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(VIDEO) The Fly Rod Dip and Swish — A Useful Trick You Might Have Missed

by Domenick Swentosky | May 25, 2023 | 5 comments

What do you do when the fly line to leader connection comes back through your rod guides? How do you get to fly line back out there? And if you’re using a long leader system or a tight line nymphing system, and the butt section of your leader wraps around your rod tip, how do you get it unwrapped?

The fly rod dip and swish. That’s the answer. It’s a really useful tool that solves a lot of problems.

One of the best and most frequently used tips I have for anglers of any experience level now has a video. I call this the fly rod dip and swish. I wrote an article about it a few years ago, and you can find that here:

READ: Troutbitten: Dip and Swish — The Fly Rod Quick-Dip

This is a topic that always needed a visual. So here it is, in the latest Troutbitten video . . .

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Do It

The fly rod Dip and Swish is a good habit for every angler. It’s a problem solver, and It makes you more efficient.

The water is always there, just waiting to be a line-grabber. So let it help. Use that water tension to take the line with it. If you start doing this, you’ll do it many, many times every day without giving it a second thought.

Fish hard, friends.

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Enjoy the day.
Domenick Swentosky
T R O U T B I T T E N
domenick@troutbitten.com

Thank you all, for a wonderful 2022 season! Book now to join me in 2023.

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Domenick Swentosky

Central Pennsylvania

Hi. I’m a father of two young boys, a husband, author, fly fishing guide and a musician. I fish for wild brown trout in the cool limestone waters of Central Pennsylvania year round. This is my home, and I love it. Friends. Family. And the river.

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The fly fly rod quick dip is a problem-solving essential. Some things in fly fishing are obvious right away. The concepts of casting and drifting a fly are intuitive for most anglers after just a bit of instruction and a few trips of experience. And a lot of what we take for granted or think is obvious has become second nature only after fishing for a long, long time.

What do you think?

Be part of the Troutbitten community of ideas.
Be helpful. And be nice.

5 Comments

Mike on May 28, 2023 at 9:23 am
When your fly line is wrapped around your rod tip, make a fist with your free hand and hit the butt of your hand against the grip a time or two and 99% of those wrap-ups will unravel. Try it. An old guide told me about this on the Big Horn river in the ’90’s. He said it was the only “trick” he ever learned from a client.
Reply
Richard V. on May 29, 2023 at 10:50 pm
What a great tip, Dom! I’ve been doing exactly what you showed, putting the butt section of the rod and reel back behind me, reaching up to the rod tip and trying to unwind the leader! No easy task with our long euronymphing rods! I’m going to try this tomorrow!
Cheers!
Reply
- Domenick Swentosky on June 5, 2023 at 9:33 am
  Nice
  Reply
Tommy on June 3, 2023 at 11:02 pm
What an aha moment this created. It’s these little things that can take some of the frustration off newbies. Thanks.
Reply
- Domenick Swentosky on June 5, 2023 at 9:22 am
  Right on
  Reply

(VIDEO) The Fly Rod Dip and Swish — A Useful Trick You Might Have Missed

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