If you always play it safe, are you really playing the game?
As anglers, we walk up and down the river delivering one cast after another, all the while calculating the risks of each delivery. Or we float downriver in a drift boat, launching our flies near streamside brush, measuring our luck and skill against the chances of hooking soft branches and busting off another well-tied fly.
Playing it safe saves flies. It even saves time. But it catches fewer trout. And whether drifting nymphs across a rock garden, punching hairwing dries into hazardous hidey-holes or slinging streamers into bankside slots, it pays to take risks because the rewards follow.
Bottom
When fishing nymphs, I understand that if I want to fool some trout, my flies must be close to the bottom. So instead of dismissing slow action as the fish just being unresponsive, I like to take time to reassess. Am I really getting the flies down to the trout? Am I risking enough, or am I just trying to avoiding hanging up on the rocks?
READ: Troutbitten | Forget the Bottom — Glide Nymphs Through the Strike Zone
I’ve learned that changing flies is rarely the best solution. More often, it’s about getting my nymphs into the right places, down into the slots and pockets and closer to the bottom. When I nymph the right way, I get snagged on the bottom sometimes, but I just accept it as part of the game. Invariably, my best nymphing days are the same outings in which I sacrifice some flies to the river.
The same rules apply to streamers too. If the fish are hugging the bottom, if they won’t move up for the fly, then I have to go down to get them.
And if I’m more worried about the inconvenient bottom-snag than about getting my flies deep and right in the trout’s face, then I’m doing it all wrong.
Dando, fighting the cold
Top
Fishing the surface requires the same boldness, the same intrepid attitude, if you really want to play the game. Without a willingness to put a few flies in the trees, you’ll pass up a lot of fish.
Approach the tricky lies and corner pockets with resolve. Tuck the flies in there with some precision, feed a little slack at the end of the cast, and hold on tight. If you hit a tree limb instead of the target, so what. Break the fly off if you must, or go get it back and try the next spot.
Fish with some audacity out there, and your confidence will grow.
READ: Troubitten | Hang Up or Hook Up
If you haven’t lost a few flies at the end of the day, then you’re doing it wrong. Taking chances is the only way. Fear no snag.
Fish hard, friends.
** NOTE *** After reading this article, my friend, Chris, pointed out the importance of retrieving our broken-off flies and tippet whenever possible. And that’s a great point. I think we should fish boldly, but we should be just as bold about retrieving the flies and tippet wherever we can. Leave no trace.
This is the Fear No Snag Emblem Sticker. You can find it in the Troutbitten Shop HERE.
Enjoy the day.
Domenick Swentosky
T R O U T B I T T E N
domenick@troutbitten.com
A man could make a small fortune re-claiming flies,indies and shots and he can also get very,very wet.
This spring I rescued a duckling along Quittaphilla that had tried to eat a hares ear left on bank brush close to the water level. I had never seen that before. She swam to safety but was traumatized nonetheless. Good advice
Unfortunately I’ve retrieved very few,if any tippet and flys,but miles of mono and lures. Do spinning fisherman get snagged,let out 50yds of line then cut off at reel? Used to spin all the time,knot should always break first!! Great article,it’s so true,have seen results when changing flys,but always greater results finding fish!!