Hooked on presentationn Nov. 2002

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Date: December 21, 2002 at 17:03:40
From: ken, [pool-64-223-39-246.prov.east.verizon.net]
Subject: Hooked on presentationn Nov. 2002

There are three articles that may help on the archives section of the site - Clam worm fundamentals, Surf fishing techniques and In the drift (Mending.) The dead drift, as almost any way of presentation other than cast and strip is called in many places along the Mid Atlantic, is often a misnomer. There is a presentation that is a dead drift and you are familiar with it being a trout fisherman. In the ocean most animals are capable of moving in the water unlike dry flies which move down in the current tongue they are sitting or standing on. In trout fishing, not moving the fly is often a real concern in the salt it is not as critical. When mending it really is often an asset to your presentation to move the fly when you mend. It makes the critter look alive. Not moving it also works. What is important is to bring the fly to the fish in it's feeding lane where it is holding waiting for food to come. I point my rod down the line and keep my tip close to the water and "mend," to keep loops caused by drag to be eliminated and the connection straight as I can. I also do not let my line leave the tip at an acute angle but always try to have it as straight a connection as I can. I push the rod forward like a fencing sword to pick up slack and I also feed line into the drift to keep the fly swimming in the current lane I want it to be in when it goes over the fish. When you do this and keep everything tight and right up to, but not past, the point of moving the fly you play this tension but do not pull the fly across the current like you would if you were stripping it in.
You can do that stripping and it works but there are other options like feeding line and letting the fly be carried down or holding line and making the fly stop and do a wet fly swing. By holding the tension and mending to keep the line straight to the fly or with a little hook if you are greased lining you will feel every hit as a change in tension and by pulling slightly with the line hand the tension will increase. It is very easy to feel this change of tension and hits are seldom as hard as they are when you are moving the fly through the water and having the fish chase it. You do develop a sixth sense and you also can tell when the fly is fishing just right by the tension of the current on the line. A dead drift is simple as you know and the mends you do in salt water can move the fly and you can keep a touch of tension on the fly when doing it. Just keep your mending strong and lift the line by using the surface tension and the tension from the current to load your rod and use that force (back pressure)to place your line where you want it. Little fresh water flips don't do the job because of the distances you have to mend in big water. You have to load the rod and place the line down where you want it. You do want to feel the line and keep the line as straight as you can or at least under your control. The fish interrupt that feel and you will recognize the change in pressure easily but you will have to learn to act on it even if it is hardly there. Tighten and sweep set.

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