Charles Jardine
Sorry, Chris, since writing this: and reading the learned bits and pieces of others ….oh yes! I read them…..Let me say “straight off the bat”, that you are NEVER too old to learn - at any point of your fly fishing evolution. And our sport is precisely that: “evolution”.
Thus, the paragraphs below, are, essentially doing something that no editor will ever believe; me being a very good boy and actually - for once - following the brief…and anyone who knows me will tell you, that is a minor miracle.
But am I going to leave it there….? Of course, I am not.
Previous articles and the dry fly elements which they encompass are learned. Well, masterful, actually.
You would be an utter fool not adopt some, if not all, their collective wisdom and stream hours. What could I possibly add? Not much, it truth.
Of course, I suppose something in the region of sixty-plus years of experience must count for something. But even then I wonder.
Every time I see a fish rise the same eternal questions rattle through my fishing brain: will it? Won’t it? Is my tippet to thick? Will I make the right cast? Will I get drag on the initial cast? Will I snag on that overhanging branch? Will I get drag…at the last penultimate moment ? …is the pattern correct?
Damn it! they are the same questions I have been agonising over, for all those sixty years. But they are the vehicles that propel me to more fishing, exploration – and fun. The problems and solutions are eternal …unlike the equipment and concepts and refinements. Those areas have changed. One begets the other… begets the other ….and so on. Evolution.
But…wait for it…sorry… this is where I am going off piste…. Just a little.
I believe it is important to know where we came from as fishers; what influences we have along our path when we ultimately slip into the water as noiselessly as an otter at night, scope the dark, ebbing rings of a rise with the eye of the hunter. Everything has shaped and sculpted us…. for that single moment: that hushed first cast for a rising quarry. The breathless expectancy of the chase.
But for me, that moment is shared with all the people that have shaped me: Halford, Marayat, Swisher and Richards, my personal hero Vince Marinaro, John Goddard, Chauncy Livley, Roman Moser, Aric Swanson, Kelly Galloup, Marc Petitjean, Dermot Wilson, Art Lee, Dave Whitlock, My son - Alex Jardine , John Tyzak, Rene Harrop, Rob Denman, Marshall Bissett ….. and just about anyone and everyone I have guided or chatted to, about …..Dry fly.
As a fisher, I am sum of all those parts; all of them. I am child to their genius and sponge of their thoughts and education, still…..
As I said…. I am fly fisher with “L” plates on.
Some of these responses might help you, though…I hope so, they are the distillation of those sixty odd years.
1 Choice of equipment Rods, reels, fly lines, fly floatants, clothes, glasses and other useful items.
Oh! My goodness how much space have we got here.
OK. The one thing I will invariably opt for is fly rod length. Mostly, no-less that nine feet and often 10.
I seldom if ever, stray above a #4 in line terms - although on the bigger rivers of New Zealand and Iceland I might just nudge into a 9’6” #5 outfit. That would be rare.
But fly lines for me, must float - that sounds ridiculous. Surely, all Floating lines do. Well, no, they don’t . At least not entirely: many sink at the tip (wick up water) and I have found that this semi-submerged state can absolutely cause missed opportunities. No doubt about it in my mind.
As the tip of the fly line deeps into the surface-tension it can be monetarily “gripped” by that glutenous gunge and you can experience a good many issues when striking on fast reacting fish. The one thing I always do, is to grease (with solid paste floatant) the first meter of fly line tip. I would suggest you did same and especially on turbulent water - poket water: places where a line can become waterlogged very quickly.
Oh! And I do like a sombre coloured line - Olive, if I can get them …least ways, a not too discordant colour. I hate white and those abominations - Fluorescent ones…and don’t give me that mumbo jumbo about fish can’t determine colour - they can; irrefutably. That the discordant flash of brightness zipping back and forth overhead and if that does not alert a suspicious quarry…. Then I suspect neither will a house brick hefted into the stream, either.
I invariably I carry a silicone paste to anoint my flies - I don’t care if they are CDC or not…they get a dose of floatant! The one I love - and which seems to be best with CDC is either TMC’s Dry Magic or C&F Power Float - I love both. To dry a fly; Amadou - then a desiccant powder of some form. I am pretty happy with that …except MUD….. I am old-school enough to think, that shiny tippet does matter. If a fish is fussy, I “de-grease” like fun the first 12 inches or so, by the fly - the tippet essentially: and I will re-anoint every third or fourth cast, if needs be. Vital stuff, mud.
Glasses - well, things have changed, haven’t they. Now we clamour for the latest this, that or ‘tother, seeking fractional advantage. As far as I am concerned, polarising glass polarise; period. But lens colour matters. In low light amber or yellow - especially towards evening and Grey during the day suit me…I say me: everyone is different. Sometimes I find it best not to have glasses at all …and would then just go for clear eye protection. The important thing is two-fold: visibility and safety.
Clothing…. New Zealand and the upper Itchen in the UK, have taught me two things. Blend with the surroundings and diminish my angling profile….. and tread lightly. That was installed into me by my father when I was four…part of my fly fishing DNA. Go slowly: don’t cast shadows on the water; I hate bright discordant clothing!
Camo tops are fast taking over!
Beyond that? Waders which don’t leak. Oh! And boots that grip! Oddly, if it’s a wee bit chilly, I still wear neoprenes. A material that takes the knocks and cushions old, tired knees.
Back to Rods. For accuracy I still favour a 9ft . From a practical fishing standpoint I prefer 10. I know.
I have both in a #3 and #4 and they form the mainstay of my dry fly armoury. Both are middle to tip in action: although I would say (obviously) the 9’ is a little “quicker” and delivers tighter loops and pin-point accuracy on demand: also 10’#2 for smaller fish and using tiny midges and so on. Apart from that, the aforementioned heavy duty 9’6’#5 complete it.
Oh! I forgot I have a lovely little 7’9” #3 for little streams - its adorable, I love fishing it…it is hideously impractical in many situations I like to use it….. but I just love using it. The rod puts a smile on my face – that’s a good fly rod!
Reels…I am just not fussy. I like lovely reels… but just so long as they function, I am not fussy. I guess that reel should hold a fair amount of backing: especially, it is a good idea if you are fishing Iceland or Russia - especially for the #5…but a hundred yards of the stuff? Really? When was the last time …now be honest… you were taken fifty yards into the backing…..
I do have a lovely little “automatic” reel from Peux in Switzerland, which I love for line control; especially where smaller fish are likely to be encountered. The reel though is really a “fad” more than a “necessity”. Our sport is about quirks and being idiosyncratic.
And having nice toys – and having…… fun.
2. Leader material, build up, length and knots.
The entire area of terminal tackle is possibly the most important of all.
Leaders for dry fly, are for me, the link between success - or failure. Wherever I can, I will make these as long as possible - 18 to twenty feet are not beyond my usual use. Although my standard set up would be 14 or so feet .
All I do is, simply, loop or attach a standard 9’ or 12’ leader to my fly line (the Guideline ones are superb, if you can ever get hold of them!) more often than not the leaders will be 12’ RIO, Trout-hunter or Umpqua.
At the tippet - usually two diameters above the intended tippet - say 5X - I will add a tiny tippet ring. Now, I know what you are thinking, but the weight is utterly negligible, as is the size and actually the tiny little junction can, strangely, given its tiny diameter (3mm/2.5mm) just give the leader system a little “kick” in a breeze or when straightening. I digress.
To the 5X tippet (ring) I will add a further 18inches - 2ft (or so) of 6X then a further tippet of 18inches of 7X (if that was the final point).
For Danica / UK Mayfly/ Green drake / I tend to use a far heavier diameter of tippet in order to counteract the ghastly - and fish scaring - bed spring like coils which emanate from a large whiskery pattern fished on, way too fine a diameter of tippet (fisher beware) .
The final tippet in most instances, is as “soft” and “limp” as I can find. Stroft is my chosen material. I add this tippet to the other sections via a double Grinner/universal knot – occasionally, a water/ surgeons knot.
The fly I attach in two ways. Where the tippet diameter is marginally - or even, markedly smaller than the fly pattern I will happily attach the fly to the tippet with a universal or grinner (or tucked blood knot when I forget: old habits die hard!); or where the size of the fly is near to the tippet diameter (18 and below) I will use a Davy knot.
I always use fresh leader material!!!
But one thing to state… I do, occasionally, especially if I encounter extreme technical fish on tail-waters and so on - Henry’s Fork springs to mind or the White river in Arkansas - I will use a hand-made and tapered, knotted leader to achieve the precise turnover I crave.
Recently, I have been exploring braided leaders, too….
I am incredibly fussy about leaders and tippets. You should be, too.
3. Approach and stealth.
Being stealthy and working on MY approach is the epicentre of my way of operating with a dry fly and rising rout. My world with a fly rod.
Frankly, I would rather leave a majority of my flies behind, rely on a couple of old faithful designs - in the appropriate size - and combine a stealthy approach that anything else. If you make a clumsy approach, the fish either sees or hears you - or you land your cast heavily…what use is the finest fly pattern in the world? If a fish sees me; well that’s that, isn’t it. Doesn’t matter how you cast or what fly you use! Finito.
Coincidentally, two of the very finest fishers I have ever witnessed - Jeremy Hermann and Gareth Jones (he of Airflo fame) carry a depressingly small number of dry flies - mostly Petitjean designs - but fished with sort of accuracy and understanding that we mere mortals can only dream about. To underpin how important approach (and stealth are) I have just received the New (fish) book but the rising star in the USA firmament Devil Olson… and damn fine book it is, too. There is only one small dry fly in the patterns section…. Ok , A few Chubby Chernobyl’s and such…but just one parachute-conventional dry fly…. That book is dedicated to the competitor who wants to catch fish - quickly. Tournaments are one and lost on speed, approach, stealth …and catching fish.
Thus: I rest my case…. The fly is often secondary to how it is fished. There are exceptions to that rule, of course. A seasoned (and not so) dry fly fisher must meet the demands of specific fly hatches - and be ready for them ….but….I am convinced that having the precise fly is NOT the end all - or be all of approach. Howthat fly is fished, is far more important.
So: learn to be still, cast softly, wade gently… don't obsess about the fly.
As I said earlier from an age of 4, when my father installed into me, watercraft . The ability to move gently, smoothly and undetected (ish).
That ability has never really left me. Of course, I do stupid things. But I am always aware, that if I can see a fish; then it, mostly, can see me.
There is, I believe a good deal of nonsense talked about coming up on the “blind side” of a trout. I don’t believe they have blind sides! Given what we know about vision, the ability to see and detect danger from a wide range of angles is colossal. The element I try and neutralise is that word “Danger”. If I can appear to a trout as part of the surroundings - that means dressing accordingly (and I noticed in New Zealand recently far greater use of camouflage garments…for very good reason) the more I like it. The more fish don’t.
4. Reading the water.
I am not sure just how relevant reading water is relevant in Dry fly fishing, as it is in say nymphs or subsurface fishing; where it is vital. There is an delightful obviousness about rises - indeed dry fly places to concentrate on. But, by and large, unless you are fishing boisterous currents - fast freestone rivers - where it can often be a game of seek and find, movement and hunches.
On the smother flows, I would place patience and looking for actual signs from the trout - wherever they may be and sitting still and deducing their position and angle to the surface, beyond anything else,
And lets not forget: patience is an absolute virtue.
But in fast flows, for instance, I would always fish in front and behind boulders; the same as I would, float a fly down a bubble speckled seam ( a parachute pattern with a black wing is perfect for these places…. And if you don’t have a fly with a black wing: carry a black, waterproof, Sharpie and colour the white wing! Simple), I would always look under a tree canopies - falling terrestrials and so on …places that shriek food and cover - Back eddies too, are also food traps and fish magnets . But beyond that, I invariably wait for “signs from the quarry” .
Also, I am directed, all too often, by instinct. Maybe it is because I haven’t evolved as much as other folk. But there are times when I will just wait and simply stay put, in and around an area for no particular reason, other than a primal hunch. Listen to your baser instincts.
The key though, is patience.
The one thing I would just add, especially concerning “flat” water and that is micro-currents. Those gremlin filled surface variations, that snake over weeds, coil across subsurface undulations and generally make a river surface seem like a writhing living oil leak. The worst part of it is…. Your trout will undoubtedly be situated further away than you wanted or intended casting ….and you will probably find at least two, three or possibly, four current variations between you and the quarry …. Which leads very nicely to the next bit!
5. Casting ability: which casts are essential.
Easiest question thus far.
Yes.
And
All of them.
Seriously, since the age of 6, I have loved to cast. I enjoy the feel, synergy and just natant pleasure of the way a rod can move with a line loaded and the shapes which I can create. Pure pleasure. I just try things to see if they will come off, in a fly rod sense. Some work: most don’t. But I always have tried to “see what would happen”. So casts to me, are created by situation: NOT by fashion or fad.
Knowing the basic casts and the theory and structure behind a cast is essential. Then developing that “oneness” that only comes with use and familiarity.
I would urge anyone to become a student of the cast - know the angles, the rhythm, the vital core of the casts origins and basic structure. In fact, know everything you can, about a cast. If a situation demands an aerial mend or curve cast - a bow and arrow cast…as a fly fishing disciple - especially a dry fly fisher - you should know how to make that cast.
If I can leave just one “nugget” here:
Always ensure that the fly line tensions the rod…. Just creating that synergy means that a partnership emerges and everything will respond accordingly. Bit like Harry Potters magic “wand”… you can weave your own spells
Wait a minute….
Well two nuggets….. No tennis match, cricket or golf tournament was ever won with someone just knowing one shot! Learn as many casts as you can.
OK…three: Practice.
…and don’t let anyone tell you, that you don't need to double haul when river fishing!
Learn it all.
6. Entomology, what should we know.
Oddly, I think that if there was one area, that whilst wonderful to be able to talk expertly about, is the least important to the actual fisher. Obviously, knowing the size, the underside body colour (note I said: Underside!…that, after all, is what the fish sees) Wing shape and so on …all of those are important. But Latin names? Really? Trout don’t know them; but they do know the size and “aspect” of a hatching BWO or Trico. That is more important, I think.
Also, understanding stages of flies development is crucial - whether a fly is in the process of hatching, emerging, about to take off or inert. All of those are clues. Their names? Less so.
So study the actual river…take a net and become a nature detective, Also, observe. Just sit and watch. You don't have to cast all the time.
7. Rise forms Can they tell us something?
Having just been a little disparaging about Entomology, we come to the subject of rise forms.
I believe, how a fish takes a fly from the surface and the disturbance it makes - a trout’s (or grayling) beautiful downfall - to be a darned site more important to the dry fly fisher; especially so, when aligned to pattern selection and the intended cast we might be needing, or forced, to make, in that given situation. All those fragments placed together offer us a whole.
Whether one casts, close to the rise form; or allows for a greater drift time (where currents allow) are wholly dependant on the fishes position in relation to we the fisher, and the rise form - and also the current speed. I suspect that water “type” comes into it, too. The vital thing is to know your water. Note: I said “water”.
Stillwater, I would suggest is every bit as demanding to the dry fly fisher; and a knowledge of rise forms - and their study is equally critical to success. Reading a lake rise form - and shape - will offer distinct clues to a trout’s direction, velocity, position and ultimately, what fly (s) to select and where to pitch it (them). So Rise forms can tell us a huge amount of any one particulate piscatorial story.
Regarding Rise Forms specifically, I would urge ANY student of dry fly to look at the work by Marinaro or, more recently, Peter Hayes and Don Stazicker’s tour d’ force - Trout and Flies: Getting Closer. This astonishingly good work, will open your eyes to every rise form that you have ever encountered and some you probably haven’t. An essential work for anyone fishing rivers, seriously.
8. Fly selection, Size, shape, materials, which flies are essential.
So Chris…. Now you have given us a book to write, have you.
I shall state right now, I am huge fan of natural materials in my dry fly construction. In saying that, I know only too well, that there are and will be, times when the visibility or buoyancy afforded by Antron in a wing or foam in a body - or wing - can seriously help chances.
But I am driven far more, by how a fly a might appear to the trout, as opposed specific flies. The profile, the fly size and where it might sit in the water are all more important to me, than fancy names or fads.
I build a fly box based on waterside observation: no more. I look at naturals. I pick them up. I watch trout feed. All of these aspects I try to incorporate into fly tying. There is glorious freedom in not being dictated to by conventional fly tying wisdom.
All I do is pick up a natural fly - or nymph - look at it and then set about imitating what I see and what I feel that creature might do in the water column or on the water’s surface. The process is liberating….if unconventional.
In a flies construction I mostly use CDC; both as a wing material and floating agent. The flies I do use err to simplicity. as opposed complexity.
If a design calls for it being tied on a 24 or 26…I tie it and fish it on… a 24 and 26. Simple.
I am also not averse to using something like a Hopper or Royal Wulff - and using them as attractors - a Stimulator is another wonderful “search” pattern.
But mostly, certainly since 1980, I have based designs on observation, as opposed, fashion.
Do I carry a size 16 parachute Adams? Naturally. Do I use a size 14 Elk Hair caddis? Absolutely.
9. Presentation and drifts.
For me, this area is far more important than fly selection; but actually hinges far more on an ability to cast than anything else. If you can’t get your fly, tippet or leader to where it needs to go, you are never going to achieve either a good drift or fish catching presentation. Simple.
A good dry fly fisher looks at the water; Scrutinises the flow variations, looks to angles and pays very special attention to the fishers position – especially as to whether it is appropriate to make the cast without scaring the quarry. The ultimate angling stream-born overall anglers assessment? Yup!
Oh! If I have to kneel when fishing a shallow run when wading…I kneel. Stealth…before all.
One element which I am utterly “anal” about though , is drift length; by, that I mean, the area where the fly is placed and travels, in relation to the trout’s position. But then we are back to observing the trout. Dry fly fishing is a collection, distillation and creation of EVERYTHING. Every aspect must be in place.
But, I would urge that you look to the water between you and the fish and note the current variations and accommodate those vagaries with the right cast made in the appropriate way.
Wherever possible, I do try and give the quarry as little time to figure out my fly is an imposter and thus, cast as close as I can to the rise form and have as shorter drift as the position determines.
Drag free - for me - is essential. Anything I can do in my cast creation hinges on that - yet I strive to retain control of the line leader and fly.
Unless.
There are times when I have brought fish to the surface skittering a caddis and really making a commotion - a minor tactic to the main event of…… drag free.
10. Upstream or downstream?
Both….ish.
Growing up and fishing the British Chalk-streams for sixty years, one is wedded to an upstream presentation. That is neither a good thing - or a bad thing…only that it is a pretty inescapable “thing”.
Do I adhere to it? Mostly. Do I dance around the edges? Absolutely.
I am at total one with my good friend, Rene Harrop - of Henry’s Fork fame and just a scintillating dry fly fisher.
We were discussing this very thing - up stream or down - at a show in Denver and we both realised that we did precisely the same thing - we both try and get to a position as near opposite the quarry as we can, and lay siege!
I am not a huge fan of fishing downstream to fish…I miss too many: my fault and bad angling: not the fish or the methods fault.
I did watch Roman Moser - now he is a River Meister! - almost “long trot” one of his deadly caddis patterns down the Traun some years ago, when fishing for the huge (then) grayling and hook one of them, with almost the entire fly line out - now that IS fishing downstream par excellence!!!
Also, if you fish directly below a trout and up to the feeding position, there are real risks of “lining”the quarry and spoking it with leader shadow, splash and so on…..
For me, opposite….if I can.
11. fighting fish.
What a subjective topic fighting fish is…. And deeply personal.
I think, perhaps what is more relevant - and a sub-heading that should have been added is: how do you strike / set-the-hook . I believe that has an ultimate baring on how one controls a fish thereafter - also, naturally, the water velocity and waterborne obstructions.
I find that if I am in a position where I can gently - yet firmly - set the hook, I tend to be a much better place to control the quarry: things are less frantic. If strip-strike (which according to Video footage is what I do) firmly - well - aggressively - then the response from the fish tends to be met with equal annoyance - and force. One of the hardest things to do, is to moderate the strike; it is pure instinct and adrenaline.
But “Playing” a fish is about what is around you; if weedy, you may well need to adopt a Bonefisher’s high rod pose just to keep the line free of obstructions. If the fish careens for structure you might have to slam the rod over sideways - you take each fish on its own merits - and fight it accordingly.
One lesson that I recently learnt in New Zealand; if you hook a big trout - and there is pretty fair likelihood you will in that country - do not even think of the pleasantness of having your rod in the classic high position and the niceties of just a gentle give and take between you and the quarry. The fight is feral and personal; the rod will be close to, if not, sometimes sideways, and under the water. At no point is it likely to be conventional. But then fighting fish was never straightforward.
Every single trout - not grayling, so much - has demanded from me a singular approach to that fish. And of course there is a huge difference how you will “play” a fish on say 7x tippet that you would 5X - a #2 as opposed #5 - a fast or soft action rod, too.
I would only urge that every fish is treated singularly and the respect it deserves - nothing less: nothing more.
Catch and release hones our fish fighting skills with a fly rod…. And we simply owe it to the quarry to be quick, effective and disciplined in how we operate.
Thus my Golden Rules
• I always use a tippet that allows me to play a fish hard as possible, in order bring it to me - the hand or net - as quickly as possible.
• I seldom - if ever- take the fish from the water.
• I seldom use net - but opt for a rod tip release.
• Never do I thrust fish out towards a camera to obscure it’s true size.
• I always treat my quarry with upmost respect.
Charles Jardine
