Prime dry-fly season is not too far away for many of us, and there are probably blue-winged olives hatching on a river near you already. As the video above demonstrates, you can learn a lot about how to present your fly by watching rises for a few minutes before jumping right in with a cast. And don’t forget: the old cliché, “Make your first cast count,” is as valid today as it was a long time ago when Lewis Coleman first wrote it.
If I had a nickel for the number of times I’ve seen bulging trout taking caddis and mayfly emerges covered by dry flies I would have retired twenty years ago. On the Upper Connecticut River we have good mayfly hatches, but some REALLY good caddis hatches. I’ll watch unobservant fly fishers cast dries time after time and not touch a fish. You fish behind them with a soft hackle or other emerger type fly and can have a real good time….and get some occasional business.
Not a guide, yet I strongly agree with Al Karg.
Observing rise forms is key before boots go into water.
(Lewis Coleman is my well-pump plumber. He installed a new submersible pump for me yesterday, then went through my fly boxes critiquing, confirming. Four hours for the new pump installation, another four hours for the fly fishing ministrations. Pump system is working well; he invoiced me for eight hours.)
That Lewis, he never shuts up
Interesting information in the video, Tom, and I have found other Orvis videos (especially casting instruction) to be very helpful, too, but I think that Limestone Cowboy’s comment about being billed for 4 hours of plumbing work and 4 more hours of fly fishing advice is the best. It made for a good first laugh of the morning.
Now, if only I could figure out what invisible emergers they’re eating. I think they must be size 40.