer to cast one or multiple flies in most wind conditions effectively. The section below the micro ring is called the fishing section of tippet material, which can be easily adjusted by adding or removing different tippet line diameters and lengths. This improves adaptation to various light conditions, decreases tippet visibility, and ensures the flies' sizes are appropriate for the tippet section. Additionally, this section can be disposed of daily without impacting the prominent leader casting section.
The most crucial factor in dry fly fishing is presentation. Did the leader and fly land softly on the surface, lay relatively straight or with S-curves, and be visible to the angler? We must first ensure that the leader component of our setup is not causing problems before making any adjustments to the fly at the end of the line.
When trout swim up to a fly and turn away, it's essential to distinguish between refusals and other behaviours. We will miss opportunities to catch willing fish if our leaders are poorly designed or inadequate.
Leader and Tippet Tips
- Degrease, degrease, degrease...never not do this.
- Make or purchase a good degreasing agent.
- Use soft tapered mono-casting sections combined with either mono or fluorocarbon tippet fishing sections.
- Learn to cast long balanced leaders of 12-20 feet effectively.
- Purchase quality spinning line for your tippet section construction—buy large volumes (200-meter spools), and don't be cheap. You will go through lots of tippet material yearly, and the price doesn't always reflect quality.
- Store leaders and tippet out of the sun and in Tippet spool cases to accommodate 200-meter tippet spools.
See Leader and Tippet article.
Dry Fly Accessories: Your three most essential gear items are the floatant, a line degreaser and a drying patch. After many years of tried and trusted use, I still use "Dilley Wax" floatant or Musiln. Many folks make their sinking agent for degreasing leaders by making a paste from Fuller's earth, glycerine, liquid dish soap and water. Proprietary brands are available - at a price. I go through an enormous amount of degreasing agents every year. The sinking compound should be used on every leader setup. Remove the shine from the leader and tippet section to reduce leader and tippet glare. I will apply flotant to the tippet section with dry fly leaders immediately at the fly and on the fly as required. It is often overlooked and is a significant factor in catching or not catching fish. Always remember that wind creates currents, and trout swim upstream in these currents, including those found in lakes. You might not see a current as clearly as you would in a stream, but trust that they are present.
I recommend that you find some Amadou to dry your flies.
An Amadou fly dryer is beneficial because it quickly and effectively dries wet, dry flies, especially delicate ones like CDC patterns. Due to its softness, a natural material derived from a mushroom, it absorbs water rapidly without damaging the fly's hackles. It is a crucial tool for fly anglers to maintain optimal fly buoyancy on the water.
Key benefits of an Amadou fly dryer:
- Fast drying time:
- Amadou is highly absorbent, allowing rapid water removal from a wetted fly and ensuring it can be cast again quickly.
- Gentle on delicate flies:
- The soft texture of Amadou prevents damage to delicate hackles, which is particularly important for CDC patterns with fine, fluffy fibres.
- Portable and compact:
- Amadou patches are small and lightweight, easily fitting on a fly fishing lanyard or in a tackle box for convenient access.
- Durable and long-lasting:
- A quality Amadou patch can last years and be consistently used when correctly cared for.
- Natural material:
- Amadou is a naturally occurring product often considered environmentally friendly compared to synthetic alternatives.
How to use an Amadou fly dryer:
- Gently squeeze the wetted fly between the Amadou patch's two layers to absorb moisture.
- For larger flies or heavily soaked flies, repeat the process or slightly press the fly into the Amadou to extract more water.
Dry fly fishing is much easier if you have all the right stuff. We can adjust to hatch, sunlight, lake, and wind conditions. However, many variables on the lake are outside our control, including educated and spooky trout. As anglers, we need to adjust to all these variables to be successful on any given day.
Flies: Casting dry flies with pinpoint accuracy can be challenging in light to a fresh breeze, and they can be harder to see on breezy days due to surface chop. However, there are distinct advantages to dry fly fishing if you can manage your presentation in windy conditions. Achieving a good drift becomes tricky when gusts disrupt your aerial and on-the-water mends. However, we can also utilize any wind to move our flies downwind naturally when required. While some believe trout tend to ignore dry flies when windy, this is not the case. Rainbows especially like dry flies on windy days, as do Tiger trout and Brown trout. It is even better if overcast, light rain and cooler temperatures prevail. A light wind to a fresh breeze creates enough wave action to allow trout to rise higher in the water column while feeling secure. The main difficulty lies in spotting surface takes, as the wind and waves can quickly obscure any signs of a trout taking a fly on, in or just below the surface. Elevated seats in a boat can allow you to see these takes more easily. Some of my best dry fly fishing days occur with sound, wind-generated waves, cooler but not cold water, low air temperatures, and low light. On my home waters, I expect a Pond Olive hatch in these conditions or a stalled chironomid hatch at or near the surface with many crippled, drowned and dead.
We are all still learning to fish with dry flies on wind-swept days. Each season reveals something new, and using the sparsest fly will generally yield good results on days from flat calm to a light breeze. Sparse files will still float. Choosing the proper dry fly and fly dressing based on lake conditions can distinguish between success and going home empty-handed. Conversely, a heavier or fuller-dressed dry fly is easier to see for the anglers and the trout on those windy days. Matching the hatch is not always necessary; sometimes, a simple, effective footprint will suffice. It is important to note that your fly design will have the fly sitting on, in or slightly below the surface, which often becomes the more critical factor in fly selection.
Fly patterns and colour will usually be determined by the conditions and the type of food available. Observe what is hatching, laying spent, or hatched with spent nymphal or pupal shucks on the surface. All of these elapsed food items will help determine size. Step down one fly size to replicate the adult stage from the nymphal or pupal shuck. Flies that worked during a hatch one year will also work the following year when you encounter the same cycle. Season and weather conditions are a significant influence on our fly choice. The process of elimination helps you make the correct choices, and you will select a fly that the fish will accept.
Not every trout will take your fly; some will always ignore the offering. Don't jump to the conclusion that these trout are uninterested in the fly pattern. A trout swimming past the fly may indicate that the cadence of its rising is off when it encounters your pattern. While accurate casting in lakes is essential, on still water, we cast our fly to a spot where we anticipate the trout will rise again based on the direction the trout travels. Developing intuition and understanding the cadence of these rise sequences comes with experience. Watching the direction of the fish after it rises can greatly help anglers place their fly correctly in anticipation of the subsequent rise without frightening the fish. It is almost a ballet of gentle movement for the angler in the boat from one cast to the subsequent rise across the lake surface for the next cast.
On In Below
What colour should I use?
The colour of a fly resting on, in, or just below the surface is an essential factor to consider when choosing which fly to use. During the early season, grey, black, or dark-coloured flies work well for chironomid hatches, while lighter colours such as ginger, light olive, and olive green are effective for Pond Olive hatches. These natural, muted colours reflect the shades of early-season chironomids and Pond Olive hatches.
As the summer season progresses, colours such as brown, olives, claret, orange, and red become more popular choices. During the late part of the open water season, the preferred colours are dark brown, claret, black, and orange. While this may seem straightforward, it accurately reflects the overall colour preferences of flies used for fishing, which vary by season.
The palmered and Bivisible type patterns sit on the surface exceedingly well. A fly I developed for fishing in the wind with a larger surface area for visibility and to ride well on the water in my Dapping Mayfly. It is very effective and can be clipped on the body hackle and, if need be, clipped very short on the body or the longer front hackle to become a drowned or crippled midge or mayfly pattern.
Gordon van der Spuy introduced techniques that breathe new life into dry flies. One innovative method, the Halo effect on the dry fly, incorporates a CDC hackling technique under a parachute hackle and post. This approach is quite brilliant. Another adaptation is the addition of squirrel hair to create a leggier appearance, which is mentioned in his book and referred to as the RAB in effect. These fly patterns work well with no wind or a light breeze. However, you must adjust your approach and fly style when dealing with stronger windy conditions. In windy situations, where you have a gentle breeze to a strong wind, a fly with a larger surface area is more susceptible to being lifted by the wind and riding higher on the wave. Using patterns like a Bi-visible or a palmered hackled fly can help you manage this issue effectively. A fly I frequently use in windy conditions combines short touching turn hackles in the body section with a front hackle of 1.5 gape length and a longer than usual tail tied in an ensiform of a single hackle. To effectively use these flies, lift your rod tip high when using longer rods to catch the wind on longer leaders.
Be cautious when fish seem to take your dry fly, but you repeatedly miss the strike. If that occurs, switch to a slimmer pattern. Be prepared to fish with sizes ranging from 10 to 18, focusing specifically on sizes 10, 12 and 14 in our region. Sometimes, you are on your own: try casting larger, colourful and heavier flies until something works.
Base your fly collection on adult midges, pond olives, caddis, spent, crippled, and dead chironomids, as well as CDC-type flies—flesh out your collection with Klinkhåmers, suspender-type buzzers, simple adult midge patterns and top water attractors. The specific imitations needed will vary based on your location, fishing season and fishing style. Skating and popper flies are favourites for searching water when no rise forms are present.
If you own a Blow Line, then this is a way to approach stronger wind conditions. A blow line uses the wind to lift your leader and fly off the water by raising your rod. Then, lower your rod tip to drop the flies back to the surface. But the blow line is held high off the water. Frequently lift and lower your rod tip to make the flies "dabble" downwind from you on the water's surface while on a controlled drift with a drogue or anchored in a boat. A "Blow Line" denotes a specialized type of line, typically crafted from lightweight floss material. It is primarily used in the "dapping" technique, where the angler employs the wind to gently "blow" their fly onto the water's surface, particularly effective for fishing from a boat over shallow, wavey waters. Essentially, this line is designed to be easily carried by the wind for a delicate presentation of one or multiple fly patterns. "Dapping" is a fly fishing technique where the angler tries to keep their line and leader out of the water, only letting the fly gently touch the surface.
What is a dapping wave?
- Dapping wave - is a wave with short peaks but not a white horse peak. A rolling wave from 3-8 " in height.
Key points about Blow Lines:
Function:
- The lightweight nature of the blow line allows it to be easily carried by the wind, enabling the angler to gently "blow" their fly onto the water without a forceful cast. This technique is ideal for wary fish in windy conditions and excellent for the short game if the wind is sound.
Dapping Technique:
- Primarily used in the "dapping" technique, where the fly can float just on or in the water's surface, mimicking natural insects drifting on or lifting off the water frequently.
Material:
Typically made from a multi-strand floss material, offering a smooth and lightweight profile. The material is similar to a heavy or thick macromae yarn.
Different conditions need different approaches.
Limited information on dry fly tactics and fly selection for lake fishing in different wind conditions has been published over the years. Three distinct scenarios exist for dry fly fishing on lakes: flat, calm conditions, mild or slight (gentle) winds, and heavier breezes with strong gusts. Each requires varying tactics, approaches, and equipment adjustments. Each wind condition affects wave and wave height. Sometimes, longer casts in calm to light air are appropriate, while a short cast will be more effective and productive in fresh and strong breezes.
Calm to light air conditions (1 km/h to 5km/hr)
Dry fly fishing in calm conditions can be the bain of anglers if they don't downsize leaders and fish sparse flies on leaders longer than twelve feet. You can also reach your cast out further to cover more water.
My flies are designed to sit deeper in the water in stronger winds, which often influences a confident take. Yet, a fly riding high on the surface can prove more productive in very high wind conditions. A fly that sits high on a big wave is more attractive to fish than a similar colour and size sitting more profoundly in the film. Rough conditions impart some form of natural action or movement of the fly, which is the attractor.
At times, changes in weather and wind conditions can put fish off and affect how they rise. A slight breeze change in direction will put surface-feeding fish down. But have patience, as rainbows will quickly adjust to the wind or weather change and start feeding again.
Mild (gentle) winds are light to gentle breezes (6km/hr. to 28km/hr.)—the most common wind factor across the prairies.
On the wind scale, this would encompass a light to moderate breeze. At this wind change and condition, I start considering fuller-dressed dry flies and cast a shorter fly line to work the water as I drift downwind.
Heavy breezes with strong summer winds. (29km/hr to 49km/hr.)
These winds range from strong breezes to high winds. It’s almost always the time to use fully dressed and attractor flies, particularly those topwater patterns that disturb and push water, such as poppers and waking flies. Even in heavy winds with larger waves, trout can hear a waking fly or a good trout popper like a Gurgler, making it easier to locate the flies. Our casts will also tend to be on the shorter side, generally under fifty feet.
Ghe's Gurgler
Getting your fly in the water:
The key is to have the fly float and the leader sink. The biggest mistake most people make is not degreasing the leader often enough. Even in a ripple, this needs to be done frequently. You may need to do it every several casts. Check it by dropping it in the water over the side of the boat in front of you. If your leader sits on the surface, the fish will see it. Get the sinking compound out and rub it down.
Please don't overdo it with fly flotant. Sometimes, the fish want the fly to sit right on top of the water, but more often, they prefer it to sit down in the surface film. Many fly patterns are designed to have only part of the fly dressed with a flotant, such as the wing on a Klinkhåmer or the wing and tail on the Shipman buzzer. CDCs possess built-in buoyancy when using unwashed wild mallard CDC or applying only a small amount of CDC oil to the wing. I do the same on most of my CDC flies, whether the classic F- Fly or the suspender chironomids like the Once and Away or Shuttle Cocks.
The various styles of dry fly patterns focus on different footprints. A footprint is the mark the fly makes on the water's surface. It sits in the surface film to a greater or lesser extent, distorting the light differently and presenting a silhouette to the fish. Shy fish can benefit from changing the footprint of the fly by going to a different style of pattern that resembles the same insect.
All the patterns I have suggested have radically different footprints. Make use of those differences. Anglers can alter many classic, traditional, or palmered-based dry flies in the field by trimming the bottom of the hackle against the body. Causing the fly to lie on the surface lower and significantly changes the footprint.
Dry flies behave differently from wet flies. Instead of actively engaging with the water, dry flies rest on, in or slightly below the surface. But they do move or drift at the mercy of the wind. So, they are not fully static outside of flat, calm conditions. Casting to the side of your sitting position facing downwind allows you to cover the water in sections rather than repeatedly introducing flies into areas you've already fished (12 o'clock approach). This technique also positions you better to have well-spaced multiple flies ready for a rising fish as you drift toward it. Remember that fish often move around floating objects, which indicates the trout will likely pass to the sides to navigate around the boat.
There are a few schools of thought on how long to let the flies sit when fishing blind. Some anglers suggest casting out and counting to five before lifting the fly and recasting. The idea behind this approach is that fish prone to taking a dry fly will lie close to the surface. Not all trout are horizontal feeders like rainbows and cutthroat. I would let the flies sit for much longer for vertical feeders, such as brook trout, tiger trout, and brown trout. Tigers and Browns are known to move vertically to dry flies from water as deep as twelve feet. If a fly lands within their field of vision, they will either take it within several seconds or not at all. Success often depends on making that lucky cast. This five-second technique is effective in calm conditions with no wind, as anglers have limited options for adding movement to their fly presentation in such situations. Any fly movement in calm conditions should be subtle, as it risks spooking trout feeding at the surface. However, when on the wind, the flies will move with the surface current downwind, and therefore, you can allow them to sit for extended periods as they sweep through a region, provided a drifting boat does not overtake the fly/s. Alternatively, when on the wind, especially when there is a strong wind, the flies can be repositioned by gently lifting the rod and slowly skating the flies to a new line of drift without recasting. Often but not always, this sudden slow movement and stopping to allow free drift with the wind again are the attractors and triggers. Fish in the area will usually come to have a look because of the subtle pull and will take at the pause. An enhanced technique for fishing involves skating caddis adults to trigger strikes. This is much slower and more thoughtful regarding speed and repositioning before resting the adult caddis.
In conclusion, it’s essential to recognize that dry fly fishing isn’t just about being stationary; it involves combining boat control with dry fly various techniques, each with its own set of variables to master. I hope this provides some food for thought the next time you engage in dry fly fishing in a Stillwater environment.
On my home water, my standard approach is to not use a drogue for dry fly fishing, provided the light and light wind conditions are favourable. I aim to cover a drift quickly while minimizing disturbance in areas where fish may be holding. My boat needs to move freely among rising fish without spooking them, and I strive to revise my drifting line as often as possible before the trout loses interest in the dry fly. I consider myself fortunate if I can execute two or three drifts through a specific area. However, with each drift, I also recognize that I am educating the fish about my presence. I hope I learn as much as I teach those trout about being wary of a fly angler.