Downstream Dries: Give 'Em Some Slack

There are some situations where the only way to offer a drag-free presentation to trout is with a downstream drift. Deep, unwadable pools and runs with complex currents are examples. Morgan Lyle looks at the technique of fishing dry flies downstream, and though the idea is nothing new, he does suggest several reasons why those stuck on “up-and-across” presentations ought to consider a downstream drift. “When casting upstream, the fly starts coming back to you the moment it alights on the water. If your best cast is 50 feet, that’s all the water you can cover. Downstream, on the other hand, you could theoretically let your fly drift for the combined length of your line and backing, although you’d have a devil of a time detecting the strike and setting the hook 500 feet away.” On DailyGazette.com.