It is a morning like every morning during the end of summer, the beginning of fall. The air is brisk and the temperature is cool, almost cold, but a fine welcome. I meet my clients for the day, eager to get out there and catch a fish… but it is never that easy for the leisure, once a year angler to do. I say right from the get go, “Fly fishing for trout is not an easier way to catch a trout. It’s the most difficult way to catch a trout”.

Why do I say that? It is because those of you out there with years under your belt, know I am right. What we do is a process, not a shortcut. We have to look at everything. We first look at the weather, the outside temperature. Then we look if there is any cloud cover or not. Next we watch for birds, do we see them or not? If they are flying high or low, or on the water. Next, we look closely for the insect life on, in or above the water. We ask ourselves, what kind of hatch is it? Or if there is any hatch at all? All this takes place well before we even cast a line.

With all that said, what is the most important thing above and beyond the aforementioned you must master? Is it the choice of flies? Is it how well you can cast a dry? Roll cast a nymph? Is it recognizing a strike? Is it the drift? Is it how gentle or how hard you set the hook?

These are all valid questions. Every guide has their own opinions about which one is most important. But to me, there is only really one answer, it is always the drift.

Having a proper drift separates the pros from the rookies. I can attest to this. Even the wrong fly drifted properly will interest more fish. Better than the right fly, drifted terribly. This has proved to be true more often than not.

Is the cast and presentation important? Yes and no. A great cast is wasted if the drift is terrible. What is the point of throwing 50 feet of line across the current? It won’t work if you can’t get the fly to drift naturally.

When it comes to recognizing a strike, the drift still matters. A fast moving drift with tons of line in the water is near impossible to set the hook. If you’re “nymphing”, the strike indicator will never give you an honest read, a missed opportunity. If you’re throwing dries, a bad drift never will give your fly a natural, buggy look. You’ll miss another opportunity.

With all this said, how should you move ahead and always achieve a perfect drift? It is simple. Line management. keep these things in mind;

-High stick whenever you can. Alleviate a problem before it becomes a problem.

-Keep the line you’re casting within your comfort zone.

-Fish to the fish in-front of you. Your target isn’t always on the other side of the river.

-Drop the ego casting and get that fly in the water.

-Stop over mending. Do one or two quality big mends and stop messing around.

-Last of all, none of this applies if you’re ripping streamers.

Do me a solid. Please remember that the insects in the river move at the pace of the water they are in or on. Always copy nature.

Tight Lines

Glenn on the Fly