Fly Fishing Dish » Casting

Chicken Wing

CtScribe — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 21:11:08 +0000

I just returned from fishing in South Argentina, casting for stream trout in the Andes, an adventure that I will be sure to write more about in the future.
While there, I met up with a man by the name of Ricardo, the director of relations between the hotel and the National Park Guard. Ricardo is an avid fly fisherman who taught himself to cast using gear that was given to him by a visiting missionary.
I spent four days fishing with Ricardo, and we caught dozens of beautiful trout, but what I want to speak about today is something that his son was struggling with when trying to cast his fathers fly rod.
His son had been practicing for a while, but couldn’t seem to sustain a cast due to a technique problem called ‘the chicken wing.’
The chicken wing is a result of someone trying to cast more line than they are ready, thereby overpowering the rod by using their entire arm and shoulder to make the cast. Although this may seem to be useful when distance casting, it is unnecessary when making a normal cast. If one utilizes their forearm properly they will actually increase their cast. To readily correct this problem, take a pillow and hold it against the side of your body with your elbow and continue casting. If the pillow falls, than your ‘chicken winging.’ When you are able to keep the pillow in place, and are only using your forearm, you are doing it correct. Good Luck, and watch for those wings.

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Spot Fishing: ‘Quarter-turn Sweeps’

CtScribe — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 03:02:33 +0000

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.

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‘Fly day- Friday: The Usual

CtScribe — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 00:53:29 +0000

After you have spent a while on the stream, you realize that every fisherman has his own favorite fly. Although I have a number of flies that I have deemed valuable to me because of their effectiveness, and even though I have a handful of flies that have sentimental value to be, due to the fact that they were tied by my dad when he was young, none of these flies truly take the place pf my favorite fly.

My favorite fly, is undoubtedly the Usual. The Usual is actually a very unusual fly. As the story goes, there once was an old man who fished under a bridge. Every day he fished in the same hole, and he always caught fish; even when all the fishermen around him, upstream and down, caught nothing. This old man could fish at any time of day, in any weather, during any season, and always catch fish. Naturally this spurred curiosity in minds of the other fishermen, so every time they saw the old man they would ask him, “Old Man, what are you fishing with?” and every time they asked him this, the old man would reply with the simplistic answer, “the Usual;” as to not reveal his secret to success.

Since that time, the pattern to this fly has been revealed, and it is now a popular fly among fishermen across the country. What makes this fly so effective, is that it can be used as both a wet fly, or as a dry fly (this is very helpful for those of us that can’t seem to keep a fly from sinking).

When casting this fly as a wet fly, there is one method that I find to be most effective: the “quarter-turn sweep.” (I will be discussing these different casting methods early this coming week.)

What makes the Usual an effective wet fly, is the fact that it is constructed almost entirely from snow hare’s fur. When submerged, this fur becomes transparent, revealing the flies scarlet underbody.

As a dry fly, one can utilize either the “quarter-turn sweep,” or the method of sight fishing.

I suggest that any fishermen that are looking to broaden their arsenals, tie themselves a handful of Usual. This fly will truly serve you well.

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