Across and Down
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Across and Down
Hi all, I'm a regular nymph or upstream fisher but over the years have played a bit with swinging wee wets across and down with reasonable success. I haven't fished that way for quite some time and note that this seems to be quite popular now but perhaps with a difference.
From what I can gather the flies used this way seem to be more streamer style, maybe weighted etc and I'm keen to understand a bit more about this method, particularly for use on the Taupo/Turangi rivers over winter. It seems to me that if the fly is weighted then I could fish across and down with a floating line, am I right? Info please.
Cheers
From what I can gather the flies used this way seem to be more streamer style, maybe weighted etc and I'm keen to understand a bit more about this method, particularly for use on the Taupo/Turangi rivers over winter. It seems to me that if the fly is weighted then I could fish across and down with a floating line, am I right? Info please.
Cheers
- fraser hocks
- Posts: 915
- Joined: Sat May 10, 2014 3:25 pm
- Location: Queenstown
Re: Across and Down
Hey there Ziffle. Across and down with wets and intermediate lines was all the rage when I was young, and don't get me wrong it works. But if im going to swing a fly across and down nowadays id tend to lean towards a double hander.
Wee wets work really well when the fish are up closer to riffles and such, where the vertical water column is compressed so you can swing a small fly and its going to be close to the fishes face. When it comes to larger and swifter waters that's where steamer patterns come into their own.
When I first started swinging streamers on double handed rods, i tied up fly's that if they popped of on a cast would be considered a danger to low flying aircraft they were that heavy. Nowadays I fish mostly unweighted fly's (mostly intruder style, or tube fly's since the hook point is so far back) fished at the correct depth with the right line / sink tip setup is the way to go.
Im currently playing with AIrflo's new F.I.S.T. line (Shooting head / skagit). Gets real deep fast while the butt stays at the surface. This means i can fish deep while still having a straight line to the flys, so I can feel any bump.
Essentially you can fish with a floating line in the shallower riffles with wee wets, but if your going to give big streamers a nudge, then maybe look into a setup to suit what your doing. Our local store does a Airflo switch rod with lamson liquid reel and Airflo line combo for half what I payed for my spey reel so you can get into it pretty cheaply.
Wee wets work really well when the fish are up closer to riffles and such, where the vertical water column is compressed so you can swing a small fly and its going to be close to the fishes face. When it comes to larger and swifter waters that's where steamer patterns come into their own.
When I first started swinging streamers on double handed rods, i tied up fly's that if they popped of on a cast would be considered a danger to low flying aircraft they were that heavy. Nowadays I fish mostly unweighted fly's (mostly intruder style, or tube fly's since the hook point is so far back) fished at the correct depth with the right line / sink tip setup is the way to go.
Im currently playing with AIrflo's new F.I.S.T. line (Shooting head / skagit). Gets real deep fast while the butt stays at the surface. This means i can fish deep while still having a straight line to the flys, so I can feel any bump.
Essentially you can fish with a floating line in the shallower riffles with wee wets, but if your going to give big streamers a nudge, then maybe look into a setup to suit what your doing. Our local store does a Airflo switch rod with lamson liquid reel and Airflo line combo for half what I payed for my spey reel so you can get into it pretty cheaply.
Bucking trends in fly fishing since 1970!
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Re: Across and Down
Hi Fraser, thanks for the reply. I very much appreciate the info but I'm 100% sure I'm not going to invest in a double handed outfit. This is more about fishing back down river after having fished up it with nymph and I think I might use a fast sinking leader off the end of my floater. That way I will essentially end up with the sink tip line and be able to maintain some contact. I guess if we don't try then we never find out. I am interested in the weighted streamers I think I've seen tho, I guess that can only be to get to the bottom and nothing else so I'll try a few and see how it goes
- SteveO
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- Location: New Plymouth
Re: Across and Down
Hi Ziffle
What you have come will work perfectly the polyleaders are tapered and turn over beautifully. They come he various lengths/sink rates and are probably the most economical way to achieve your goal. Some manufacturers offer an integrated line and tip for example this one from the forum host http://www.flyshop.co.nz/product/streamer_max.html
A Streamer max on a spare spool would be perfect and work on the Tongariro as well.
Regards Steve
What you have come will work perfectly the polyleaders are tapered and turn over beautifully. They come he various lengths/sink rates and are probably the most economical way to achieve your goal. Some manufacturers offer an integrated line and tip for example this one from the forum host http://www.flyshop.co.nz/product/streamer_max.html
A Streamer max on a spare spool would be perfect and work on the Tongariro as well.
Regards Steve
- fraser hocks
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Re: Across and Down
Fair enough Ziffle. Another option is to use a Airflo Scout head. Iv just set one up on a spare 6# spool so I can do exactly what your describing. Thats taking the setup to the next level for chucking big streamers on a standard single handed rod.
What SteveO is suggesting will also work well, the Scout head will suit better begin cast more with a spey cast (Snap T etc..)
which means massively reduced chance of being hit by a huge heavy fly and will handle bigger ie. heavier fly's.
Its all personal preference thing.
What SteveO is suggesting will also work well, the Scout head will suit better begin cast more with a spey cast (Snap T etc..)
which means massively reduced chance of being hit by a huge heavy fly and will handle bigger ie. heavier fly's.
Its all personal preference thing.
Bucking trends in fly fishing since 1970!
- Whio
- Posts: 173
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- Location: Wanganui NZ
Re: Across and Down
I endorse what SteveO said. I use a single hand set up with a different brand sink tip line on the Tongariro. It's become my preferred way of fishing that particular river.
Some of my life I spend fly fishing, the rest I just waste!
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Re: Across and Down
Thanks guys for all the responses, I've just taken a bit of a look at those single handed spey casts on YouTube. It sure looks an effective method of shooting a heavy fly across stream but i can imagine it'll take a bit of mastering. I think I'll go with some kind of sinking tip or sinking leader to begin with and see how it goes, I'm guessing with a bit of weight in the fly I'm going to be able to get it down near the bottom if my leader is long enough.
- fraser hocks
- Posts: 915
- Joined: Sat May 10, 2014 3:25 pm
- Location: Queenstown
Re: Across and Down
No problems Ziffle. Big tip is to buy the wallet that has a set of sink leaders. Its the cheapest way to get a set and you get a decent wallet to hold them in. Also your going to use them whether it be with a line like Streamer Max or a shooting head system on your single hand rod.
We always use a similar system with double handed rods, but since the rods are longer we need longer leaders as well to match.
http://www.flyshop.co.nz/product/AFPLSET.html
We always use a similar system with double handed rods, but since the rods are longer we need longer leaders as well to match.
http://www.flyshop.co.nz/product/AFPLSET.html
Bucking trends in fly fishing since 1970!
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Re: Across and Down
In "Trout and salmon sport in NZ " compiled by Tony Orman, pp 32-35, is an article by Jim Ring (one of the most effective trout fishers on the planet) titled "The small wet fly-a lost art". Very well worth reading, describing the problems and solutions to this type of fishing. Interestingly, he reckons the rod wants to be at least 3 meters long with a long floppy action....an action opposite to modern graphite rods. He is talking though, of small wets, not heaving "lures".
- fraser hocks
- Posts: 915
- Joined: Sat May 10, 2014 3:25 pm
- Location: Queenstown
Re: Across and Down
Yea good call Kotuku. Its very much a lost art. When I was a child, growing up in Yorkshire it was very fashionable. I definitely think its a style that's more suited to the waters of the UK, but that's not to say that they don't suit waters here.
I spent last night a the tying bench and I have to say I ended up tying a few miniature UK salmon style flys. Fly's akin to Munro Killer etc.. sparse miniature buck tail streamers. Sure not flys im sure that the likes of Oliver Edwards would use as small wets, but fished in a similar way, im sure will be deadly at this time of year.
I spent last night a the tying bench and I have to say I ended up tying a few miniature UK salmon style flys. Fly's akin to Munro Killer etc.. sparse miniature buck tail streamers. Sure not flys im sure that the likes of Oliver Edwards would use as small wets, but fished in a similar way, im sure will be deadly at this time of year.
Bucking trends in fly fishing since 1970!
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