Finding the Balance: fly line, leader and tippet

Every wonder why that rod just isn't carrying that fly out as far as you'd like it to, or why your leader or tippet are not getting more distance between the fly line and your fly, or why your tippet is curling up or getting loops in it?  These problems can create ugly issues with your presentation to the fish, but can be solved.  

It is important to note to any new fly fisherman/women out there that the leader is generally not just a straight "fishing line" tied to the end of your brightly colored fly line.  

Solution:  Make sure you have a tapered leader.  A tapered leader, whether welded/continuous or tied by hand will fare much better.  This is due to the gradual change in weight distribution across the line as you cast, transferring the loop smoothly all the way from the fly line at the tip of your rod to the fly at the end of your leader.  You can get a good tapered leader in most fly shops and certainly on amazon or online.  Also, be sure you purchase a leader that is the appropriate size for the type of fly you are fishing and the size rod you are using.  For instance, don't go on trying to cast a mouse pattern on a three weight rod using 7x tippet.  

Generally, if you are fishing a 5wt rod or something of in that range, use the "clinch knot" to tie a tapered leader onto the end of your fly line.  Then if you need anything more than that, use the "double surgeon's knot" to tie on another foot and one half or so of 4X or 5X tippet.  If you are going for trout, use a smaller tippet (or very fine-ended tapered leader).  If you are fishing for bass, go with something a little thicker, probably at least size 4X (and be ready to let him run!).

Also keep in mind that fly or hook size is an important factor here as well, but I will save that for another day.  Refine your skills and master the balance, tailoring everything to the fish species and the presentation you are seeking, and you'll catch more fish.     

Tight lines,

Daniel

Deep South Angler Video Series

Good morning!

Today I wanted to introduce the first little snippet of our upcoming video series.  In the next few weeks I will be publishing at least one video per week via www.instagram.com/deepsouthangler facebook.com/dsangler and this blog.  Deep South Angler will be bringing you fun and engaging content, both instructional and promotional in nature.  Soon we will begin an instructional video series, starting with the basics of knot tying and casting, then moving on to more advanced techniques.  I would love to hear any feedback from our readers.  Right now there are only a few of us involved here at Deep South Angler, but we are working very hard to deliver you the very best online fly fishing resource.  Meanwhile, check out the short video above of our journey so far!  Thanks for reading. 

From the water's edge,

Daniel

Looking Forward, Pointing Behind

The other day I was hiking down to the river on a little-known trail.  It was beautiful, covered in moss and rose high above the water and peaked on top of a cliff.  Then, it got steep. I was overwhelmed by the excitement and beauty of it all that I got careless on my way back down to the river.  The ground was slick, I was wearing my waders and holding my 9 foot 8 wt rod in hand.

I was talking/shouting across river at my friends who had taken the other path down to the spot we were going to fish, telling them what a gorgeous site they were missing.  And as I made my way down the steep path, I started to slide.  Then I tried to shuffle my feet to regain control but couldn't stop.  My friends watched in horror from the river below as I helplessly began to tumble down the path.  There were trees everywhere, and I was headed straight for one of them.  I braced myself as I knew I was about splinter a leg against the tree or worse.  Just a few feet away from the certain serious injury, I plopped down in the dirt with one final attempt to stop myself.  It all happened so fast, I can hardly explain it; but, somehow, this move shifted my course just to the left of the tree, barely missing it. 

After I skidded to a stop past the tree, I knew I was just fine, but was my rod?  I had been holding it by the cork grip the entire time, with the rod tip pointed back - just as I was taught to do.  Still, I thought surely my "big fish" rod was a goner, but it wasn't.  I glanced over to my right, my hand was still tightly clutching the grip, and the the rod ran uphill behind me, all in one piece! 

This is a real life example why you should always carry your rod by the grip with the tip pointing behind you.  If you do this, you don't even have to think about it - the rod just bounces off of everything.  Not only did it save my rod, but it also likely contributed to my ability to regain control during the fall.  And this allowed me to avoid serious injury.  So ALWAYS, ALWAYS keep that rod tip pointed behind you when on the walk or hike down to the water, not only is it good for the rod but it could save you a broken bone or two.   

6 Essential Tips for Casting and Presentation

Lets get the rundown on the cast (now, I do realize it is taught in many forms and fashions by various instructors and veteran anglers, but I believe the technique I discuss below to be among the best).

So you're ready to start slinging that brightly colored string back and forth with your rod, right?  Well it's not exactly that simple.

I will only assume you know how to hold the rod from here. If you are reading this, you more than likely understand the general concept of fly casting (especially after reading the above paragraph).  You rather gently GENTLY NOW! swinging your rod back and forth in front of you and behind you, allowing the line to begin to straighten and present your fly to your target. The following rules describe the techniques you should begin with and should always remember if things start to get sloppy.

1. The Rod/Forearm Continuum. Your rod is one with your forearm and your elbow is planted firmly down toward your waist at your side.  Remember:  It is NOT all in the wrist.  Allow your wrist to bend as much as is natural so you don't look frozen or like a robot, but do not rely on your wrist to cast.  The motion is in your forearm.  You want to pretend that, within reason, your forearm and your fly rod are fused together - your arm is part of the rod and your rod is part of your arm.  They are continuous.
2. The Eleven and One Rule.  You generally do not want to allow your rod (including your forearm) to move past the two o'clock or the ten o'clock position in behind you and in front of you, respectively.  If your line is slapping the water in front of you or behind you and you are only casting a few feet, then you should pay close attention to whether you are following the Eleven and One Rule.
3. Hauling.  As you begin to cast the line back and forth in rhythm behind you and in front of you, with each cast behind, or "back cast," you want to "haul" or pull more line out of the reel so that when you come forward the line will extend further toward your target.  Note: there is something called the double haul in which you pull out line during both your front and back casts, but it is more advanced.  We will stick with the basics for now.
4. Let the Line Straighten Out in the Air.  LOOK OUT FOR THE TREE! When casting, always let the line completely straighten out both in front of you and behind you.  This way it will "lay" out on the water in front of the fish and not wad or curl up, which would create an unnatural and unwelcome sight on the surface to any fish below.  If you let the line straighten IN THE AIR out in front of you and behind you and follow the other rules above, the line should "lay" out in front of you instead of slapping the water and scaring the fish away.
5. Pin the Fly Line to the Grip of the Rod with Your Index Finger.  After you have completed your cast to your target spot, ALWAYS pin the line to the cork grip with the index finger of your dominant hand (or casting hand).  You must KEEP your finger there. If you don't do this, you could miss a fish biting because the slack in your line is not pulled tight. Here's a secret: many anglers do not put this rule into practice, even some more advanced ones.  So you are ahead of the game already.
6. The Mend.  This is one of the most important practices to keep in mind right after casting.  The fish generally will not bite a fly that is drifting at an unnatural pace through the current.  For instance, if there is slack in your fly line drifting through the fastest part of the current and your fly is in the slower part of the current, the fly line will start to pull the fly at an unnaturally fast pace.  This can often be prevented or "mended" by lifting the tip of your rod up and flipping the slack between you and your fly against the current, or upstream. In other words all this does is flip the slack in your line up past the fly so the fly drifts properly and isn't pulled rapidly downstream (with the current) by a wad or loop of slack in your fly line.  You want your fly to drift along at the current's pace as a natural fly or other bug would.  This technique can often be the difference in catching fish and scaring them all away.

I hope you have enjoyed and learned from this post.  For my next post, I plan to provide a glossary of important terms, i.e., the basic parts of the rod, line, leader, backing, tippet, and reel.  Soon after that I will go on to discuss equipment essentials; rod types and rod weight or sizes; different types of flies, their uses and what they represent; and later move onto more advanced fishing strategies and techniques, product reviews, fish species and popular fishing locations.  In the future I will be posting audio, video and image content related to each topic, as well as an update to this post soon.  Thanks for reading.

From the water's edge,

Daniel Tackett

Founder,

Deep South Angler