09-27-2011, 07:29 PM
Some pretty good advise. I do a lot very similar and some a little different. I use the 3 tactics you mention but frequently rely on a 4th when I spot a fish upstream. I cast upstream and instead of a dead drift I'll tight line it and direct the streamer downstream. You should be able to land the majority of fish you spot with this technique with a little practice. I try to sight fish as much as possible no matter what type of fly I'm using because I enjoy it more.
My other differences are that I use no tippet. It serves no purpose with streamers if your leader isn't visible. I use fluorocarbon leader usually up to 9 ft. I frequently use about 4-6 ft of leader on smaller streams. I prefer weighted bead head streamers to using shot. I use a 3-5 wt typically just depending on the size of the stream and the size of the fish.
And don't forget that after swinging them through a hole you can frequently get strikes while bringing your line back in so don't just bring it in as quick as possible.
For trout fishing in rivers my experience is that every streamer works well when properly fished. If you're getting more little fish hooked than to your liking then move up to a larger streamer.
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My other differences are that I use no tippet. It serves no purpose with streamers if your leader isn't visible. I use fluorocarbon leader usually up to 9 ft. I frequently use about 4-6 ft of leader on smaller streams. I prefer weighted bead head streamers to using shot. I use a 3-5 wt typically just depending on the size of the stream and the size of the fish.
And don't forget that after swinging them through a hole you can frequently get strikes while bringing your line back in so don't just bring it in as quick as possible.
For trout fishing in rivers my experience is that every streamer works well when properly fished. If you're getting more little fish hooked than to your liking then move up to a larger streamer.
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