Dry Fly Fishing

I like dry fly fishing best because I can see the fish take. I hear this all the time. It is marginally true on at least two counts. First, I can’t count the number of clients who don’t see the fish take their dry fly. The truth is there are many (maybe most) times when all we see is a disturbance near the fly and the fly disappears. Truth be told, most people seldom see the fish!

A big reason people like dry fly fishing is because it is relatively easy from a skills point of view. It is easy to cast a dry fly compared to a nymph or streamer. It is also much less likely to get tangled than a nymphing rig. Another reason people like dry fly fishing is it simply feels good!!  So there is a reason to enjoy dry fly fishing, but …

Streamer fishing is at least as visual as dry-fly fishing! Recently, I streamer fished with a very skilled client on the Green River. Last year he fished streamers for the first time. The water was at 1200CFC and very clear with sunny skies. He was able to see every chase and eat. He said it was the most exciting fishing he had ever done.  He is now a streamer addict.

If you are fishing from a raised position like a drift boat, and have clear water and blue skies, you will see more fish chase and/or eat your streamers than you will ever see dry fly fishing – and you will often see them coming for a dozen feet or more!! There is nothing quite like seeing a 25” Brown chase a streamer. The heart really gets a workout! If you have never streamer fished, you should give it a try. You might change your mind about the superiority of dry fly fishing – at least in terms of visibility!