06-01-2012, 03:24 AM
I fish a lot of small streams. Many of them are jungles that only allow short lob, swing, or flip casts.
I experimented with just attaching a short length of tippet to the fly line in order to be able to have enough fly line out in order to cast. It worked ok, but it was very hard not to line or spook the fish.
Since then I have gone to a short furled leader. It can be cast by itself. It makes a world of difference on the small streams. The key is that since it can be cast by itself so easily, it doesn't matter that I don't have room to get much fly line out. I can cast and flip the furled leader with great control, and I spook fewer fish.
Another necessity for me on small streams is knee pads. They really save wear and tear on the waders and on my knees! Harbor Freight frequently them on sale.
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I experimented with just attaching a short length of tippet to the fly line in order to be able to have enough fly line out in order to cast. It worked ok, but it was very hard not to line or spook the fish.
Since then I have gone to a short furled leader. It can be cast by itself. It makes a world of difference on the small streams. The key is that since it can be cast by itself so easily, it doesn't matter that I don't have room to get much fly line out. I can cast and flip the furled leader with great control, and I spook fewer fish.
Another necessity for me on small streams is knee pads. They really save wear and tear on the waders and on my knees! Harbor Freight frequently them on sale.
[signature]