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All of us at Troutbitten, along with so many anglers across the country, use a Mono Rig for most underwater presentations. The tight line advantage and the drift control possible for both nymphs and streamers is fun and effective. But a lot has changed . . .
Five or ten years ago, most tight line anglers were using a Mono Rig leader build with a butt section thick enough to mimic the functions of a fly line. This is what we call a Troutbitten Standard Mono Rig, and it’s a hybrid system. So with good casting form, the leader can push even the lightest flies around — the line carries the flies. These days, the most popular leader builds have gone to the end of the line, with the thinnest possible tippets and even butt sections that are 5X diameter. These leaders require water haul casts with light flies and major adaptations in form that open up the age old question again — “Is that even fly fishing?”
Has it all gone too far? None of us care much about what you call the tactic. But more importantly, have Mono Rig leaders and tactics gone so far and become so common that these tools and these styles are actually hindering some anglers’ growth? And does that really matter? These are the questions we tackle in this podcast episode.
My friends, Austin Dando, Dr. Trevor Smith, Bill Dell and Matt Grobe and Josh Darling join me for a great conversation.
Resources
READ: Troutbitten | Category | The Mono Rig
PODCAST SERIES: Troutbitten | Tight Line Skills Series
READ: Troutbitten | The Mono Rig, and Why Fly Line Sucks
READ: Troutbitten | Design and Function of the Troutbitten Standard Mono Rig
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Season Seventeen of the Troutbitten Podcast continues next week. So look for it in your Troutbitten podcast feed.
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
Just a Thank You from an old angler. 65 and still in awe of this sport and what can be learned out on the water and from folks like you and the boys.
I grab a cold porter, a cigar and a chair on my porch and listen to your podcasts, it’s an hour I look forward to.
65 senior division from Montana….
Great work!
Love that. Thanks, Daniel.
Great discussion, guys, especially after about the midpoint.
You may know about Mike Komara, a PA fisherman who has become one of the top competitive anglers in the world. He recently wrote an article that has some bearing on your discussion: https://innovativeangling.com/how-id-fish-without-fips-rules/
Thanks, Alex. I follow Mike’s work. He has good ideas. I read that article a few weeks ago, and I wasn’t surprised by his points. I’ve asked the same question of many competition anglers, current and former, and I’ve always gotten a very similar response as what Mike wrote. I disagree with a number of Mike’s points. It might be fun to have him on as an In Deep guest someday. Devin is a guest next week. I’m editing it now. It’s a good conversation that dovetails on these points.
The most consequential comp rules are about weight. Forcing all of the weight into the flies is an enormous disadvantage that has taken competition anglers down a very odd path. Think about it. We can fish unweighted flies of any size with the simple addition of a split shot. Do we lose a bit of strike detection? Yes, but we also gain a more natural drift with fewer hang ups while drifting near the bottom. I’ve been through this before, and I recently talked with Tom R. about it on his podcast. Split shot should not be missed by any serious angler.
Cheers.
Dom
A great discussion on a controversial topic! I’m wondering how much strike detection sensitivity plays into a lot of people preferring or moving thinner. This is one of the main reasons I hear from comp anglers about why they prefer micro thin. Physically it makes sense: less mass in your system as a whole means less force required to cause a noticeable displacement in your sighter and detect a strike. As with everything, there are trade offs, but is increased strike detection what a lot of people are trading for (in addition to less sag, which I think is related, at least right when the nymphs then tippet hit the water)?
Hi Dustin.
Yes! And I think we mentioned the sensitivity advantage during the podcast. I’ve certainly talked about it in different resources. Here’s one:
https://troutbitten.com/2021/02/07/thin-and-micro-thin-leaders-for-euro-nymphing-and-the-mono-rig/
That sensitivity is my favorite thing about micro leaders. However, you need about 20 cg or more for it to make any difference. Also, almost every tight line angler will tell you that strike detection should be visual. My point is, you don’t NEED the extra sensitivity for great strike detection, but it is nice. Like you said, everything is a trade off. This is why I’ll never be restricted to one leader style. I love being versatile.
Cheers.
Dom
The idea of visualizing the benefits of any given fishing system as a bell curve was great. I haven’t heard it explained like that before but it couldn’t be more accurate.
I am one of those guys that was referenced in the podcast that has retarded my development as an angler by relying too heavily on a mono rig. I live in an area of the country that it almost never makes sense to fish with an actual fly line unless I am blue lining or night fishing. Because of that I am trash when it comes time to fish drys on a fly line. I am not a well rounded angler. You have seen it first hand.
It’s not the mono rigs fault that I suck, but it’s important for other guys like me to recognize what they are leaving on the table by not having a solid foundation in the fundamentals. I think this discussion would be valuable to anyone that had a similar fly fishing as I did.
Good stuff. Thanks guys.