Get Your Fly Into That Difficult Lie.

Fishing Tip. Have you ever come to the edge of the river and seen some likely looking water but no easy way to get a nymph out to the lies that you are looking at. Consider the above photo. There is nothing but annoying willows in the way of the back cast. There are snags in front and to the immediate right of where I can stand which is a platform of about a square metre. I can’t stand to the left or to the right because the water is too deep. I can, however, retreat back to the shore should I get hooked up. Landing a fish here will be difficult but not impossible. If you look down the direction of the rod you will see that I have spotted a small pool between snags that is just out from the bank. The aim is to cast the weighted nymph set up into this pool on the back cast and then pluck it from the water like a slingshot on the forward cast at the same time twisting my wrist to send the nymphs out into the feed zone.

With practice you can cast a long line (if required), and become very accurate. This method is very useful when roll casting isn’t really practical with a lot of snags close by where your nymphs will get caught on. It is basically a reach cast but you are plucking your weighted nymphs off the water. You are not disturbing the fish by this action as the disruption to the water is well away from the “feeding fish zone” that you are targeting. Now a fish is on and you have to land it but that’s another story. It pays to have a plan in place here before you start fishing. Remember, failing to plan is planning to fail.

Tight lines, Brian Willson NZPFGA member. 021-667867 – ILFF Shop Turangi.