IFF Casting Instructor Guy Jeans has recently posted a couple of videos that demonstrate two methods for achieving a good dead drift with a dry fly when you are casting across fast currents. We’ve posted videos about the reach cast and wiggle cast (or serpentine cast) before, but what’s cool about Jeans’s videos is that he shows the casts in action, and not just once or twice. You can watch him really fish the casts, which gives you a better understanding of how they are actually used. It would be better if there were overhead angles, as well, but I think these are useful nonetheless, especially in conjunction with the videos linked above.
Nothing beats the advantage of a long (14′ – 16′) leader/tippet for achieving a dead drift in complex micro-currents. If you’re casting the traditional 9′ system, these casts will not help much. Tippet size is much less of a factor than most writers suggest for reducing drag. I fish on a so-called technical (highly pressured) system and rarely use less than 4X.