Home Forums Fishing Flyfishing Flyfishing Small Streams?

Hey everybody,<BR>I fish a lot of small streams in my area, and i was wondering if anyone had any tips on how to flyfish a small stream. Like there is a lot of brush on one of my favorite streams so how do you cast with all the brush around? any help is appreciated.<BR>YoungHunter

I like fishing small water too, and there is plenty of it in north central PA. I don't do to much traditional casting when on water like this. Usually just "barrel roll" the line back up stream. A shorter rod helps too, at least it does for me. There are no points for style when fishing on small brushy streams, which is a good thing for me! <P>------------------<BR>Stush

Have you seen the movie called "A River Runs Through It" ? That wasn't me. I wouldn't score a lot of style points if I was casting into an Olympic-size pool. Our small streams are mostly brush-choked trickles end-to-end, so I use the "slingshot" method alot. If you're not familiar with this obscenity, keep the rod low, with rod tip pointed roughly at your target area, grab rear curved portion of hook with off hand, (pinched between thumb and index finger), pull back on it so that line is taut and tip is bending......and let it fly! Not a graceful maneuver, but I've actually caught some fish this way. Might be illegal in more civilized areas.<p>[This message has been edited by Loud Cloud (edited March 14, 2001).]

Hi. I've fly fished in lots of water types. Streams always have brush to contend with somewhere. The fly rod allows flexability that no other equipment can offer. The easiest is simple old poke pole fishing. You come up behind a likely pocket, and just drop your fly, or bait in it. If he's there, he'll grab it right now. Trout can live in the most surprising places. Water only 6-10 inches deep, for instance. Fly fishing allows you to work the white water, where the traditional bait fishermen get snaged too much. And this is where the trout are during the warm summer months. As for casting, try a down stream, roll cast pick-up. Then do a change of direction cast towards your intended target, or where you think the fish are. I hooked a beautiful, 12 lb. class steelhead that way once. Another variation is to cast up and down the stream, at short ranges. You wade up behind some good looking white water pockets, and work them with 10-30 ft. casts. Have fun. E

Another tactic I use a lot in really tight stretches, narrow runs where the brush really crowds the water, is to get above it and pull quite a bit of line off your reel, holding it in large loops in your free hand. Then just let the line play out, drifting your fly down the stream and into the tight stretch. Yes - you're going to get a fair amount of drag, depending upon how fast you let the line play out, but you'll also have small eddies and such where you have none. If you let plenty of slack play out, drag won't be significant. Most small stream fish are highly opportunistic, anyway. They're used to having to grab their meals fast, so a small amount of drag often won't put them down.<P>This is a great way to reach into places you couldn't cast into, and it does catch fish. There's no style to it, but I'll take catching fish over looking cool any day. <P>Greggun

I've fished small streams almost exclusively. mostly for panfish and an occasional bass (even a nice catfish now and then). Anyway, I have a 6'6" rod for this purpose and it sure doesn't throw real far even when you get open water, but it typically does the trick.
I just need to learn how to properly fish sinking lures. I can do ok if I fish sinking lures with floaters above.
Any suggestion on that?

As Stush said, roll cast are great but I still need to know how to dry your dry fly so it will float.

I fish a lot of small streams, its not hard once you figuire out how. Most people try to cast way to much line, you just adjust things a little. Rather than a 12 or 14 foot leader, try making one up that will turn over and put the fly were you want it 6 to 9 foot in lenght. One of my favorite rods is a 8'6" scott for a 5 weight line. I use DT flylines. Once you get your leader right you will be able with some pratice cast on real tight spots with out to much trouble. You will get hung up, you will spend time rebuilding leaders, and you will loose flies, so tie your own. The effort will pay off. Here in CT I can go for days and not see another soul on some of the brooks I fish. You learn to fish the short line and it will also pay off on bigger water too, its what I call stalking fishing, getting in an easy controlable casting position. Its aways about as drag free a drif as possible. Why cast 50' when you can move and make a short 15 or 20 cast with little or no drag? I been known to fish on my knees in order to get a shot a fish, this will wear out waders and hip boots.

If you can still find a copy, "Fly Fishing Small Streams with a Fly Rod" by Charlie Meck is a really good book for the small stream fisherman.

Also, my friend Joe Humphreys' video, "A Casting Approach to Dry Fly Tactics in Tight Brush" is a good one to own. I've had the pleasure of seeing him in action, he's got plenty of tricks up his sleeve.

Charlie's book, although a little dated, has some short leader designs that are very helpful on small streams.

Joe can cast in a closet, his techniques are easy to learn and very practical for those of us that have to cast in a tunnel.

Short leaders and rods that can roll cast easily are a prerequisite. Most lighter rods (3-4 weight) are too soft to form a good roll cast loop. After much frustration, I've found a five weight is about perfect. Learn how to do a tight sidearm roll cast and you're half way there.

FWIW:

A short rod and (purists cover your eyes) a salmon egg on a 3 foot leader are really effective.

BMT