Dave and Amelia Jensen, of Jensen Fly Fishing in Alberta, crank out these wonderful how-to videos at a remarkable pace during their annual New Zealand adventure. Here, Dave is casting to a fish holding in very shallow water. When the fish won’t rise to a dry, Dave adds a dropper, but the really important part is the adjustment that he makes to ensure a hookup. Here’s Dave’s description:
There are fish that are going to get caught. This was one. 6 weeks without much rain was tempered by the cooler than normal weather. A fish that has gone into ‘enduring’ mode to get through the drought period, most likely by shutting down somewhat and conserving energy. We chose this stream as there had been a fresh the day before and the water levels came up 5″ vertically. This pushed the lethargic fish from the deeper slots to the inside edge to avoid current flow. Dave shares some thoughts to catching it and why the fly changes and dropper depth are important and needed.
When water is low, anglers must adjust their tactics, and it’s cool to see how these slight tweaks can make all the difference.
If it was low warm water and the fish was stressed out why were you fishing over him?
Agree
I’ve always really enjoyed the Jensen’s videos but I didn’t care for this one. All the tactics presented here are great. But if you knew what kind of fish you were targeting being stressed in low oxygenated water, you should have moved on to another fish or better yet another stream with colder water and more dissolved oxygen.
Great lesson on the value of proper rigging and presentation. Thanks and Happy New Year!
You should have never been fishing for this fish. Dick move. Let them live! You literally say multiple times that the fish are stressed yet, you are still fishing!
What bothered me the most about this video was, after landing the fish, he kept lifting the fish out of the water (several times), as if to admire his catch. Doing that had to have oxygen-stressed even more that it already was.
This video is garbage. Targeting stressed fish in low water, why does Phil & Orvis think this should be promoted? Any means necessary in order to secure the “grip and grin.” Is this what fly fishing means to Orvis nowadays? Wy not throw on a minnow and a bobber while we’re at it. Shame on Phil/Orvis, for promoting this crap. Shame on the self promoters like the Jensens, who are willing to do whatever is necessary for a few clicks at the expense of our resources.