Going Up or Going Down?

[Scruffy_Fly]

What do you like better Fishing Up stream or Fishing Downstream?
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[flygoddess]

I would say "Where the Fish are" but that is too easy.
I guess I prefer up, but I also like straight across and drift down with a slow retrieve. I Probably do the across more than anything, but I also like fishing under bridges.
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[macfly55]

I have always been told/under the impression that the best way is to cast upstream and let it drift back down.. I have cast downsteam but found that extra pull on the line annoying and confusing.. but then recently FG explained the "S" move while handling your line downstream..

.. Ill have to experiment more when I get on the water.. :-)

MacFly
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[Scruffy_Fly]

I guess I prefer up, but I also like straight across and drift down with a slow retrieve. I Probably do the across more than anything, but I also like fishing under bridges.
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I did not do a good job on defining my meaning but just assuming everyone would get my "drift". As you fish you can walk up stream or walk down stream. Then that leads you to tend to cast in the direction you are going.

I much prefer casting up stream. I seem to be able to get a good drift easier and longer when casting up stream. On small streams I find it easier to get the excess line to lay over the top of rocks and along the edge where it will not impede the drift. I also can sometimes pull the line off the rocks at the right time to extend a drift.

But dang, when you are on those really brushy banked small streams it gets tiring to wade upstream against the current all day. So when I start getting tired I will walk around the Willows and walk up stream aways. Then bulldog my way through the brambles back to the stream. Then wade down stream with the current fishing as I go.
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[Scruffy_Fly]

When fishing down stream throwing S curves helps keep a drift going but only for a short while. Once in a while that short drift helps. You are fishing down stream and have a good drift going with those S curves then all of a sudden the slack goes out of the line. The floating caddis suddenly starts swinging towards the fast current. The waves in the current causes the fly to start bouncing on the current. Sudden a small rainbow leaps out of the water chasing that bouncing fly. Seems to work best on those 3 or 4 ft deep plunge pools on smaller streams. Small Rainbows have a tendency to like that action.
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[Scruffy_Fly]

[quote flygoddess].... but I also like fishing under bridges.[/quote]

Boy, I am always thinking that under the bridge has gut 2 B n xcellint place to cast. I keep trying but I have not had that much success under a bridge.

Twice now I have been sue prized that I did not break the tip of my Scott Rod when I wacked da bridge gurda's.
It is just so darn ez to forget where you are and though it seems like that bridge is way above you it just ain't that high up there.
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[tailgrabber]

I find myself casting upstream more frequently but am catching more of my fish on the downstream part of my drift. Almost all strikes occour at the very end of the downstream drift, just as the fly changes speed and direction.
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[Scruffy_Fly]

I catch a number of fish that way but not most of my fish. Not with dry flies but with nymphs.
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[Dryrod]

[font "Arial Narrow"][#008000][size 4][cool]Hey there tailgrabber - you bring up an interesting point about catching fish at the end of the drift. I had that experience once when all of my catches were caught at or near the end of the drift. In this picture I was standing at the white X and casting about 3/4s to the flow to #1 and was getting the hits [Cutts] at about #2. Note it was the seam that proved most productive. The location was on the Snake about a mile below the tail water from Jackson Lake, Wy. BTW my friend likes visuals.[][/size][/#008000][/font]
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[Scruffy_Fly]

Wow, I just had an epephany. .....

All my fish were caught at the end of the drift.
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[macfly55]

what friend.. and btw.. videos would be better.. [laugh]

MacFly [cool]
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[flygoddess]

For those of you who rent Netflix, check out "Streamer Fishing For Trophy Trout" by Kelly Galloup.
This is rivers by the way. Opened my eyes, I have always said you don't need big flies to catch big fish and on occasion have proved that, but Kelly doesn't use anything under 2 1/2" long and explains why, but it makes SENSE! And DryRod he mentions big fish in 2' to 6' of water as you did in an earlier post.
This is must see D.V.D!
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[Dryrod]

[font "Arial Narrow"][#008000][size 4][cool]Rented that flick last May. Just great. So far I have seen 18 of the FFishing DVDs that Netflix has available. Just between us mice I download the DVDs to my external drive so that I always have them available for reference and a rerun. Rather watch those reruns versus the garbage on TV.[] Hey there FGD when is your DVD going to hit the market? So far only two ladies have DVDs or were part of one. Maggie Merriman & Wendy Gunn.[/size][/#008000][/font]
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[Scruffy_Fly]

This podcast of he did for Fly Fish Internet Radio talks about the big streams.

I bet watching the movie and listening to the podcast would be a great two tickets.

[url "http://www.askaboutflyfishing.com/speakers/kelly/kelly.cfm"]http://www.askaboutflyfishing.com/speakers/kelly/kelly.cfm[/url]
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[Scruffy_Fly]

[font "Arial Narrow"][#008000][size 4]Hey there FGD when is your DVD going to hit the market? So far only two ladies have DVDs or were part of one. Maggie Merriman & Wendy Gunn.[/size][/#008000][/font]
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Your probably are leaving out a couple of others such as the patriarch of flyfisher women, Joan Wulff. But she will be in rarified company for sure.
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[Dryrod]

[font "Arial Narrow"][#008000][size 4][cool]Oh I know that there are many other great fly fishing ladies however, I was referring to those that are featured in DVDs carried by Netflix.[/size][/#008000][/font]
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[Dryrod]

[quote Scruffy_Fly]This podcast of he did for Fly Fish Internet Radio talks about the big streams.
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[cool] [font "Arial Narrow"][#008000][size 4]I download these eposodes so that I can play them in my car. They are about 1½ hours in length.

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