The Drift Of Dry Flies

                   I want to fish dry flies, but...  

Everytime I put a hopper-dropper on my line, the fish takes

the dropper!  It is almost like someone is telling me that I was meant to be a nymph fly fisherman.  I have fellow fly fishers tell me that I should fish dries....... and fish them 24-7......  Is that what fly fishing is really all about?  Is it true that our fly fishing ancestors only had in mind "dry fly" fishing when they first concocted this crazy sport?   It's not like the act of catching large, dripping trout by drifting a small hand-tied bug on the surface into a mouth the size of a two-car garage doesn't do it for me... It's the precision and accuracy that is involved that has me flustered.  Hence, I have caught only a handful of fish on the dry fly in my 3+ years on the water.

What is funny to me is that fly fishing is all wonderful, but truth be told, almost everyone secretly holds on to the hope that the mother-of-all hatches is going to occur during their time on the river. This will naturally translate to rising fish everywhere.   I love the active hatch bringing up trout to snif the dry and drop down and take the nymph!  = )

   

The truth is that for the "dry fly only" fishermen... it's dry or die.  It is engrained into their souls... it is where fly fishing starts and where it ends.   Now, when I talk about dry fly fishing, I'm talking about spotting a catchable feeding fish, casting to that fish and fooling him into to eating your offering.  At times, I will play the game.  It is a game of dedication, of patience, and perseverance.   You have to have these qualities to be a "dry fly only" cat.  It's the truth.  Are you a "DFO"?   I will probably never be one, but still would like to add the dry fly to my bag of tricks.  

Here are some of the hard truths about dry fly fishing:

• When you are a DFO, you probably have higher success when you limit your fishing to times of year and time of day when there are rising fish or the prospect of them occurring looms large.  The time of day that risers are most likely to occur may be the butt-crack of dawn, or the last 5 minutes before dark, or it may happen around the lunch hour if you pass on going to the car for lunch.  = )
• Being in the right place at the right time is essential but also is no guarantee.  As I have seen repeatedly this year on the Provo and the Weber,  some days the bugs  just don't happen, or we'd have bugs and the fish would not get on them.  Sun, wind, weeds, angling pressure, and non-angler pressure are all factors you have no control over. Your two choices are to work around the issue or not. Sometimes picking a better day is the only option.  Most of the hard-core dry fly folks I know live here or near a similar river and have a very bountiful access to it in terms of time.  They fish a lot and are on the river a lot. 

• The fish won't always eat what you just spent 50 bucks on in the fly shop to feed them.  Regardless of what the shop's website or blog said, sometimes fish will not eat the "hot fly".    Not even the Crystal Dip!!  (My new go-to midge)  It is often times more about the presentation than the fly itself.  There, I've said it.  I know my weakness.  I can drift a nymph under water, but drifting on top... ha!   Some guys can catch fish on dang near anything because it is presented properly.  

• For some folks, fly fishing is something they do maybe 4 to 10 days  a year.  My guess is the average hard-core local is on the water 4 to 10 days (oops...me!) a month.  Not all of that time is spent dry fly fishing obviously, but valuable time is spent getting to know your fly rod.  You know, that  expensive tool you use to do all of this.  Yes, I'm talking about casting skill.  (Something that I need to acquire more of)  Dry fly fishing pretty much starts and ends with the ability of the angler to deliver the fly to the fish.  You are not born with it.  You cannot purchase it.  You cannot tie it on the end of a fly line. You cannot realistically consider yourself a "dry fly" guy/gal without it.  But with practice you can develop it.  And that my friends,  is the secret.  PRACTICE! 

     Someday it will happen for me... I know that.  I won't always be a nymphing "sloth"!!   Yes, it is easy to get into that "comfort zone"...

 

Those nails do need to be trimmed a bit!

What does this all mean?  Dry fly fishing is most definitely worth the effort but one needs to keep things in perspective. Most of the serious dry fly guys and gals that I know have moved beyond their fish-whacking days. They have experienced the big number days and now are truly and honestly content with the pursuit of a good fish and treasure the moments and time spent doing so. They understand what needs to fall into place for banner dry fly fishing to happen and cherish it when it occurs. They are honest to the core when they say for them there is no such thing as a bad day of fishing.  Ask your local guide if this is true!!

So do people nymph because they are too impatient to dry fly fish?  Maybe for me.   But catching fish will do that and you can't stick the genie back in the bottle.........