The Dry Fly Journey
So what is dry fly fishing all about? It seems like a simple question! So in simple terms, a dry fly is a floating fly. When a fish takes the fly it rises to the surface, the angler strikes to hook the fish upon observing the rise. A dry fly is a fly in which the dressing is designed to float truly on the surface of the water. This means flies such as Klinkhammers where the some of the dressing will sit slightly under the surface film are classed as emergers, not dries.
Dry fly fishing is commonly (but not always) carried out by casting roughly upstream and allowing the fly to travel back towards you. Many anglers enjoy dry fly fishing specifically as it’s a highly visual form of fishing where the angler sees the fish rising to the fly.
Dry fly fishing can take part in most Trout streams however it is particularly useful on slower glides and pools where fish are rising freely. It can also be effective to prospect areas where fish might be present particularly in riffles.
Dry fly fishing on rivers is heavily governed by the weather, In NSW our season starts in October (Spring) if we are still in the grips of winter with cold water then fish are likely to be slow, sitting near the bottom and not rising (Anything less than about 7 degrees Celcius will certainly start having an impact on the Trout’s willingness to rise). Conversely during the Summer the water temperature will warmer, and through hot scorching days this could have a detrimental impact on the Trout’s behaviour. Summer can often see a lull in dry fly fishing and early morning and evening are probably the best time to be fishing unless the day is overcast and cool. When weather is favourable and hatches are present, dry fly fishing can undoubtedly be successful.
For me, the worst enemy of dry fly fishing is bright sunshine, this is even worse in low water conditions. In these conditions, fish are less likely to rise and will often seek shelter under overhanging trees or around the rocks on the river bed. During very bright, cloudless days it’s usually better to fish when the light level is lower such as early morning or evening.
The best weather conditions for dry fly fishing are milder, overcast days with lots of cloud cover. A little drizzle is fine, but heavy rain will kill off rises. Fishing with a dry fly after a shower can be excellent as lots of insects have been thrown from overhanging trees and hit by raindrops. There will often be a sudden rise after the rain has subsided.
Spinner - Goulburn River, Victoria
Credit - Brenda Galey, Galey MsGuided Fly Fishing
It’s all about the cast. Dry fly fishing requires precise, controlled casting and a near perfect turnover of your leader and tippet on to the water. Trout seem to have a 6th sense in some rivers! There’s a stream I guide on regularly where clients often remark that they can’t see any fish. This is because these fish will spook and shoot under the rocks when you are a good twenty feet behind them. Too many anglers clomp their way up the stream sending huge waves up the pools and then wonder why they can’t catch. When fishing from the bank, ensure you are low down, away from the skyline and not casting a shadow on to the river. Approach very slowly and cautiously. Even if trout don’t scurry your approach can alarm them enough to stop them feeding. Take your time and be quiet”!
Most of your dry fly fishing will be upstream fishing / presentation, This means you are behind the fish casting upstream towards it. The idea is your line should be landing behind the fish, so only the end of your leader, tippet and fly are visible to the fish. If your thick fly line splashes down in the fishes window of vision, you are likely to spook it. Your first cast is better off being a little short instead of too long, use as little false casts as possible to hover you fly over the target and then deliver the line to the water. Your line, leader and fly should unfurl above the water before gently touching down. Retrieve the slack line as it travels back towards you but make sure not to move the fly. The fly should run in a dead drift, this means that it’s moving at the exact pace of the current just the same as all the other insects on the stream. Watch the fly like a hawk and strike at any rises to the fly.
From my experience out on the rivers, unnatural drag, where the fly is moving unnaturally on the stream is one of the biggest causes of fish refusing to take. Fishing a short, controlled line can help – if you have a huge line out, snaking all over the river, then drag is almost a certainty. Keeping as much fly line off the water as you can help reduce drag. When you are ready to recast, make sure not to rip your line of the water! A gentle pick up is less likely to scare the fish.
Dry flies can be fished across stream too. You won’t get as much time with your fly on the water before recasting, but it’s entirely possible to go across the stream. It’s far easier to fish across the stream when the river has an even current. Most rivers, however, have lots of seams of current, all moving at different speeds. This means the fly will often drag unnaturally when fishing across, drag can be counteracted with mend in the line ( where a bend is thrown into the line either during the cast or after the line has landed - practise the reach cast, an aerial mend). Another option is the slack line / serpentine cast – when the line is being delivered to the water the rod is wiggled so the line lands in the river in a wiggle pattern.
It’s entirely possible to fish a dry fly downstream. It’s not going to be your go-to method. However, when fishing upstream there will often be a splash of a fish rising behind you, and you need to be able to cover these rises. The cast is a little more complicated. You need to make a slack like cast to allow the fly to run naturally down the river. Probably the two easiest methods are to ‘check back’ the line before it lands on the water or to make a slack line cast or serpentine cast by wiggling the rod just before the line lands. It’s crucial to recast before the line has fully extended or your fly will become swamped in water.
Rainbow Trout - Caught on a Bassano parachute spinner
For a great selection of dry flies give the pro staff at Compleat Angler Sydney a call or pop in and grab a few.
Christopher Bassano Flies - A must for your fly box
Images courtesy of Mayfly Tackle.
Want to learn dry fly fishing techniques, book a day trip in the picturesque Blue Mountains with us (click here for trip details)
Enjoy the Journey.