Tips: Feed The Mend

Water is filled with power. Immense potential just waiting to get the kinetic party started. To be frank, it scares me. It always has, despite my love of being around it, and has created a healthy respect. Sometimes the power is hard to see, especially on calm waters. But, try forcing that water through unyielding canyon walls or down into cascading craggy pockets. The frothing foam begins to resemble the seething slobber of an angry pitbull.

Physics makes a better friend than enemy. We fishermen deal with physics on a regular basis, even if we aren't aware of it. Forces and energy are always at work, heeded or not. Setting the hook too abruptly can rip the hook from a fish's mouth. Not setting hard enough won't transfer enough force to drive the hook into place. Pulling too hard can break tippets, bend hooks, and even snap rods. Wading upriver against the force of the water is a chore, if not impossible in some situations. Learning to befriend and work with the physics at work is a great way to become a better angler. Understanding the mechanics of casting, setting the hook, and using the rod to fight the fish will result in saved gear and more fish landed.

So much of fly fishing is conceptualization. Often artists picture an image in their mind before even taking a single brush stroke. On top of that, learning to use their brushes allows them to better bring their mental creations into existence.

Casting, mending, setting the hook, and fighting fish are only few aspects of our art, but visualizing the underlying mechanics and then learning to work with them adds to the result and beauty of the whole experience.

It is said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result. If that is the case, there are a lot of insane fishermen out there. The problem is, we learn by trial and error. Unfortunately, it is easy to develop a "working" technique that does enough to catch some fish, which causes us to become complacent and unwilling to stretch. It always comes back to the 80/20 (80% of the fish are caught by 20% of the anglers).  The real satisfaction comes when we work for it, and that means practice and trying to understand the underlying theory. This doesn't mean we have to go fishing all the time. It just means that we explore and improve in the time we have. Who knows, you might find yourself catching more and better fish because of it.

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Feed the Mend
 
Casting is hungry work. What better way to satiate that hunger than to feed the mend. Mending is part of the casting process, often done just after the initial cast, but other times done simultaneously. The idea is to keep the fly in the optimal zone as long as possible once the cast places it there. Mending prolongs the presentation. It takes practice and can be quite frustrating at times. Different lines and rods mend differently. Wind or fast moving water can add to the struggle.


There may be a more technical or regularly used term for this tip, but since I learned the principle through experience I will refer to it as "feeding the mend." This applies to the mend that is done post initial cast.

Picture yourself having just made a diagonal cast upstream to begin the drift. A second after the current grabs the line and begins hustling it down river is when most guys throw in a first mend. Once the line is straight in front of the angler or just a bit downriver from him is when the second mend is often placed. In both instances, a common problem we run into is that by mending the fly/indicator/line is pulled from it's prime landing spot. So how to fix this? Feed the mend.

It's a simple trick really, and maybe most people do it already, but I was slow to catch on. The idea is that as the line is pulled up and rolled over for the mend, you let some additional line out. It has to happen as the mend is occurring though, mid-mend if you will.  This will allow the mend to occur by taking line from you, rather than pulling the fly-tipped end back and out of the zone.  I usually let my line go as I mend so it can take as much as it needs.  The extra line you let out can quickly be recovered as the drift continues, allowing you to retain your hook-setablity.  Applying this simple little tip will let your nymph or dry or even swung streamer to stay in place far longer, which will result in more hookups. It takes practice, but is well worth the effort. Give it a try.

Tips: Movement

Movement is a principle of life. Stagnation yields disease and decay. Movement means growth, organization, improvement, productivity, and cleansing. As it is in life, so also in fly fishing.

"How long can rolling waters remain impure? What power shall stay the heavens? As well might man stretch forth his puny arm to stop the Missouri river in its decreed course, or to turn it up stream, as to hinder the Almighty..."

D&C 121:33

Tips: Movement

A little movement can mean the difference between a good day on the water, and a great day. Sometimes the difference comes from what is moved, sometimes it is in how a thing is moved, and at other times it is in how long the movement lasts. Whether it's the fisherman or the fly, motion can be a game changer.

Streamers: When fishing a streamer it never hurts to consider what the fish might be taking it as.  Does it look like a baitfish? Perhaps a large leech? These questions are good to consider because they may change how you move the fly, if you are moving it at all.  Leeches wiggle, shrink, expand, and pulse through the water column.  As a fly, this would result in smaller movements, pauses between strips, where the fly covers less distance, but may still be repeatedly abrupt or jerky. A baitfish is more likely to dart or have a continuous swimming movement. One of the big differences is from the amount of water they cover. An injured baitfish may fall to the river bottom only to dart back up into the water column.  One of my favorite retrieves when fishing a baitfish streamer is a short fast strip, followed by a longer slower strip, and then a moments pause.  This approach has coaxed many otherwise unwilling fish to bite, making them think that their potential meal would be easy-pickings. Trying different stripping techniques is a quick and easy way to switch up our approach and worth trying before we switch to another fly or move to another run.

Nymphs: When fishing a nymph we often think that a smooth, unaffected drift is best. I think this idea results from an issue dealing with depth and bite detection. Whenever we mend our line in a way that our indicator moves, it lifts our flies out of the sweet spot, requiring more time on the drift for the flies to sink back into the zone.  Good mending usually helps us avoid pulling our flies too much out of the zone, but we often miss out on an aspect that could increase our catching; the movement. To add movement to an indicator/nymph rig the answer is found in adding more weight either to the fly or to the line.  This allows us to twitch the indicator intermittently, causing our flies to dance, all the while still allowing our flies to stay deep in the zone. Adding movement can be especially beneficial when fishing a hatch where bugs are emerging or fishing nymphs that resemble a leech, baitfish, or crayfish. If you aren't using an indicator, you may already know how deadly a slow stripped tandem nymph rig can be. Swinging soft hackles is another effective approach.  With a single handed rod and floating line, an upstream cast, with a generous amount of line/slack, allows the flies to sink down and run lower in the water column. Then when your line reaches the end of the drift and comes tight, the flies that sank on the drift, rise in a "hatching" motion. The takes are usually aggressive.

Dries: Nothing looks more delicious to a hungry surface-feeding trout than a struggling terrestrial. Now, this does not mean skating a mayfly, though that technique slays with caddis. In most cases though, the drag-free drift is the way to go with dries. But just because you are keeping it drag-free doesn't mean you can't make that chubby shimmy. Ants, hoppers, mayflies, spiders, wasps, beetles, bees, and many other topwater tasties struggle once they find themselves stuck in a watery mire. Little twitches can conjure up the unwilling trout, much like the right movement with a streamer will do. Indeed, two anglers can fish the same water with the same fly, but one can outcatch other other 3:1, and this is usually their secret to success.  Adding movement to dries seems to be easiest with larger, more bouyant patterns like hoppers, chubbies, salmonflies, and caddis, but does not need to be restricted to them.  The trick is to make the fly have movement, but not move the fly a great distance in the water. Much easier said than done, but a worthy technique to master.

Fly Construction: Not all materials are created equal. This is a hard concept for many to accept. I hear ice dub has even made an appeal to the supreme court because hare's ear dub is claiming that ice dub is not natural. Rabbit strips say it won't go anywhere, and most saddle hackles don't want to get involved. I say, why can't they all accept their differences and get along. Together they could make a pretty sweet fly. All kidding aside, knowing what a given material does in the water can be helpful.  Some materials have inherent movement and require less work on the anglers part to make the fly look alive. Other materials require the angler to compensate. Some are better for a swinging fly, while others do better stationary or stripped in. Rabbit hair flairs out and pulsates with minimal added movement. Buck tail is more ridged and maintains a fuller body. Marabou feathers slick down and keep a narrow profile when in the water. Ice dub, as a synthetic, loops and has a brushy velcro effect that can catch on a trouts teeth. These are good things to be aware of because you know what your fly can do and what you need to do to help it look alive. Mixing different kinds of materials to construct a fly can also add or take away movement. A good example of this is Kelly Galloup's Sex Dungeon. The large deer hair head pushes water and, much like air pressure and airplane wings, creates a negative pressure behind the head. This results in a stationary head and an erratic swimming tail. Even if you do not tie your own flies, it doesn't hurt to understand something about how they are made. If nothing else, play with them in the water close enough to you that you can see how they act and react to your movements with the rod.

Two Flies: One thing I often do, which has helped improve my catching considerably, is to fish two flies at the same time. This is one technique that a lot of anglers avoid because of the extra hassles involved.  The reason I mention this in an article aimed at movement is that whenever a second fly is added, the attached line and dragging fly affect the lead fly. This can hinder hookups and movement on the first fly but can also make it look much more desirable. I'll often tie on a white trailer because it gets the fishes attention.  I honestly think that they see the white more easily, and then register that it is chasing another thing. In the spur of the moment this creates a momentary thought of scarcity for any fish seeing the chase. "If that little fish is focused on what is chasing it, it won't see me coming to chomp it from the side!" is what a fish might say. On a side note, I have also noticed that fishing a heavy lead fly and a weightless trailing fly lets me fish deeper but helps me avoid getting snags because the trailing fly helps pull the lead fly up away from the bottom. 

The Angler: Sometimes we linger when we should move to fresh water, while at other times we walk right through what has the potential to be a productive lie. For this I have no great advice to give because it has mostly to do with preference and personal experience. I will say this though, when given the choice I usually choose to move.  If I move around and have not found success with what I expected to work, I then change up my tactics and cover the water again. Just don't give up too quick or you'll rob yourself of some good learning opportunities that will likely result in some stellar fishing.


With most things in life, moderation enriches. In your adventures with adding movement into your fishing, don't forget to pause every now and again.  Sometimes the fish want it slow or not moving at all. Sometimes we need to stop moving to appreciate what is right in front of us.  Sometimes we need to stop talking and start thinking. Sometimes we need to stop clogging our eardrums with noise and start listening to the beautiful and reverent sounds of creation.  Like any magnificent and moving arrangement of music, there's a tempo, there's notes, there's rests, and there's a rhythm. Good luck creating yours, and remember, sometimes a little movement makes all the difference.

Tips and Tactics: Fly Fishing Balloon Indicator Setup Made Easy

The Balloon Indicator Experience

Using a water balloon for an indicator is certainly not a common method.  The technique may sound laughable, novel, clown-like, or maybe even redneck.  Having fished mostly Thingamabobbers throughout my nymphing career, I was surprised with the first time I decided to give balloons a try.  They were more sensitive to bites.  I could see what was going on at the end of my line a bit better than with the traditional trapped air/grommet prototypes.  Balloons are lighter, which allows them to move around more easily within the water.  They are also more supple, which allows you to more easily identify whether your flies are running along the river bottom or being nibbled on by an unwary fish.

After my first experience with balloon indicators I noticed a couple drawbacks.  First of all, the traditional way to connect them to the line is to create a slipknot/loop in your leader and cinch it down next to the knot on the balloon.  (Previous Post About It) While this technique works, you cannot move your indicator back and forth without redoing the whole setup, which makes it hard to cover the water column effectively, and the knot kinks your leader quite a bit. Because of these two problems I decided to stick with the good old versatility and ease that Thingamabobbers provide.  At some point I even tried out some alternative balloon methods, like Depth Skru, but I was not very thrilled with the results.  The Depth Skru balloon setups seems like a good alternative, but when I actually fished them I found they were more of a hassle, especially in colder weather.  I decided balloons were just not meant to be in my indicator arsenal.  That was until a few months ago.

Eureka!

Recently a new indicator setup came to my attention.  I say new, but the concept has been around for quite some time now, though I only saw the advertising a few months ago.  It is the New Zealand Indicator setup, which is essentially small plastic tubing with yarn.  There is even a fancy tool for those willing to spend the money.  The following video shows how it works.



New Zealand Strike Indicator Tool from Barry Dombro on Vimeo.


After hearing about this setup something sparked in my mind.  I asked myself, why couldn't this be used with balloons?!  So I tracked down some 2mm plastic tubing, cut up some small pieces, dug out an old stash of water balloons, and hit the water to experiment.  And you know what, IT WORKED!  Since then I have been using the setup, with great results.

The How-To

The how-to is simple.  It is just how the New Zealand deal works, but with a water balloon instead.  Instead of using the fancy tool, I just pinch the line and slide the 4mm chunk of tubing over the line, I blow the balloon up to the desired size, tie it off, slide it through the loop in the line, cinch it down above the knot in the balloon, and nip off the section of balloon below the knot. Also, wetting the bottom of the balloon with your mouth or the river before inserting it can help the balloon slide into the plastic tubing and into place, but if you are too lazy for that the river and inertia will take care of it for you after a couple casts.

One other drawback about balloons is that they are harder to cast in the wind.  This is a result from their lighter weight.  With that in mind, know you can usually get away with a smaller size of indicator (as compared to the Thingamabobbers) because the balloons are lighter themselves.

Supplies

For the tubing, you can get some directly from SrikeIndicator.com, or you can get any 2mm pvc tubing you can find online.  The medical grade stuff only comes in bulk, but it is more flexible and tougher than the bracelet material.  Initially I cut the tubing off of a butterfly needle setup to test out the idea.  Since the medical tubing is more difficult to come by, and I'm too cheap to buy the "Official" stuff off the website, I looked for an alternative online.  I was able to get 5-6' of some lower grade plastic pvc tubing online for $6 from some person on ETSY that sells the stuff for bracelets and necklaces.  I cut up a bunch of 4mm sections and place them in a little plastic container with my balloons.  The medical grade stuff is better if you can find it, but the tubing I purchased from ETSY does the job just fine.

As for the balloons, they are easy to find online, and one bag will last a long time.  I prefer the orange and yellow balloons for most occasions. I recently purchased some more balloons from a seller on EBAY, and will edit this once I know how well they work.  I purchased some "clear" balloons from that same seller that I am hoping will be perfect for wary trout on small spring creeks.  We'll see how it works out.  Once I have the results from those outings I'll edit the info into this post.

POST EDIT: I have come to the conclusion that water balloons are the way to go.  The thinner latex works far better than the regular balloons.




A Couple Other Things To Consider

One other thing I noticed while fishing this setup is that if the balloon cinches down on your line at a weird angle, it will cause your line to spin/coil.  So if you notice your line getting twisted, just change the orientation of your balloon and re-cinch.  Also, when moving the setup back and forth on your leader, do so at a moderate speed, otherwise the friction on your leader will cut into your plastic tubing a bit.

Quick Comparison

Take it for what it's worth.  I'm no scientist, and these are not minutely controlled experiments.  Still the findings were interesting.  I took the same size of balloon/thingamabobber and compared them for buoyancy.  The balloon handled more weight than the thingamabobber.  Not a ton, but it still floated higher.  That showed me that one really can get away with a smaller indicator size with the balloon, when compared to the thingamabobber.  I used the same amount of weight on both and kept adding more in small amounts.  These pictures are what I noticed.

This pic is not a good example of how the balloon connects to the line with the tubing.  If you are doing it right, the balloon will slip down into the tubing.  If you are having trouble with it, you may need to tie your balloon a bit looser.

I am loving the setup.  It makes fishing a balloon extremely easy, just make sure to clean up the bottom part that gets nipped off, or any other balloon fragments if the balloon pops on you.  I still carry Thingamabobbers for backup, and will use them when I'm in a real hurry, but most of the time I'm clowning around with the balloons.  If you still prefer Thingamabobbers, you might consider this newer trick for avoiding kinked line.  It also makes it easier to move your Thingamabobber.

These are a few of the fish that were picked up while using the balloon setup, with many more to come.

Steelhead: Play To Your Strengths

Steelheading in the fall with a single handed fly rod is tricky business, at least it is on the Salmon River in Idaho.  It can be done, but there are precious few places where it is productive.  The fact is, the fish are in deep/fast water that requires a very quick sink rate and the fish hug the bottom.  In the spring when the fish have moved up into the skinnier water there isn't any reason to use a casting setup.  Fly fishing during those times is often more productive anyway.  During the fall, when the the fish are much lower in the river, a casting setup tends to me more productive.  You can fish more places and get deep down to where the fish like to stay.  For this reason I have not been after steelhead in the fall for the past couple of years.  I prefer to fly fish for them.

Shane had expressed some interest in a fall trip and we were both out of classes for the holiday.  The steelhead taste much better in the fall than in the spring, and I have been craving some since the last fall trip (rarely keep them in the spring).  We decided to make one of those crazy (read exhausting) there-and-back-in-a-day trips.  These trips are tiring because it is about a 4 hour drive (one way) to some of the better fishing locations.

We set sail around 10:30pm Tuesday evening.  The plan was to sleep in the truck once we arrived and fish all of Thanksgiving eve.  The roads were nice and clear on the way up, if you do not include the many deer and elk we encountered.  We arrived at almost 2a.m.  Having discussed the idea on the way there, we decided to try a bit of night fishing.  It was relaxing casting in the still of the night under a beautiful starry sky.  After a couple hours and not so much as a bump, we decided to get some sleep.  We kicked the carseats back and hunkered down for a couple hours of rest.  What felt like minutes later we found ourselves getting out of the truck and rerigging our lines.

There are really only two basic rigs that I would consider my go-to setups when using a casting rod for steelies.  I use P-Line CXX 10lb mono, a small piece of pencil lead with a hole punched in it, two swivels (one with and one without a snap), small hot orange corkie, small black curly tailed grub, size 4 Gamakatsu octopus hooks, and pink or orange troutbeads (with toothpicks).  I have tried roe many times, but I have little confidence in it, though it works really well for other anglers.  Plus I prefer to avoid the mess and maintenance of bait if possible.  The setup I use the most is to put the corkie and small black curly tailed grub as the lead, then follow it with a single orange trout bead.  The other setup is just two trout beads.  The top I use a pink and the trailer I use the orange (4mm beads).

The preferred setup

After rigging up we started zinging casts out across the river.  It has so far been a warm winter, and this was evident as the rain clouds slowly worked their way through the canyon.  We were sopping wet within the first hour.  Not too long into our fishing I felt that indescribable steelhead take, and set hard.  Half of the time these takes turn out to be the river bottom, but this was no rock as the heavy throbbing headshakes immediately comfirmed.  I had forgotten how hard they fight in the fall.  After a 5ish minute battle, Shane scooped the net around this dandy of a hatchery buck.  The stress of potential skunk was gone, and I felt the freedom to just fish the rest of the day.  It's amazing how liberating and relaxing landing that first fish can be, especially when steelheading. 

We kept fishing that hole for a couple more hours.  Shane was still trying to get the feel.  It was his first time using anything but a fly rod for steelhead.  We only landed one other fish in that place.  It was a nice wild buck that fought hard.  After a little while longer and no other fish we decided to move upstream.

At our third location we both managed a bit smaller hatchery hen.  The cool thing about Shane's was that he picked his up on his fly rod!  After fishing this spot for a while with no luck, he said "I'm going to try nymphing.  It's what I have confidence in."  The lower section of the hole was pretty deep water and after fishing it for a while I suggested he try the top of the hole where it was shallower before the hole drops off.  He moved up there and after only a handful of casts in the riffles he yelled, "Chris!"  I threw down my rod, picked up the net, and ran up to him.  We netted the bright hen, and though it wasn't the biggest fish of the trip, it was the coolest because it was taken on the fly.  He kept at it for a while, but only managed a small sucker.  We finally decided to move again.  The rest of the day we did more scouting than fishing.

Finally, as dusk was slowly setting in, we stopped at the last fishing location for the trip.  After a few casts on the spinning rod, Shane went back to his fly rod.  I decided to stick with the casting and kept working the opposite bank.  A large snow storm started moving our direction.  Things had cooled down quite a bit and the rain had turned to snow.  It was looking about time to call it a day.  Shane had headed back to the truck to take his waders off and get warm.  I kept telling myself, "one more cast."  It's crazy how far we push ourselves for the things we love to do.  It was now just barely light enough to make out the dark silhouette of things.  I told myself (in honesty this time) that I was making the last cast.  I decided to rocket it over to the known snag of the run, on the other bank (I had already sacrificed one whole setup to it).  I thought to myself, "who cares if I break off, it will save me the time of cutting everything off!"  The line whizzed in the darkness and I heard that characteristic "plunk" in the water.  A few moments into the drift there was a heavy take!  I thought I had snagged a squaw fish or sucker, but seconds after this thought crossed my mind the beauty of a steelhead flew out of the water.  By it's silhouette against the river I could tell it was a respectable fish.  I hollered at Shane for some net help, but he was comfortably in the truck by this point and could not hear the yell.  I picked up the net and proceeded to do my best at netting in the dark.  I pulled the fish to the bank and scooped with the other arm.  It was done.  I was in shock.  Last casts like that don't happen often, but what a great way to end the day.  I was so surprised with the whole thing that I didn't think to get a picture, but it was just as big as the other two dandies from earlier in the day.  A thick and healthy hatchery hen.

We made our way home slowly as the snow was now everywhere.  It was a fun trip and a great way to kick off the Thanksgiving break.  Shane and I are already trying to make it work for a trip back.  We are trying to think of the best way to make it happen with our fly rods.  These last few weeks of school are the busiest, so we'll see, but here's hoping.

The Wild Buck from our first spot.

There is something to be said about confidence and fishing.  They are two interconnected concepts when it comes to the sport.  Rarely is success found when they are separated.  Building confidence in a new approach to fishing can be quite frustrating, but if we stick it out the rewards are fantastic.  The more areas a fisherman can become proficient in, the better angler they become all around.  Fish are fish, and they do not change their behavior according to whether we have a casting, ice, spey, spinning, or fly rod in our hand. They couldn't care less.  So as the angler we ought not to ignore or criticize other methods as long as they are sporting.  I say play to your strengths, but do not be afraid to strengthen your weaknesses through trial and practice.  Enjoy various methods of fishing, and you will be a better fisherman all around.  I think of Jeff Currier as an excellent example here.  That man can catch fish anywhere and everywhere with about any method.  He gets fish and loves catching them, and he.... GASP......ice fishes too!  How cool would it be if we were all that chill, pun intended.  Enough of the soap box, here's the scenery shot.

A gnarly fire ripped through this area.  It seems to have mostly taken the smaller shrubs and grass in these areas, though some trees did not make it.

Tips: Missing fish? Get sensitive...

A Few Thoughts On Nymphing

Nymphing should be easy.  At least that is what the fly fishing world seems to hint.  I think it is true... that is once you "get it."  However, it can be a definite struggle to "get it."  It was for me at any rate.

When I first began nymphing my abilities were quite dismal.  I'm no pro, and Shane can outnymph me any day, (though I would dare to say he could outnymph anyone) but I am much better now than I was at the beginning.  Here are a couple lessons learned the hard way, and some simple tips.

Depth Is Key.  This I think is the biggest factor to understand when nymphing.  If you aren't right on or near the bottom, you won't be in the zone.  I had a tendency to fish either too shallow or too deep.  Nymphs naturally roll along the bottom of the water column, bouncing in and out of the cracks between rocks.  Sometimes fish pick the stationary bugs up off the bottom, but more often they take them as they drift downstream.

To get into the zone, the proper weight and leader/tippet length is essential.  Water current lifts line, and keeps it suspended more than most people think.  Too little weight and you will occasionally get an aggressive fish, but will miss far more chances than are possible.  Too much weight and you will constantly catch the bottom, keeping you from getting an effective and consistent drift.  Also, if your leader/tippet to indicator distance is too much, fish will be taking your fly and you won't have a clue.

One of the best ways to tell if you are in the zone is to watch your indicator.  If you can see it occasionally bump the bottom or drop down, you are in a good place.  The key word here is "occasionally."  If after multiple casts it doesn't do anything, you need to be deeper.  Either add a little more weight, or move your indicator up the leader.  Knowing which thing to do in which circumstances takes practice and experience, but they both have their places.  When in doubt reevaluate the water depth and add weight or length to your leader in very small increments.  The second way to tell if you are getting in the zone is if you are catching fish.  More often than not, you will catch fish, if you are getting in the zone, even if you aren't using the most effective fly.  If your indicator tanks on every cast you are too deep or have too much weight.  The more vertically your flies present, the more sensitive your indicator will be when a take occurs (think of a 90 degree angle with your indicator as the vertex).

Learn To Read An Indicator.  The second biggest struggle when improving your nymphing is knowing how to read what your indicator is doing.  This is much easier, once you get the idea of proper depth down because you will be setting less and hooking more.  The two main actions I see when using an indicator are a slow lazy sinking motion and an abrupt diving motion.  You can guess which is more likely to be a fish, however either can be a take.  Setting on everything is a good practice, but if you make multiple casts in a run and know right where that rock is that keeps taking the indicator down, you can give a light tug to keep it going while in the zone.  That may get you into the fish behind the rock that you would have missed with a full set taking you out of the zone.

Sometimes fish are suspended and feeding higher in the water column but this is more the exception than the rule.  These times are fun because you know when your indicator tanks it is always a fish.  Sometimes fishing shallow is the only way to avoid losing multiple flies, but you will almost always catch more fish when you go deeper.

Watch out for line drag.  It will always fool with your indicator and pull your flies away from the zone.  The longer you maintain a drag-free drift, the more likely your are to get a hookup.  If you have to mend (which is almost always essential) make it quick and do it right the first time.


Balloon Indicators Are Sensitive.  Using a small water balloon for an indicator is nothing new to the fly fishing world, but I thought re-mentioning its benefit wouldn't hurt.  If you keep missing fish, or are fairly certain you are in the zone but aren't recognizing bites, you might give this method a try.  You can see even the slightest bumps when using them, just try it and you will see.  One disadvantage to using them is that the method kinks up your leader pretty bad.  They can also pop if you have weak balloons.  Despite these potential cons, they can be a great go to when the fishing is tough due to a light bite.


Weight Types And Placement.  When fishing faster water, getting down deep requires weight.  Some guys prefer to put it into the fly, others prefer to use shot.  I do both.  When using a rubber-legs (or any other largeish imitation) I usually tie the weight into the fly.  When fishing smaller bugs, I often use shot.  Tungsten is an excellent way to get weight into smaller flies as well, just a bit more pricey.

When using shot, there are different ways to fish it.  Some put it above the lead fly.  Others place it between their lead and trailer flies.  When using an indicator I usually opt for the in-between flies approach.  However, when high-sticking or swinging I prefer to attach a very light section of tippet to the trailer fly, tie a simple overhand knot in the end and put a shot just above the knot.  I find I get fewer snags with this approach, and when I do get snagged it is usually on the shot.  It breaks free, I tie a new knot and add another shot.  If you are fishing a pretty "snaggy" run with an indicator, but still need to get down, this method can also be effective.  Another thing to note is that multiple smaller pieces of shot will give you less snags than one larger shot will.

Ultimately the "feel" that is so essential in fly fishing comes through experience, so get out there and try something new.