Fishing ranges

[Guest flyfishBDS]

". Does anyone every have to throw 60 feet of line on any river or stream to catch fish? I submit that it would be difficult to even know you have a hookup at those ranges when talking about trout. Now if you were sight fishing to big sea going creatures or giant stripers on the lakes a 60 foot cast is probably the norm." Dano

Dano's comments on a thread on rod options triggered a few thoughts, after some playing I did on the river last week. It flows on from some of the stuff I spend a lot of time teaching on Beaver and Taney in particular. And Dano's question was fishing ranges and I guess I was pretty much of the same opinion until the last couple of years _ but I'd say in certain circumstances it is very possible to nymph fish, swing soft hackles or streamers beyond the length of your flyline and still catch them.

I say this not because I want to show off or just pick an argument with Dano _ he's bigger than me anyway _ but sometimes its good to "push the envelope" challenge the norm and do somethig a little different, and this might spark a few others to try something odd occassionally

Now in terms of casting most of the time Im an advocate of fishing to your natural range, the sweet distance where you can work the cast efficiently and accurately. But there is always fish further than you can cast easily _ if you can walk closer. Similarly somethimes its easier to cast further from the waterline to allow enough flyline to cast properly.

But what I really wnated to deal with was after the cast. I spend a lot of time teaching stack mends, which is a method of downstream fishing, extending your fishing range. If you cast 20' up and left it drift you have an effective drift of 40', before you have to recast _ less actually given the time it takes for the fly to sink and the swing up. Stack mend 20' out on the downstream drift and suddenly you have increased you fishing range by 50%. And the longer the fly is in the water the higher the chance to get eaten.

Pretty easy huh. Last wednesday I got lucky with a break in 24/7 generation, and went fishing in a hotspot. Here you can usually pickup the fish in close, as the current falls over a shoal into a deep hole. Down about 80' is a slot which can often hold some BIG fish 25"+ and often I'll try to drift there. Down about 110' there is another slot we often fish in the drift boat _ but to normal thinking its way out of range from any spot on the shore. But this day I wasn't picking up too many up high or the big fish slot, but I could consistently get bites down around 115-125'. The trick was landing them on 20's and being silly enough to rip off all that backing

AND I WAS STILL CASTING 45' TO MY NORMAL SLOT UP CLOSE _ THE REST OF THE TIME THE FLY WAS DRIFTING)

(edited to save any further confusion) LOL

Lessons:

Watch your fingers backing can cut onthe strike.

Line control is critical, those places you don't want too much of an L in the lineand not too much slack _ just enough.

Be quick but not hard

It takes more effort, and speed to get the fly moving

But with thatr ange out you have to get off the pressure early so as not to pull the fly out

Fish feel way bigger down there.

I canthink of lots of spaces on Beaver, Taney and Bull where this sort of thing can work.

But it only suits certain water and certain situations.

Thinking back Ive usual a similar approach to swing soft hackles at Taney, and at the Cotter bridge a long way down stream. These fish were hitting harder often hooking themselves.

Im sure Im nopt the only silly enough to try this _ anyone el;se fishing extreme ranges. any suggestions

Cheers

Steve

[Danoinark]

I say this not because I want to show off or just pick an argument with Dano _ he's bigger than me anyway

.....and you must respect your elders too Steve

I have to agree with most of what you say my Aussie friend. Alot of the issue is that many people, me included cannot make consistent 60+ casts ACCURATELY TO THE TARGET. I feel confident that fishing closer in gives me more of an advantage in putting the fly where I want it and in seeing and or detecting the strike thereby increasing my hookups.

Dano

[Guest flyfishBDS]

There's no way either I'd fish a size 20 dry at 60"+I can't see them any more

but

fishing downstream with good line control, brite indicator in teh right light and you can increase your fishing range without increasing your casting distance.

After all Im yet to see a fish leap to take a dry being cast lol

Its in the water what counts LOl

Probably a good weekend of fishing ahead and Im going to be in OK City

LOL

Cheers

mate

Steve

[Danoinark]

fishing downstream with good line control, brite indicator in teh right light and you can increase your fishing range without increasing your casting distance.

Absolutely and spot on. I agree ..

Have fun in Ok City..and be safe..Dano

[Terry Beeson]

The first time I met Zach Matthews, he was slipping into the water at Rim Shoals on the White. I was fishing just off the access when this guy comes strolling down the ramp with a stripping basket on his hip (not your everyday sight on the White) and a fly rod at least TWICE the length of my 8 1/2 ft 5 wt. I had no idea about Spey Casting, but soon learned it was a sight to see.

Later, some conversations with Zach and some of my fishing buddies for the day revealed that Zach was spey casting in order to "reach out and touch" some fish at a longer distance. As I remember, Zach wanted to cover a LOT of water with one drift and would cast a much greater distance than the 20-40 feet most of us even attempt. A spey rod afforded him this option.

Now looking at the width of the White at places like Rim and others, I can certainly see an advantage in being able to "reach out and touch" some areas that would hold fish. However, I'm not sure how important that is to catching fish. Maybe the "big trophies" are out there in the distance and we "short liners" just don't come to their house. But then I've watched big browns jump over my rod tip and try to pick my back pocket.

I suppose it's just another play in the fly fishing playbook...

[Guest flyfishBDS]

Yep, somethings it pays to do something different to whgat everyone else is doing.

But remember Im talk about FISHING different ranges not casting _ beeson put your glasses on LOL

Longer your fly stays wet more chances to get eaten.

[Terry Beeson]

Ah, but Steve, my dear friend from Oz... You have to get your fly out there in order to FISH out there. You can either let line out and mend or you can CAST upstream 100 ft and let it drift downstream 100 ft... THUS increasing YOUR 150 ft drift by another thirty three and a thrid percent...

I should add, cast upstream (however far), drift that distance, the same distance downstream, then strip it back to you. That covers the MOST water and keeps your fly in the fish's house the longest.

I think if I had an 80 ft rod, I could cast 100 feet...

Better yet... just use more and bigger dynamite!!!

[Guest flyfishBDS]

Glad you finally got to read the top bit Terry LOL

Actually that short cast, short drift might be fine on Rim, Plunge pool on Norfolk shoal below the dam etc _ but its a great way to get skunked here

Horses for courses, you need all techniques in your kit bag.

How's the knee?

Cheers

[SilverMallard]

In my experience, being able to cast well and fish at longer distances becomes more important when fishing in certain conditions and for certain species. The saltwater thing was mentioned earlier. That's one example. BUT...there is a good trout example that comes to mind as well.

I got to fish some high mountain beaver ponds in CO last Fall. They were full of wild native Brookies. The water was shallow, calm, and crystal clear. If you got within about 10' of the edge of these ponds, you could see the trout scattering, bunching up, and heading for "cover." Being able to cast 50-70' effectively enough to put a size 16 Para Adams gently in front of the nose of a feeding Brookie was a premium skill in that situation!