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www.ontarioangler.com
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 Techniques
and Tactics for Small Stream Fly Fishing
by Dave Barrett Fly Fish Ontario -
www.flyfishontario.ca
Looking to hit some small streams or creeks this
season? The effort you put into understanding
how to fish creeks and small streams will pay
off directly in your success with fishing these
areas.
Most of the small streams we have in Ontario see
far less pressure than the larger, open rivers
we have. Casting, accessibility and frustration
probably play a large role in why these streams
see so little action from fly fishers.
Generally, these streams will be about 15 feet
wide at their widest; they will have terribly
overgrown banks and plenty of log jams to hang
up on. It takes several trips and many, many
lost flies to perfect your ability to fish these
streams successfully.
In fishing these streams, you’ll find that
traditional fly casting is virtually impossible,
so DON’T do it!! I can’t stress that enough. Do
not cast like you would when fishing larger
rivers. Instead, there are a couple of tricks
you can master to make fishing these streams a
success.
Initially, I like to place myself upstream of
potential lies, rather than downstream of them.
You have to be sneaky with this approach. Use
extra caution when manoeuvring through the
stream to prevent muddying up the areas
downstream of where you are. Move slowly and
deliberately. Next, strip out some line, and
gradually send your fly downstream, peeling more
line out as the fly drifts downstream with the
current. Point your rod tip down and gently
shake your free line into the current, which
will pull the line downstream. Twitching the
fly, as well as raising and lowering your rod
tip will give the fly some extra motion in its
drift. Guide the fly down current seams, through
pocket water, along undercut banks, and most
importantly...straight into log jams! That’s
right, with a
little practice and patience; you’ll be able to
drift your offering straight into a log jam
without hanging up every time. Sure, you’ll go
through your fair share of flies in practicing
this technique, but you will develop the
necessary skills to perform the manoeuvre
without losing a fly and spooking the hole every
time.
Another simple method is dappling. Dappling is
similar to High Stick Nymphing, except you have
the option of tossing a dry fly around using
this method. To begin, position yourself in the
stream facing either upstream or down, depending
on where you’d like to place your fly. The trick
is to have just enough line out to deal with the
pocket or riffle you want to tackle. Gently
raise your rod, and place the fly ever so gently
where you’d like the drift to begin. If using a
nymph, twitch the fly around a little as you
allow it to settle in a pocket where you think a
trout is waiting for a meal. Gently raise and
lower your rod while adding the twitching action
to mimic a struggling fly or emerging fly. When
using a dry, allow the fly to settle on the
surface, and gently twitch and bounce the fly in
an attempt to tantalize what lies below the
water’s surface.
The equipment you want to use on these tiny
streams is far different from what you’d likely
use on larger rivers. Sure, you could take your
10 foot 7 wt in there, but you’ll likely find
more frustration than fish! I like to take along
my 8 foot 4wt for these missions. Partly because
of the unique situation that these streams
present, where light tackle is far better, and
partly because a trophy fish in these streams
will likely be no larger than 16 inches,” and
rarely over a couple of pounds or so. Light
tackle makes fighting these tiny gems more
enjoyable, as opposed to using a heavier 6 or 7
wt and simply lifting the fish straight out of
the water once hooked. I tend to stick with 6x
or 7x as my tippet, coupled with a heavier
leader in the 6 to 8 pound range. Leaders do not
need to be overly long at all. A 5 or 6 foot
leader with 1 or 2 feet of tippet material added
on should be sufficient for these types of
streams.
Productive flies for small stream fishing are
plentiful, and you will likely find a couple
that suit you just fine after you’ve had a
chance to play around out there a little bit.
Some of my flies of choice, and some that you
should consider starting out with are listed
below:
•Nymphs
* Bead Head Hares Ear
* Phesant Tail
* March Brown
* Small Stonefly
•Dries
* Wulff Patterns
* Elk Hair Caddis
* Any high floating, high visibility hair wing
dry fly patterns
•Micro Streamers (try to 'match
the hatch' so to speak - mimic resident species)
* Wooley Buggers
* Clouser Minnows
* Zonkers
So, there you have it. Small Stream fly fishing
techniques simplified. Get out, and get
practicing. One last note fish every inch of any
particular lie before moving on. Be sure you
have covered every single inch of water!
Dave Barrett -
Fly Fish Ontario
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