Fishing the Clock

[Tom L]

"Fishing the Clock" by Rene Harrop. Found this article in the Midcurrent. It covers different techniques in fly fishing such as mending, different types of casts and etc. It is very informative. I thought it woudl benefit some of our members, since we had some dicussion on these very topics not long ago.

 

http://midcurrent.com/techniques/fishing-the-clock/?utm_source=MidCurrent+Fly+Fishing+Email+Newsletter&utm_campaign=faa43e7d89-Newsletter_May_29_2013&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8efbf3b958-faa43e7d89-18970037

 

[ronk]

As should be obvious from this article ffing for trout is much more technical than is the case for other either fresh or saltwater species. It's what makes ffing for trout even more challenging & fascinating. Other than when fishing a streamer type fly trout fishing is all about eliminating drag since the flies being imitated are inanimate & flow at the mercy of the current. A trout will therefore reject as phony any fly not flowing at the speed of the current which occurs when drag on the flyline causes the fly to move faster than the current. Learning the various drag defeating casts in the article is essential for trout fishing Leeches,crawfish,minnows,frogs etc imitated in warmwater ffing move independently of the current making drag much less of an issue. The main problem drag causes here is when it prevents the fly from getting as deep as might be needed. An easy to make reach cast with or w/o a mend or an also ez to learn slack line cast will deal with that problem which can also be done by going to a heavier fly or with splitshot. A reach cast is simply fully extending ( reaching) your casting arm upstream as you make the cast. A slackline cast can be made by either overpowering the cast or by wiggling the rod tip side to side as the cast straightens out. I like to snap the rod tip up & down which not only achieves slack but also tends to cause the fly to hit the water before the flyline lands giving the fly a little more sink time.

[Tom L]

Thanks Ron for the detailed annalysis. Although the article is about trout fishing, but it is essential that all river smallmouth chasers should also understand and utilize these techniques especially if you're after trophy smallies. Reading the water and good fly placement are some of the keys in catching bigger and older fish. I'm not an expert caster, but I'm practicing these techniques and trying to improve my game.

[ronk]

Tom

Not an expert caster??? I've seen you cast including an entire flyline.