Fishing Technique
Fly Drifting
Fly-drifting is a combination of two fishing techniques
that both disciplines can use. It allows for drift fishermen to use
flies and allows fly fishermen to use drift-fishing techniques.
Timothy Kusherets
One of the ongoing problems for fly fishermen has been the inability
to get “down” to fish, even with sinking tippets; this is
especially true for rivers where holds can get well below ten-feet deep.
There have been many odd setups born from this dilemma, but the outcome
is generally the same…no fish. Taking on the quandary of this
dilemma, it occurred to me to marry fly fishing and drift-fishing into
one.
Fishing the same waters, fly and drift-fishermen use the exact same
principals of reading and fishing water, the primary difference, aside
from gear, is fly anglers fish from above the surface and drift-fishing
is done from below.
Fly-drifting is a combination of two fishing techniques that both disciplines
can use. It allows for drift fishermen to use flies and allows fly fishermen
to use drift-fishing techniques.
There are only a couple of modifications to make to create the perfect
fly-drift leader that will get fish on the hook: one, replace the corkie
with a dry fly; two, add a neutral colored corkie to the middle of the
leader to make the fly buoyant enough that fish will be able to see
it without the corkie being mistaken for the offering.
Tie on a fly that compliments the species of fish you intend to catch.
Color is the prime factor to consider. Pink, green, and red work perfect
for most species of freshwater fish, but it’s good to have a combination
of flies to entice lethargic and finicky fish.
The corkie on the middle of the leader is meant for buoyant properties
and not for strikes so the color should be inert enough that fish won’t
strike at it; opaque and clear corkies are the best. Match the same
size of the corkie the same way you would consider depth and hook size
if it were actually meant as the offering. If the fly-drift hook is
size No. 2 then the corkie size should be size 10 (hooks and corkie
sizes are found in chapter 1). Slide the corkie midway down the leader
and insert a toothpick into the top of it; this keeps the corkie from
sliding up and down the leader. The placement of the corkie is meant
to keep the fly at a particular depth for presentation. To get the fly
deeper simply slide the corkie further down the line. To get it higher
slide the corkie up the line. Using these fly-drift techniques will
keep each offering natural enough for strikes to come very fast.
Drifting
Flies During Tides Click this site link for more detailed
information.
© Timothy Kusherets 2008/10
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