1. Choice of equipment Rods, reels, fly lines, fly floatants, clothes, glasses and other useful items: I prefer my graphite rods to be 10’, usually for a 5 weight line, though I occasionally use a 10’ 6 weight on larger rivers. I enjoy fishing cane rods as well. I use 8’ or 8.5’ bamboo rods in 5 or 6 weights for larger waters or those with bigger fish. But I have a couple 7’ to 7.5’ 4 and 5 weights that I use in small mountain streams that are often tree-lined. My favorite fly floatant is Tiemco Dry Magic. It works great for all dry flies, but it’s especially useful because it can also be applied to flies incorporating CDC or snowshoe rabbits foot hair in their construction. I also carry a dry desiccant/floatant like Frogs Fanny to help restore flies that have been slimed or waterlogged after catching fish. I’m a big fan of amadou and always carry a patch to squeeze moisture from my fly before applying a desiccant. I wear polarized Smith sunglasses with gray glass lenses, foremost to protect my eyes, but also to facilitate wading and finding fish. 

2. Leader material, build up, length and knots:

I use 5 knots for fly fishing. An arbor knot to attach backing to my reel. An Albright knot to attach fly line to the backing. A nail knot to attach my leader to my fly line (sometimes I use loops to connect them). A triple surgeons knot to attach tippet to the leader. And, finally, a clinch knot to attach my fly to my tippet. Like everything in fly fishing, more knowledge and greater ability will never be a hinderance, so learn to tie as many knots well as you want. But you don’t need to tie dozens of varying knots. I only use knotless leaders, primarily 9’ long. But I’ll use a 12’ knotless leader with up to 3‘ of tippet attached to it if I’m fishing for very selective trout in large, flat-water pools. And I use 7.5’ leader when fishing small, tree-lined streams. 

3. Approach and stealth. 

First, whenever I can, I try to stay out of the water and cast from the bank. When blind-casting or prospecting with dries, I always make sure to thoroughly cover the water closest to me before casting to mid and far-stream areas. Many people seem to think all the fish are on the far side and frighten closer trout by charging into the water too soon. I always fish small streams by working upstream with my dry flies. It’s just too easy to frighten fish if you work downstream in these waters. On larger rivers and streams, I try to present my fly from a slight upstream angle, incorporating a reach cast to achieve the longest drag-free drift possible and so the fish see the fly before the leader and tippet. 

4. Reading the water. 

I nearly always fish for wild trout, so they can often be found in predictable areas. Look for in-stream cover such as boulders, downed trees, foam lines, back-eddies, and ledges where shallow water deepens. Make sure to cover the tails of pools, particularly early in the morning or as darkness approaches. Fish will often move into these shallow areas to feed during low light. Trout will also move from pools into riffles to feed on emerging insects. The fish just need to acquire more calories than they lose while feeding in fast-water environments. 

5. Casting ability which casts are essential. 

The double haul is vital for fishing larger waters or during windy conditions. But the ability to employ a reach cast is, by far, the most important casting technique for fishing dry flies. The ability to cast for distance can also be important. Anglers often say that casting distance isn’t necessary. But this ability will never hinder your fishing and may help you reach fish others cannot. 

6. Entomology, what should we know. 

As much as possible. At a bare minimum, you need to know how to identify the basic aquatic insects—mayflies, caddisflies, stoneflies, midges—and terrestrials. But having more information is never a bad thing. And if you know that a specific mayfly (or any other insect) emerges and lives its life in a specific way, it may give you an idea how to manipulate your fly patterns or their selection when your regular flies and tactics aren’t working. There are lots of times, on lots of streams, when entomology knowledge isn’t important. But wouldn’t you like to know what to do when it is? Knowing these things will never be a hindrance. 

7. Rise forms Can they tell us something? 

Absolutely. I would advise reading Vince Marinaro’s “In the Ring of the Rise.” I also discuss rise forms in my book, “Dry Fly Strategies.” Rise forms may not provide you with all the information you need to help choose a fly to tie to your leader. But understanding what a specific rise form can indicate is a great place to begin. 

8. Fly selection, size, shape, materials, which flies are essential, favourite fly. 

This is a vast topic for which book chapters and even entire books have been written. It’s also another reason to know a little (or a lot) of entomology. For instance, you don’t want to be imitating mayflies that emerge on the stream bottom with a flush-floating dry fly that includes a trailing shuck. But you won’t know that if you don’t know anything about the hatch you’re imitating. My fly pattern styles depend upon the insect I’m trying to imitate and the water in which I’m fishing. You generally don’t want to fish flush-floating emerger-style flies in heavy, swift-moving water where you will not be able to see them and they’ll often sink. But they are ideal for many hatches where fish are rising in braided water or flat pools. I generally choose a dry fly that is either the same size, or one size smaller, than the insect I’m imitating. But if I’m fish an especially heavy hatch or in late evening or night, I may use a dry fly one to two sizes larger than the natural. 

9. Presentation and drifts.

For a steadily rising fish, I present my fly from a slight upstream angle, employee a reach cast, and generally aim for one to two feet in front of the fish, further away for fish feeding in flat, glassy pools. I nearly always begin presenting my fly with a dead-drift. But, occasionally, fish want to see a fly move before they’ll eat it, particularly on heavily pressured waters. For this, I cast a little further upstream of the fish, gently twitch the fly by tugging on my line, then wiggle my rod tip to add slack so the fly ultimately floats drag-free to the fish. 

10. Upstream or downstream? 

Generally speaking, upstream for fishing swift-moving riffles and rapids and when blind-casting (prospecting) a dry fly. Downstream for fishing flatter pools and for presenting a dry fly to an identified rising fish. 

11. fighting fish. 

Change angles often. Do not let the fish rest. Get accustomed to the tolerances of the tippet you’re fishing, and apply as much pressure as you can without breaking it. 

I approach all of these topics in more depth in my book, “Dry Fly Strategies.”

Dry Fly Strategies (Volume 1) (Stackpole Fly Fishing Essentials, 1): Weamer, Paul: 9780811739535: Amazon.com: Books