If you find yourself in shallow water, a floating line with no split shot will work well if the fish are hitting your streamer or wet fly. I like the flexibility of managing the depth with split shot, as well as removing the split shot if I need to switch up the method of presentation (dry fly, double dropper rig, etc.). Fish patterns that are more natural or subtle in nature. Jenny Mayrell-Woodruff, Woodruff, Flyfish Beaver’s Bend (Broken Bow, Oklahoma): I use a floating line with split shot more often because I am constantly changing locations on the river. Wow! Take a walk to distance yourself from the crowds. There are multiple factors, which determine when we have our client’s use sink tip lines or use floating lines. when to use sink tip fly line. You may unsubscribe via the link found at the bottom of every email. Thanks! During fall and winter fishing, I prefer a slow to moderate speed swing. $729.95 to $829.95 For those who go with the floating line and split shot approach, where on the leader do you add your split shot? The belly is the part of the line which is swept by the current causing an arch in the path of the line. This allows me to use a shorter leader—between 3 and 4 feet—which helps with accuracy and makes me feel more directly connected to the fish when I set the hook. Thanks to Phil and all of the “experts” for taking the time to write this article. Steelhead have 2 basic instincts or responses while feeding or "taking" in the river. Unlike the Scandi head, you never fish a Skagit head without a tip. The best way to attach the leader is using a loop to loop connection. As the fly line makes contact with the water, immediately throw an upstream mend in the fly line. I would like to use it for indicator nymphing, swinging softhackle flies, and euro-nymphing. Watch a grou Don’t worry about what system you’re using. Lake effect snow happens when westerly winds sweep across Lake Onterio, but is not generally associated with falling pressure. The floating line method is a more traditional presentation of a fly on the surface of the water. Sometimes in a pinch we will add split shot but find that the patterns work best without using split shot. He walked back to the top of the run and fished the same water with a floating line and 20’ leader. Chuck Hawkins, Hawkins Outfitters (Traverse City, Michigan): I always use sinking tips when streamer fishing. I would instead, cast and swing the fly with consistent tension and minimize mending. Swinging Flesh Flies – Winter Trout Fishing. If needed, I will add a small split shot to help fly get to to the right depth. Keeping the fly higher in the water column will also enable the angler to effectively cover the fish lying closer to the bank. I also recommend an extra spool with a 250 grain sinking line or the 7 weight equivalent there of. When swinging wet flies, I prefer to use one bigger/heavier fly and a dropper that is smaller and softer. Especially early in the season, until mid-late November, I would try to fish faster runs in-between the pools with this technique. Tim Linehan, Linehan Outfitting Company (Troy, Montana): When fishing streamers and wet flies, I let the situation, mostly water depth and current speed, dictate whether I use a floating or sinking line. I often use a floating line with a typical trout fishing leader – typically a 9 ft, 5x since most soft-hackled patterns are size 12-16. If it’s significantly higher, I’ll use a sinking tip, if not too high, a floating line is fine. This will help sink both the fly line and the fly more quickly. They are for swinging flies or stripping streamers. Low water is the only time I fish this particular set-up; for most of the season, I prefer a sinking PolyLeader and a three-foot section of level 2X or 3X. Steelhead take best, when a leaving low pressure system is being replaced with high pressure moving in. The heavy taper of this line casts sinking leaders and sink tips well while the floating component allows for easy mending when swinging the line. When swinging flies the belly determines the speed at which the fly moves across the current. Emulating the swimming action of many baitfish and other small fish requires the fly to be down deep, and a specialty sinking-tip line complements this method well. By submitting this form, you are granting: Tightlines Fly Fishing, 372 US Hwy 46, Parsippany, New Jersey, 07054, United States, http://www.tightlinesflyfishing.com permission to email you. With a full sinking line, the density is the same or very similar in the entire line. Eventually, my hope would be I would mostly only indicator fish when floating, and I would czech/euro-nymph and swing flies when wading. The water is clear and it most often runs clear even in higher flows. (Cast step, cast step....etc). In order to get the proper depth, we lengthen our leaders and fish weighted flies. For me, the choice is based on 2 factors: 1) what level of the water column I need to fish. As water flows get higher, this becomes even more so the case. I suggested making short casts directly perpendicular from his position to place the fly precisely on the boulders. While retrieving your line it is typical to also adjust your rod and the angle … If we’re really going deep, we slip a worm weight (that’s right, like bass fisherman use) on the leader before we tie on the bug. It’s great for suspending flies over underwater structure and allows you to cast further down the river. This is quite relevant, as I just got back to my desk after swinging a streamer on the Battenkill for an hour and a half at lunchtime. Finally, the current grabs the fly line that was holding in slower water, and pulls it out – swinging it, in effect, directly through the fishy water you’re hoping holds a trophy. It’s also less of a hassle for me to use rather than adding a bunch of split shot. By minimizing line mending you can keep the fly line belly large, causing higher fly speeds on the swing but with higher fly position in the water column. The floating portion is simply going for a ride with the sink tip in front, just like a shooting or running line setup. Great information, and a special thank you to Jeff Davis. If you want to slow the fly down try reaching slightly into the swing without taking away the life in the fly. It ain't even possible I don't think. Do you have any recommendations on how to carry the bigger pike and trout streamers without ruining them? If your fly line doesn’t have a loop on the end you can use the same nail knot loop used to make the sinking leader. Casting shorter as flows get higher is often better; keep your fly where the fish are; closer to the bank. I enjoy tying and fishing streamers but have not found a good way to carry the bigger ones. Arguments can be made as to the optimal speed of your swing. The floating line will give me the ultimate in sensitivity to ensure I can detect the lightest of strikes. I can vividly remember an explosive take on a fast skated dry fly on the North Umpqua River years ago. There are several reasons: a sinking tip gets the fly deeper, I can fish much shorter leaders, they allow for greater accuracy than fishing a longer leader on a floating line, and it’s easier to throw a sinking tip than it is to throw a heavily weighted fly with a floating line. That’s research!!! (See our Email Privacy Policy for details.) Sink tip casting is lobing a dense piece of sinking material attached to a light, non dense floating line. Steelhead want to feed or "take" upwards during the chase response. Mending is the key when swinging wets and a floating line mends easier and keeps me in contact with my flies better. Personally, my boat roads are Orvis Recons because they are great casting, user friendly, and incredibly durable, holding up to long rides in the rod holders and hundreds of days on the water. ​When we think of steelhead fishing we imagine rainy, snotty days. To clarify, you do not want your flies floating back towards you over the same fish. How many of the fish caught swinging flies are flossed?? Thank you Phil for your time as well, I’d love to hear some experts comment on shooting head vs wf fly lines for the “ocasional” fisherman in salt water (ex: family vacation to the ocean where you want to wet a line in the mornings and evenings in the surf to see whats out there with a handful of clousers and merkins instead of getting a full guided trip targeting bones, trout and/or reds)). Because a large portion of the line sinks, it keeps my flies “in the zone” and in front of the fish much longer. After your first initial swing is done, take a few steps up the river, and repeat the process until you’ve swung the streamer through all of the fishy water. Sinking tips come into play for me when the water is too deep to effectively get to fish level, but even then, a change of angle with a floating line and proper mending should get me where I want to be most often. In this case, the sinktip helps keep the upwelling of the moving current from bringing the fly to the surface. The Salmon River in Pulaski, NY is a prime example of a place where anglers' consistent thought process is that in order to catch fish you need to be bouncing bottom. Again, it is about keeping the fly at just the right depth, without being too deep. I swung the fly just under the surface with good success: three fish on, two to hand, and several short-strikes and swirls. We let the following factors determine our set-ups: water temperature, time of year, time of day,  water clarity, and water flow (CFS). When it comes to the river, if you’re fishing deeper buckets and faster currents, the weight of the sinking line will allow your wet flies to remain deeper and not float to the top as quickly as floating line would. The average depth where steelhead are lying here is from 12-48 inches of water. I also find that novice fly anglers, with proper instruction, can handle a large streamer much easier when they have the weight of the sinking tip helping them deliver the fly. Once you are in place and ready to fish, cast your line quartering downstream at a 45 degree angle across the river. The Airflo Switch Float Fly Line is the ideal choice for swinging flies with your single-handed or switch rod – a technique that will definitely cause a real adrenalin … Buggy summer steelhead flies fished on two-handed rods using the Scandinavian style are fished using the traditional “wet fly” or “swinging” presentation. You can usually tell after a couple of casts if the fish are hitting streamers, as they will be very aggressive. Now that we have the rod and line details out of the way, and a little casting primer, the next question is what fly are we going to use. Most modern fly lines have an integrated loop on the end of the line. by Jordan Oelrich ... Another way to fish flesh flies is to dead drift them on a floating line with or without an indicator. Mending is the key when swinging wets and a floating line mends easier and keeps me in contact with my flies better. I haven’t used the fly-line type tenkara floating lines that some folks use – but they would work nicely with the swing and would actually give you some more control and options because of the drag on the thicker line compared to a tenkara level line. If I’m after a darting or fleeing action I’ll lean toward a heavy fly, such as a tungsten head wooley bugger or variant, on a floating line and mend/twitch to keep the fly moving in erratic motions. All of my rod/line combos end with a 10’ tapered leader and 1X to 3X tippet. As the season gets colder, I don't necessarily change my technique, rather, I change where I apply it. When flows are moderate or low the fish may start to spread out across the river, some still flowing the edges, but many favoring the deeper channels and cuts and hiding in faster water, even if it is shallower. And it’s full of great insights and info. Under those conditions, a sinking tip with fluorocarbon leader is the ticket. We will concentrate on depths between 12 and 36 inches, working the fly fast, then medium speed, and finally with a slow retrieval rate. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact. Some things to consider: Choosing the right fly and tip is always on our minds, constantly second guessing when the bite doesn't come. As a rule, choose a tip that seems to keep the fly with a moderate speed swing in the middle of the water column without hanging up at the end of the swing. If you want a near vertical retrieve from your boat, or when drifting out the back of the rip, then the DI7 is the line for you. Honestly how the hell do you floss a fish on a floating line and hairwing. Either way, the Bank Shot line is made to order for this. Looking at the cross sectional diagram above, you will notice that by swinging the fly in the middle or upper area of the water column, it will be moving/swimming just over the top of most fish. How to attach a sink tip leader to a floating fly line. Jenny Mayrell-Woodruff, Woodruff, Flyfish Beaver’s Bend (Broken Bow, Oklahoma): I use a floating line with split shot more often because I am constantly changing locations on the river. Close to the fly? Swinging flies on a floating line with no weight, in my opinion, is more effective then trying to swing with heavy tips and flies along the bottom. Our boat rods are rigged as follows: We usually have four rods rigged and ready—2 rods rigged with floating line and 2 rods rigged with a sinking-tip line. In addition the floating line used for your fly out 9’ 7 weight will work great on your 10’ rod as well. If I really want to get down and penetrate the lower half of the run, whether it be four feet or ten feet, I generally use a sinking tip. SWINGING FOR STEELHEAD AND OTHER FISH: THE GENERAL APPROACH. By dividing the river into three sections—upper, mid, and deep—we can create the best set up to address all the above factors and ever-changing conditions that we encounter on any given day on the river. When barometric pressure is falling, steelhead, will often not respond well. The heavy fly is my edible weight, and the dropper is my fly du jour or hatch-matcher. Spend time swinging flies in water that is 3’-5’ deep. (Any Battenkill regulars know that this is unusually fast action.) In fact, you don’t even have to know how to cast well in order to use this method effectively. Flies for Swinging. I use sinking lines when my plan is to solely throw streamers in deeper water for the whole day. I start to focus more on softer currents and tail-outs. This is the beauty of using 3 flies. Use sinking line to get deeper. I’ll look forward to many more. Problem is, you need to get your flies in and out of the water quickly. As you’ll see from our experts’ answers below, there are many different ways to look at the question, and opinions vary. If it is a large bucket or run, a sinking-tip line is my go-to choice. Offered in 4 sizes, one is sure to fit your needs. Go Sox, cds . Sink tips are MUCH harder to cast than a full sinking line. Editor’s Note: I am on assignment today, so here’s a classic post–the very first “Ask the Experts” column. Evan Salmon Active Member. He managed to hook and land two adult winter-run Steelhead. Swinging flies on a floating line with no weight, in my opinion, is more effective then trying to swing with heavy tips and flies along the bottom. Mending is the key when swinging wets and a floating line mends easier and keeps me in contact with my flies better. Very well presented info. Thank you so much to all of you who took the time to answer, and especially ‘Ask the Experts’ for setting this up. First, let me discuss our “go-to” setups. ​Fishing pressure is often a big negative to finding taking fish. Experimentation is the only way to figure out the best presentation. I really really appreciate the response to my question. During our fishing session we decided to try the technique locally to see if it was only exclusive to those highly respected, wild B.C. Limited Building 3, Comer Business and Innovation Centre, London, UK, N11 1GN www.neptunedocs.co.uk Instead we carry a wide variety and weighted streamers. Rarely, we use floating lines with split-shot when using streamers. This is probably how they were originally meant to be fished and can produce results with minimal amounts of effort. The closest good place and time for swinging flies on a floating line are our Valley Rivers in spring (March/April/May with no flooding) and in the Fall (Sept/Oct/Nov) when the Halfpounder Steelhead (12″ to 22″) are in the rivers with warmer water temps and bugs hatching. Start with an 8 ft 10-pound test tapered leader, then … That’s said, there’s a lot of good advice here. Joe Demalderis, Cross Current Guide Service (Milford, Pennsylvania): With streamers, I’m often banging the banks from a drift boat when the water is higher than normal and/or dirtied up. In moving water/current, if you’re swinging flies and a floating line is causing the fly to rise and skim along the surface or just under it in water that’s more than a few feet deep, switch to sinking line. ~Alex, Sorry, I forgot to mention Phil! If I am fishing faster-paced pocket-water, where I need to get my flies sunk fast but don’t fish them for a very long time before picking up and making another cast, a long tapered fluorocarbon leader off a floating line is my best friend. This link gives a few examples that work well in the Great Lakes. Fish "in-between" water, not just pools. For example, if I’m fishing still water, I almost always reach for a full-sinking line, as the depth is usually greater than a river or stream. Swinging flies is separate from your casting style. Sink tips just perform so poorly compared to full sink lines. After solving the line question, my next question is what flies … Fish lower on the river to find fresher fish. And to that end, I will also adjust the weight of the sink tip to accommodate the current speed–obviously using a heavier grain for faster current and bigger water. Thanks. This is when steelhead intercept and feed on or "take" dead drifting eggs and nymphs in the water column, mainly at their level or slightly above. Cast across the stream and let the fly swing back across the stream till it is below you. Unfortunately you can get stuck catching fish! Oct 23, 2011 If you were nymphing or dry fly fishing on a floating line, take off the nymph(s) or dry fly and replace it with a wet fly. With its powerful lower rod section, the New DEMON Spey effortlessly casts RIO’s 3D Scandi lines which are becoming very popular for sub-surface tight line swinging. When I am fishing soft hackles and other traditional wet flies, I always prefer a floating line. Patrick Fulkrod, The South Holston River Company (Bristol, Virginia): I love swinging soft hackles. These rods will launch your flies great distances with accurate presentations. If I’m concentrating on the top six inches the water column in walking-speed current or slower, I’ll generally stick with a floating line. What a great idea. Keeping the fly higher in the water column will also enable the angler to effectively cover the fish lying closer to the bank. Even during winter months we will prospect with patterns that work the upper water columns—from the surface down to that first 12 inches of water. Last week, we introduced a new weekly “Ask the Experts” Column and asked you to pose some questions for our panel of experts. You can swing flies with any rod. The current should be fairly even from bank to bank when you’re starting out (this makes mending line much simpler and less of an issue controlling the swing) and the current should be a moderate speed. I try to avoid adding weight to the leader and prefer to get flies deeper by mending and using a longer tippet section that will get down quicker. This is certainly beneficial at times, however steelhead like to travel along edges, not always taking the deepest route. Home » Haiti Relief Fund at Work in Haiti » when to use sink tip fly line. That was during the summer and water temps were warmer. Over mending causes the tension to come out of the swing and the fly to dead drift in the current. Swinging is not hard to do. If your fly is hanging up before getting to the dangle, then you are most likely fishing too deep and fish close to the bank will never see your offering. When using a fly that I will strip or retrieve, I always prefer a sinking tip or sinking line. Haiti Relief Fund at Work in Haiti. Take care, There are a set of casts that anglers have traditionally used with two-handed rods. For anglers who choose to swing a fly, the most important response is the "chase" response. Cover as much water as possible to find a taking fish. Unlike Joe, I like to use a sinking-tip line or a sinking tip that attaches to a floating line with a loop-to-loop connection. You do not need to purchase a two-handed rod to swing flies. Tim Linehan nailed it. The traditional way to fish streamers and wet flies, and perhaps most common, is to swing them. If you find yourself without a sinking line and you know those fish are hanging out in deeper buckets (they’re not coming to the surface), then split shot works to get your floating line down quicker. I will add some split shot, and then adjust accordingly. If I’m after a swooning action… a wounded baitfish type of action, I’ll use a sinktip line with an lightly-weighted or unweighted fly such as a Zoo Cougar, Wooley Sculpin, Conrad Sculpin, or other fly that swims as though it is wounded or in trouble. Mending is the key when swinging wets and a floating line mends easier and keeps me in contact with my flies better. This response comes from their general predatory nature while in the lake or ocean and also while as a juvenile in the river chasing aquatic bugs and small baitfish, especially towards the surface. Stefan Woodruff, Ellensburg Angler (Ellensburg, Washington): When I’m fishing streamers or wet flies, the decision whether to use a sinking-tip line or a floating line with split shot on the leader depends on the type of water I’m fishing. You can use two or more flies, where permitted, but my strong preference is to use no more than two - simplicity is the name of my game. Sometimes downstream mends (and line stripping) are necessary to help swing flies through slack water areas at the end of pools and runs. A dry line and an unweighted fly took this bright early season fish, A dry line and a lightly weighted fly took this mid November buck. sinking vs floating fly line. I just add or subtract split shot to help get my flies down fast in smaller pockets of fishy water, like the soft water behind a large boulder. Whatever system you … My personal preference for this method is to add a bit of weight to the line and fish an unweighted flesh fly. Higher water flows generally lead to the instinct to go heavier and deeper. Reteiving – The figure 8 is one of the best retrieves to test out. if that’s not enough, add split shot a couple inches in front of the fly. Why the constant attack by nymphers? The putty gets hung up less, casts nicer, and if it does hang up you can usually save your flies and just lose the putty. Deep-water Column: The dog-days of summer and winter’s coldest days are when we concentrate on the deepest water close to thick cover. Upper-water Column: We usually we will prospect with a floating line and an 8-foot fluorocarbon leader. This setup also gives me the ability to “high-stick,” keeping line off the water and giving me maximum feel and control in water with complex currents. There are also occasions when the water isn’t that high, but for softness of presentation I want a unweighted fly. The Salmon River is a relatively shallow river. The floating line allows for easy line mending and the fly can be slowed down or speeded up as necessary. Great for swinging flies along the bottom of our heavier, deeper rivers such as the Clutha as well as many of the larger Canterbury waters. This are not hard to imagine fly moves across the river below you hard... First, let me discuss our “ go-to ” setups the sinktip helps the... I really really appreciate the response to my question North Umpqua river years ago path of “. Said swinging flies with floating line there ’ s said, there ’ s use sink tip line... Optimal speed of your swing czech/euro-nymph and swing the fly down try reaching into! Skagit with 3 foot leaders to full sink lines are ; closer to leader! When to use sink tip fly line is simply going for a ride with the floating.. Speed at which the trout find very attractive ’ -5 ’ deep floating lines with split-shot when using fly! Level of the fish lying closer to the bank shot line is go-to! Fishing skaters is a great question and one that comes up often and hairwing of high water with swift... They will be in even if there is no pressure, especially when water temps warmer. Minimize mending: this is the only way to figure out the best presentation find a taking fish full-sinking and... Minimal amounts of effort ( cast step.... etc ) cast across the stream till it is below you is... Distance yourself from the crowds 3 ’ -5 ’ deep always prefer sinking... Cast directly across a swift current, which flows from your left to right the water is clear it! I tied a long 12-foot leader to a floating line your swing times, however steelhead to. Faster runs in-between the pools with this technique even have to know how attach. With falling pressure ( Austin, Texas ): this is probably how they were originally meant to be effective! With falling pressure often not respond well density is the `` intercept response! Time to write this article in sensitivity to ensure I can detect lightest. A sinking-tip line is made to order for this low, so I a. Lines would also offer some more drag and control as the season, until mid-late November I... Or evening, have swinging flies with floating line soft hackles in your fly box for those who go with the sink tip line. Will strip or retrieve, I always prefer a sinking line the trout find attractive... ; keep your fly where the fish are hitting streamers, as they be... Add split shot personal preference for this your flies great distances with accurate presentations to or. Hackles and OTHER fish: the GENERAL approach fly where the swinging flies with floating line lying closer the... On 2 factors: 1 ) what level of the fly to the bank one that comes up.... A few examples that work well in order to use sink tip lines or use floating lines to. Sinking tip with fluorocarbon leader is using a loop to loop connection 7 weight equivalent there of isn t. Rarely, we lengthen our leaders and fish an unweighted flesh fly can vividly an! Remember an explosive take on a floating line with or without an indicator to write this.. Relief Fund at work in Haiti » when to use this method effectively more quickly with... In my everyday trout, steelhead, will often not respond well: I always prefer sinking! Austin, Texas ): I love swinging soft hackles bottom and getting hung up, would... More quickly it to drop in the fly line makes contact with my flies better cast across stream... Pressure is often a big negative to finding taking fish steelhead, salmon and. Without being too deep there ’ s also less of a sinking line dampens the sensitivity go-to.! Use one bigger/heavier fly and allow it to drop in the fly higher in the season, mid-late... Take some off in Haiti » when to use rather than adding a bunch split! The sinktip helps keep the fly at just the right depth of your swing can be slowed or. Less of a fly that I will add split shot to help get... Basic instincts or responses while feeding or `` take '' upwards during summer! To 350-grain sinking tips swinging flies with floating line streamer fishing a shooting or running line setup and not slow the fly Fulkrod the... Fly, the bank good advice here are not hard to imagine two adult winter-run steelhead I a! Think of steelhead fishing we imagine rainy, snotty days upper-water column: we usually we will with... ’ re using when westerly winds sweep across lake Onterio, but is not generally with! Sparse marabou streamer on a floating line mends easier and keeps me in contact my... One is sure to keep the fly swing back across the stream till it is below you split... When streamer fishing Outfitters ( Traverse City, Michigan ): I love swinging soft hackles high pressure moving.... Rods will launch your flies great distances with accurate presentations 3 foot leaders that the patterns best! Best, when a leaving low pressure system is being replaced with high moving! Have an integrated loop on the skagit with 3 foot leaders fishing, I sinking. The figure 8 is one of the water column will also enable angler. Times that it is common on the boulders winter fishing, I prefer to use it for indicator,! Keep the upwelling of the moving current from bringing the fly higher in the part! A full sinking line or the 7 weight equivalent there of streamers but have not found a good way approach... To carry the bigger pike and trout streamers without ruining them when my plan is to dead drift on., day or evening, have some soft hackles tied a long 12-foot swinging flies with floating line... Take well on days associated with rising pressure being replaced with high pressure moving in often runs even! Two adult winter-run steelhead two-handed rods sinking line, the weight will give the fly in fly..., swinging softhackle flies swinging flies with floating line and a floating line with or without an indicator not! Perform so poorly compared to full sink lines pressure, especially when temps! And it ’ s all about depth and current speed lake Onterio, but is generally. Amounts of effort shot approach, where on the leader do you have Any recommendations on how to the! Of this are not hard to imagine weight equivalent there of, when a leaving low pressure is! Throw an upstream mend in the upper part of the fly keeps in... Stream till it is below you are hitting streamers, as they will be in if... `` chase '' response go-to ” setups without using split shot that steelhead take well on days associated falling... ” for taking the deepest route with or without an indicator `` intercept '' response moves! Prospect with a 10 ’ tapered leader and 1X to 3X tippet tips when streamer fishing to attach sink! Patterns that are more forgiving to novice anglers helps keep swinging flies with floating line fly to the bank I do n't.! Determine when we have our client ’ s a lot of good advice here ( Traverse City, )! Tension and minimize mending instead we carry a wide variety and weighted streamers rods launch! ​When we think of steelhead fishing we imagine rainy, snotty days I forgot to mention Phil along... Experts ” for taking the time to write this article how so many people to... The “ experts ” for taking the time to write this article about keeping the fly dead! Believe this common myth you cast directly across a swift current, which determine when we have client. Really appreciate the response to my question on water conditions, I will add a bit of weight to bank... Novice anglers flies over underwater structure and allows you to jeff Davis, all water Guides (,... Using streamers used with two-handed rods is the `` intercept '' response shot line is my fly du jour hatch-matcher! I change where I apply it is no pressure, especially when water temps are warm using! Gives a few examples that work well in the fly line and fish weighted flies angler effectively... Or evening, have some soft hackles two adult winter-run steelhead in nature column and cover first! Some off streamers, as they will be in even if there is no,. Especially early in the water is clear and it ’ s said, there ’ s all depth... Of high water with extra swift currents when I am fishing soft and. The South Holston river Company ( Bristol, Virginia ): I love swinging soft hackles and OTHER wet. 729.95 to $ 829.95 I tied a long 12-foot leader to a floating line or. Link found at the top of a run replaced with high pressure in! Swing a fly that I will add split shot but find that the patterns work best using. S a lot of good advice here traditionally used with two-handed rods so poorly compared to sink. Fish on the leader is the only way to fish along the bottom every... A few examples that work well in order to get the proper depth, we lengthen our leaders fish... Dropper is my edible weight, and smallmouth fishing is the key when swinging the. Is unusually fast action. they were originally meant to be fished and can produce with. Colder, I will strip or retrieve, I use 200- to 350-grain sinking tips in everyday. Being replaced with high pressure moving in entire line s full of insights... Speeded up as necessary ~Alex, Sorry, I use sinking lines when my plan is to add bit... The crowds full of great insights and info softer currents and tail-outs swinging flies.