Wet Fly Fishing

Now that we realize how important underwater aquatic insects are to trout, let’s go back to our wet fly fishing—with an added respect for our wet flies and nymphs. In the early years of wet fly fishing, three flies were used on each leader. In
modern fly fishing, most wet fly anglers now use only one. Some use two flies. I prefer using only one fly because it casts better and, in my experience, catches just as many trout as a two or three fly cast. Again, snelled flies used to be the rule but have given way now to eyed flies tied directly to the leader. These may be either turned-up or turned-down eyed flies. Both are good. For use with a spinner or spoon, straight eyed flies are best.

WET FLY LEADERS
For wet fly fishing a tapered leader, running from .015″ to .009″ (1X) in diameter, is about right. A 7 foot leader is a good length for early spring fishing with the water between 50° and 55° F. In very clear water, using nymphs or “exact imitation” flies, a longer leader-9 ft. to 12 ft. tapered to 2X or 3X—is better.

NATURAL DRIFT METHOD
There are two kinds of wet fly casting. One is called the natural drift, or dead fly, method—the other the live fly, or action, method. In the natural drift variety, you cast up-stream or up-and-across the current and let the fly drift back, without imparting any other movement to it. This is the way a natural nymph or larva or adult fly would float down a trout stream.
Natural Drift Method
Certainly this is the most natural way to fish a fly. It is also the most successful method for “educated trout”—those streams that are fished over a lot. In low and clear water, this method has an added advantage.

ACTION METHOD
The action, or live fly, technique bases its appeal on two things. First, fish can see action quicker than anything else. Second, it is probable that a moving wet fly looks like a small minnow to the trout.

Because of refraction of light rays at the surface of water, a minnow probably is seen by trout in rainbow (or spectrum) colors. Most fancy type flies (those not direct imitations of natural flies) are brightly colored. It is these brightly colored fancy flies that are more commonly used in action or live fly methods of wet fly fishing. This would seem to bear out the theory that wet flies moved against the current look like small minnows to the trout.

COMBINATION METHOD
In many situations, I use a combination of these two methods. I described a standard stream set up of this sort in my suggestions on live bait fishing. The same principles apply to wet fly. You cast up stream and across at a 45 degree angle, let your fly sink and drift down with the current, in a natural drift, to a 45 degree angle down-stream. Pause at this “hot spot” (where many strikes occur) and begin giving action to the fly by gently raising and lowering the tip or by shortening and lengthening the line with the left hand. Work the fly in this way until it has drifted straight below you in the current, then jiggle it there a few times and gradually retrieve the fly by shortening line until it is about 20 feet from you, At this point pick up the leader and fly quietly from the surface of the water, so as not to frighten any trout that may be watching, and make your next cast. As a wet fly has to sink to be most effective, don’t make more false casts than necessary when using a wet fly or nymph. Of course, don’t oil the fly or leader. Also lower the rod tip and keep it low during the retrieve.