May 13 2008
‘Dead-Fly’ Done
For all of those fly fishermen our there who enjoy using streamers when fishing, there is one problem that seems almost inevitable at times: ‘dead-fly.’ Dead-fly is the term used to describe a streamer that tends to turn upside-down when being retrieved through the water. This action will cause the presentation of the fly to be tainted, and will result in an empty creel.
There are two key reasons for dead-fly that can very easily be overcome in directly addressed, line spinning, and improper weighting of the streamer. The first culprit, line spin, is a result of line that has not been properly maintained. Over the course of time, line will become gritty, and will stretch due to constant use, causing the line to twist. These twists will actually become wound in the air, and, when the fly hits the water, the line will begin to ‘unwind,’ forcing the streamer to spin rapidly. This can easily be fixed by keeping you line clean, and straightening it with a piece of leather, as I have spoken about in the past.
The second, and more often the case, problem that results in ‘dead-fly,’ is the improper weighting of a streamer. There are times that, when a fly is tied, lead weight is used in the streamer to cause it to sink more rapidly. If the weight is not properly wrapped, it will make the shank of the streamer heavier than the rest of the hook, and will cause it to float upside-down. Although lead weight is a common reason, dead-fly can be a result of a number of different materials used in streamer. This problem can be fixed simply by fastening about nine inches of heavy, transparent line to the head of the streamer and connecting a small piece of foam, or down feathers to the other end of the line. The buoyant material will float, turning the streamer upright again, allowing it to be fished normally. Some fishermen are skeptical to this practice, thinking that the line will cause fish to become less attracted to the streamer, but from experience I can say that it truly works.
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