Spot fishing is a good technique when you find yourself in a situation where there are a number of visible fish rising. The basic idea is to always be ready for a repositioning of the fly to the place of the most current activity, whether that is along the shore, or toward the mid current of the stream. This method requires that you rise above the mentality of having to catch one specific fish, and enables one to enjoy the art of casting, and catching fish that are diverse in size and sometimes even in type. The purpose of ‘spot fishing’ is to keep the fly away from the fish until the moment when they are already feeding. This keeps the fish from becoming familiar with the fly, and realizing it for an imitation. When spot fishing, presentation is everything; you need to be able to introduce the fly to the fish so fast, with such precision, that the fish, still in frenzy from its rise, immediately strikes your imitation without taking a second thought.

When presenting a fly using the spot fishing method, it is best to present your fly immediately above the focal point of the rings (the circular ripples left after a rise). Many people make the common mistake of aiming to land their fly exactly in the center of the rings. This is great for target practice, but our goal is to catch fish. The reason why you should land the fly upstream from where you see the rings form is due to the fact that the current shifts all things downstream, including the rings. When fish rise to a fly, they tend to make a very direct accent and descent, therefore, by the time it takes for you to respond to the rise, the fish is back where it started, but the rings have drifted downstream just slightly, leaving the fish on the upstream side of the rings.

The ‘quarter turn sweep’ is only possible in moving water, and is the most commonly used method of fly fishing. This technique involves very little work on the behalf of the fisherman, yet is very effective. You, as the fisherman, stand off toward one side of the stream or river, facing the opposite bank. Now, picturing yourself at the center of a clock, (12 o’clock being directly in front of you) you should present your fly just to the upstream side of 12 o’clock. Allow the fly to float at a float about 40-45 degrees. At this time, the fly should be almost directly downstream from you. If the fly has not sunk on its own, then force it to sink by sharply pulling your line. After the fly has become submerged, fish it as a wet fly by stripping in your line in short direct jerks until the fly is within casting distance again. Fish will most often hit as the fly makes its final turn and sinks, that is why it is so important that one does not immediately recast their fly when it sinks, but continues to fish it wet. When it comes time to recast the fly, it is best to, if possible, use a back cast. This will quickly dry the fly, allowing it to float easily when it lands again.

• The Good 'ol Days I recently received a comment about my last blog, asking if such a simplistic means of fishing is possible in the US. In response, yes, it is most definitely possible, and would be just as affective regardless of the location, however, there is a mindset amongst fishermen in the United......
• The Ultimate Fishing Challenge The season has begun, and certainly on a good note for many of the fishermen around the country. I spent opening day this year on the Natchaug River in northeastern Connecticut. Although I did not get the opportunity to do much fishing, I did have the pleasure of sharing the......
• Making Weight Making Weight," an expression that I heard constantly from my little brother during his high school wrestling career, has made its way into the fly fishing world. For those fishermen that enjoy nymphing and 'wet-fly' fishing, many companies have developed a number of different sinking lines that allow wet flies......
• Fly Day- Friday: The Muddler Minnow For all you fishermen out there who dream of catching trophy trout, yet always come up short, wondering why it seems that the trout aren’t eating anything you are presenting to them, it is actually quite simple; it seems as though they are not eating, because, in fact, they might......
• Fly Day- Friday: The Hornberg For all of you fishermen, and women, out there who wish to catch fish, the Hornberg is a wonderful fly to have in your arsenal when on the stream. People are not sure exactly when this fly was first fabricated. Some people believe it was some time in the 1930’s.......

• Book Review: The LL Bean Ultimate Book of Fly Fishing by Macauley Lord, Dick Talleur and Dave Whitlock When it comes to the great outdoors, LL Bean is probably one of the most recognized authorities on the subject. They have built up quite a following over the years with their outdoor clothing and accessories and it was only natural that instructional books would follow. If you are interested......
• More Fishing and Boating Lexicon Fishery - This is a term that is used for lakes, rivers and streams where it is possible for people to come and catch fish, or to catch a specific type of fish, such as a trout fishery or a bass fishery. Fish hook - This is a barbless or......
• Fly Fishing Rods - New And Improved Fly fishing rods are the fishing poles used by the anglers in the old days to catch a few fish for dinner. Youngsters and their granddads would walk to the creek or the 'old fishing hole' with their rods in hopes of catching 'the big one' they could proudly......
• Fly Fishing [/caption] Nymph fishing is a fly fishing technique and likely the most challenging too. Because the fly, which is very small, is underwater this can often be a tedious test to even the best angler. Needless to say, even the most patient fishermen can find this frustrating. Trout fishing is......
• Orvis Fly Fishing Guide Whether you are a lifelong fly fisherman, or someone that has been intrigued by this sport, the Orvis Fly Fishing Guide is one of the single best resources we have ever come across on fly fishing. This new edition contains more than 400 photos and illustrations and offers some of......

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