The image of a trout rising to eat an aquatic insect, usually a mayfly of sorts, is the encapsulation of what drives most anglers to pursue fly fishing. I remember as a young boy seeing it happen for the very first time. What seemed like a gargantuan brown trout rose from an abyss to chase, crush, and inhale a grasshopper. I think I was 7 years old. So in reality, that fish was probably only about 17-18 inches long, and the abyss it rose from was more than likely just a plunge pool that was as deep as I was tall. Nonetheless, it impacted my angling future by putting me on a path to learn fly fishing at a very young age.
Almost as quickly as I started, I found out just how difficult enticing a trout to eat a fake fly could be. My grandfather and my dad were kind enough to allow my pursuit of relentless frustration just to the breaking point before they insisted I fish with bait. At 8 years old, my patience wasn't virtuous at all. However, I did have the persistence and drive to succeed, just not the patience to figure out what I was doing wrong. God bless my grandfather and my dad for tolerating me during that time.
Fast forward 43 years and I have a much better idea of how to help new fly anglers get started. There are a couple of key ingredients that reduce the learning curve. First, buy some equipment that works. Notice I didn't say buy some expensive equipment, I said buy some equipment that works. For example, a 9’ 5 weight fly rod is the most universal of all rods. It is the perfect trout rod as well as panfish, and my favorite dry fly fish, the Arctic grayling. Just make sure your 5 weight rod has a 5 weight fly line on it, matched up with a 5 weight size fly reel. Putting this together accordingly is literally the difference in casting and flailing. There will be some flailing, but not nearly as much if you match everything accordingly. If you are not sure if your set up is right, visit a fly shop for assistance. Any reputable fly shop will be more than willing to help you fuel this latest version of insanity.
So, you have visited the local fly shop, you have everything matched up. You probably bought some leaders, tippet, and a few flies. If it was a really super reputable fly shop, you probably got loaded up on a healthy dose of sarcasm and ridicule. The best shops always seem to have that air about them, but they will steer you in the right direction. It comes from a good place. Armed with your newfound knowledge and gear you need to proceed to step two: find some dumb fish. Really dumb. The dumbest. Find an entire village of idiot fish to cast to. Panfish make some of the best beginning dry fly fish to cast to. They aren't spooky, they eat willingly, and they taste delicious. There is also absolutely no shame in following the local trout hatchery stocking schedule. Trout raised in a concrete raceway seem to fit the description “village of idiots.” They are used to looking up to eat the food served to them twice a day in the very pleasant, controlled environment of the hatchery. In addition, hatchery trout aren’t typically too spooky. What we are looking for here is bang for the buck on opportunities. In the beginning of your dry fly fishing pursuits, you need a lot of opportunities to fail without punishment. The more times you can make a cast and get results, the more you learn. The more learning opportunities you get, the faster you become a better fly angler. Don’t be bashful about fishing to the village idiots. We can all learn something from them.
Once you have found your village to fish in, you need to consider what exactly you are trying to do. You are attempting to imitate an aquatic insect that is resting on the surface of the water above the meniscus. If you are lucky enough to live somewhere that has legitimate bug hatches on the trout creeks, stop and watch the bugs float downstream. Watch the trout that rise to eat them. Also watch the trout that rise for the intent of eating an insect but refuse at the last second. That’s just as important. The bugs that are floating downstream with trout eating them are the ones you want to imitate. Invariably someone out there is currently saying “match the hatch.” It is a catch phrase that I have come to detest and loathe but it does bear some legitimacy. We can worry about the catch phrases later. For now, you just need to focus on making a cast so that your fly looks right to the fish. Ultimately, that is the most important part of the equation. Casting your fly with it splashing the water upon impact has the same impact as the brute squad knocking your front door down with a battering ram. If that happened at your house, you probably aren’t gonna want to hangout, hold hands, and sing kumbaya. Try to be soft on approach. A live insect doesn't even weigh fraction of an ounce. No way it can make a giant splash when it hits the water. Your fly shouldn’t either.
Lastly, in regards to presentation, there is this thing you need to learn called “drag free drift.” Yeah, I know, another catch phrase. This one is tolerable though only because it carries weight with it. Obtaining a drag free drift absolutely ensures that your presentation looks as good as it can possibly look to the fish. It’s imperative to seducing a fish to eat your fly. What is this drag free drift, you say, and how do I obtain it? The drag free drift is achieved by manipulating the fly line with upstream or downstream in order to make the fly travel at the same speed at the river current on the surface where the fly is positioned. Great. Now here it is in layman terms, you are going to cast your fly and there will be a V-wake coming off of it. V-wake is bad. V-wake tells the fish that your fly presentation does not look right, therefore, the fish does not eat your fly. This is, of course, not what we are trying to accomplish at all. The act of “mending” your fly line, or manipulating the fly line, upstream or downstream of your fly will either speed up the fly or slow it down to the point of eliminating the V-wake. Trying to put in to words how to mend fly line in order to achieve a drag free drift is like trying to write down instructions for riding a bicycle for the first time. Hands on handle bars, feet on pedals, pedal fast, hold tight, and hope for the best. Mending fly line is best learned through visual aid. Hire a guide or watch a video from Rio Products on YouTube. It will be the difference in catching and flailing.
We have covered a lot of ground here, but one last thing. What do you do when the fish does actually eat your fly? You’ve made a good cast, good drift, and a trout graces your ego by taking your synthetic offering as if it were a tomahawk ribeye. Dear baby Jesus, this actually worked. What now? I’m willing to bet the first time it happens, you will set the hook well before the fish has the fly in its mouth. Most anglers react upon the visual of the fish breaking the surface resulting in the fly being pulled away from the fish before it has time to come down on top of the fly to ingest it. If you can somehow force yourself to wait on the hook set until after you can see the dorsal fin, your success rate will increase substantially. I once had an Alaska client that came every year only to fish Arctic grayling on dry flies. He would stand in the run and say “God save the queen” every time a grayling rose to his fly. After he said the words, he set the hook. That was his way of metering his hook set so it wasn't too quick. After about the 50th time hearing it, I was hoping for a new phrase or no phrase at all, but it worked for him.
It's summer. Get your gear sorted out, find a village of idiots, have some fun, and God save the queen.