Fishing Tips

"As a full time angler I find myself out on the water pretty much every day ~ conditions allowing of course. Like you I have my own ideas on how to make the most out of any given fishing situation. This page is where I'll share some tips & advice on what works for me, where it works & why?"

Which Mono?
Firstly, what is monofilament? To avoid confusion, “mono” (monofilament-meaning single strand) is a generic term used to describe nylon, copolymer and fluorocarbon, so we can apply this phrase when referring to all three types of material. Most of my river fishing involves dry flies or spiders, usually in smaller sizes. It’s important then to get as much natural movement into the flies as possible. For a given diameter copolymers are extremely supple and limp that helps promote a more natural presentation to flies. I also like a little stretch in a leader system, especially when fishing at close range, which let’s face it, is where many river fishing situations take place. Two brands that have served me well are Orvis Super Strong and Frog Hair, these are my first choice for flies ranging size 10-20.

Flies 10-12 try Super Strong 4X (6lb) & 5X (4.75lb).
Flies 14-16 try Super Strong 5X (4.75lb) & 6X (3.5lb).
Flies 18-20 try Super Strong 6X (3.5lb) & 7X (2.5lb).

How best to sink stubborn monofilament
From time to time the surface film seems almost impenetrable, leaving our leader clearly visible, especially in calm conditions. My first line of attack is always a liberal treatment of sinkant Orvis Original Mud coating the business end of the tippet. However, when this fails, try attaching a tiny nymph on a short dropper a mere couple of feet from your dry fly. This instantly pierces the surface film, pulling the surrounding leader under. It's trial and error as to how large a nymph you can get away with without it pulling the dry fly under. I usually find an un-weighted PTN or similar nymph in sizes 16-18 about right. Though there have been times when a size 20 has been required, usually when using delicate CdC dries. Think of the nymph as a sacrificial fly that’s capable of catching the occasional fish or three…..

Fishing Tips
Give Rising Fish Plenty of Lead:
A frequent mistake for newcomers to river fishing is literally casting too close to a given rise form. Generally speaking, when a trout or grayling rise to take a fly from the surface, its underside becomes exposed to river flows thus creating a greater surface area. All the time this ushers the fish downstream. Naturally when it reaches the surface the fish may be some yards downstream of where it’s actually feeding lie is. We instinctively cast close to the disturbance, whilst the fish is positioned much further upstream. Obviously the fish has little time to react to our offering now. Furthermore the deeper the water, chances are the greater the distance between the fish and its rise form. As now it must travel much further through the water column. In turn this forces the fish even further away from where it will be stationed. So next time you’re out, rather than think that fish are refusing your fly, try giving them extra lead before contemplating a change of pattern.

View some of my tackle advice