What happened to my drift?

[Rickb326]

I was fishing yesterday and I ran into a problem. I could not get my fly to drift. I tried to use the smallest amount of split shot and I tried without any split shot. The fly just seemed to sit there. Please give me some solutions or at least things to try.

 

[boychick]

What kind of water were you fishing? This can happen in the pockets behind a bolder or in an eddie if the current is just swiriling in a slow tight circle. When that happens in those kinds of locations, just let it sit you might get a stike. Sort of like letting a swung fly hang in the current at the end of the swing.

 

[jeremymcon]

I've had this happen in really slow water too. One thing you can do to get your fly to move is intentionally add a little forward drag. George Daniels calls it a "tension loop". Basically you just mend your line downstream and hope that the tension from the loop will drag your fly downstream.

It also helps to shorten the distance from your indicator (if you're using one) a little so that the fly doesn't actually touch the bottom of the stream. That way it can move easier. Not sure how that effects your presentation, though... Just know I've done it to get the fly to actually drift.

 

[pcray1231]

Happens to me on occasion. If fish are rising in slow water, cast accurately and let it sit.

Occasionally it works, especially if fish are in a no holds barred frenzy. More often, a fish comes up and stares down the fly for about 2 minutes before refusing it. That's when I I realize that it ain't gonna work, too much time to inspect, and if you impart any sort of movement it's drag and it doubly ain't gonna work!

You then convince yourself that those fish in the frog water are difficult right now. You MOVE, and look for current. Spend your time in the areas with the highest probability of success. Someday, after a rain, the water that has a little current today will be an unfishable torrent, and that frog water will have a nice, fishable gentle current. That's when those dang fish will get what's comin to them!!!!

The key to catching fish is picking battles that you can win!