Peter Carty
1. Choice of equipment Rods, reels, fly lines, fly floatants, clothes, glasses, and other useful items.
Really, the rod you’re most comfortable with is the best one for you, but it’s best if it is appropriate for the task. For instance, taking a 3wt rod on a big river with big fish equates to taking a knife to a gun fight. Best to be on the heavy side than the light side. You can always use a longer leader to keep the heavy line away from the fish and still get reasonable presentation.
Reels should have a a good drag. I’m a firm believer in that and learn to use it and trust it.
Fly lines are best in earth tone colours for fishing in NZ. Maybe not so much in other countries, but I can’t help but wonder how many fish are Spooked by line flash….especially the bigger ones. There are so many line options out there these days, so choose one that is a “presentations” line….not something that’s designed to throw tungsten.
Any of the gel type float ants seem to do the job these days, but be careful to put it on the appropriate part of the fly i.e. only on the front part of an emerged pattern. Also, foam flies need floatant.
Dress in “earthy” clothing. Like with fly lines, stack the deck in your favour.
Polaroid Sunglasses….by the best you can afford. Copper is a good all around lens colour for both bright and dull days.
2. Personally, I like to use a 9ft, 2X tapered leader with a tippet ring on the end and I build things from there with fluorocarbon according to the situation. If I’m fishing a large Cicada pattern, I’ll simply attach 3ft of 3X tippet. General dry fly fishing with #10 to #14 flies, I cut the 3X back to about 1ft and add 3ft of 4X. If the fish are on smaller flies, I’ll usually have a lighter, say 4wt, which will have a 9ft 4X tapered leader, tippet ring and 5ft of 5X.Usually in Monofilament, I use a Clinch or improved Clinch knot, but for the last few years, I’ve tended to use the 16/20 knot in Fluorocarbon. Use whatever knots you have confidence in.
3. Here in NZ, your most successful approach will be from below the fish. Move quietly and slowly. It’s that simple.
4. There’s no substitute for experience here. Hopefully when we’re dry fly fishing, we’ll be seeing rise forms and that makes it easy 😀 When blind fishing with a dry, the edges of the currant will produce more fish than the white water. Think like a fish….I want the most food with minimum effort and don’t forget to check out the shallow water.When the fish are focused on Terrestrials, they’re more likely to be around vegetation, so that’s where to look. When the water temperature heats up, check out the more “rippley”, higher oxygenated water.
5. Fly fishing is fly casting, so the better caster you are, the better fisherman you’ll become. Accuracy is probably the most important thing in catching fish. Putting the fly in the right place first time increases your odds dramatically. Presenting your fly dead drift is pretty much essential with a dry, slack line casts such as the wiggle cast are well worth practicing, as are reach casts (to both sides). Then you have to recognise when to use them before you make the cast. Refusals on a dry fly are usually caused by drag. The fact that the fish lifted to your fly means there’s nothing wrong with the pattern and the reason he turned away is usually drag.
6. I feel it’s best not to over complicate this aspect off it. If there’s size 14 grey Mayflies coming off, a size 14 Blue Dun or Adams will do the job. Same applies to Caddis. If you can hear Cicadas, use them. If there’s Lace Moths (Passion Vine Hoppers etc) crawling all over you…guess what. Use your eyes. Willow grubs are a funny one. Anglers love saying “I had to go to a #20 Willow Grub and they still wouldn’t take it”. In reality, a Willow Grub when it hatches out of the bumps on a willow leaf is about a size 14.Cobwebs are a good source of information as to what’s been happening too. Backwaters and Eddie’s hold clues too. If they’re full of Spinners, guess what the fish are probably rising to. Mayflies flying out of the grass and bushes and landing on the water is not a hatch, it’s a Spinner fall and throwing every emerges in creation at them will be an exercise in futility. Observation is the key.
7. Yes, but this again comes with experience. Just the head appearing and the fly disappearing is usually taking the adult. A head and tail rise is usually an Emerger take. The head appearing and taking several flies at once is often Spent Spinners. A splashy rise around dark is usually Caddis. At Cicada time here, a rise to them can vary from an almost imperceptible sip to a toilet flush. Be ready for anything. When the Trout are taking Lace Moth, it’s usually a “plippy “ rise. If you see it you’ll know what I mean.
8. See question 6 😂 I carry 7 fly boxes in my vest to cover everything….hopefully. A selection of adult Mayfly and Caddis in various colours is essential. Parachute flies in the same colours too. Most people like to fish Parachutes because they can see them. These flies are so versatile. Because they sit so low in the water, they “crossover” as Emergers and Spinners. Some of your adult patterns should be tied “western style” i.e. Wulffs, so they are visible in choppy water. In calmer water, CDC patterns are at their best, and are fun to play with.When the “big bugs” are about, Foam and Deer Hair flies come into their own to add floatation. These flies don’t so much sit on top of the water, but in it to a degree. When the fish are homed in on these things, something with the approximate silhouette will usually get a favourable reaction. Same applies to smaller Terrestrial insects. You want them floating in the water, rather than on it like an adult Mayfly. These things aren’t supposed to be in the water, so the don’t float very well.Just carry to many flies so you’ve got every situation covered.Favourite fly? The one I have confidence in.
9. Once you have assessed the situation, make the appropriate cast. Look at your position. Is it the best place to fish from? This is rarely from directly behind the fish. It’s more preferable to be to one side, so the fly line and heavier part of the leader are away from the fish. Directly opposite or slightly upstream would de ideal to fix this problem, but around here, the fish has usually seen you and bolted.I don’t as a rule like to cast to far ahead of a fish with a dry. The longer it’s on the water, the more chance of the dreaded drag. Usually 2ft ahead is plenty….with a slack line cast just in case.
10. In NZ, predominantly upstream. Of course if I see a fish feeding below me that I can’t get behind, I’ll throw a slack line cast and drift my fly down to it. That’s not very often. In the evening and a Caddis hatch starts, I’ll skate a Caddis pattern downstream.
11. That’s a tough one. They’re all individuals and you never really know what the hell they’re going to do. Keep as direct a contact as you can i.e. your fly line off the water so you reduce drag. Keep them out of the fast water as best you can. When they’re below you, keep the rod angled towards your bank. You don’t need them on the other side of the river. Use side strap when the fish are reasonably close. This is a close quarters tactic and won’t have the desired effect with 3/4 of your fly line out. Use a reel with a good drag and learn to use it with confidence.