Ask MidCurrent: How Do I Make Wet Flies “Skitter” on the Surface?

By keeping the fly line off the water, you’ll reduce the drag that causes a wet fly to slip beneath the surface. Photo: Charles Hildick-Smith

Question: How do I make wet flies “skitter” on the surface?
—Jim from Warren, PA (via the Ask MidCurrent form)

Answer: While most anglers think of wet flies as subsurface offerings—the word “wet” is a dead giveaway—fishing these patterns on the surface can be remarkably effective. This approach bridges the gap between traditional wet-fly techniques and dry-fly fishing, and it can be the key to hooking up when trout are active near the surface but reluctant to commit to high-floating patterns.

A wet fly fished on the surface can be fished either on a dead drift or with some action. Since Jim’s question is specifically about “skittering” wet flies, let’s focus on those methods that involve action. When your wet fly creates a subtle wake or disturbance on the surface it can imitate emerging insects struggling to break free from their nymphal shucks or crippled adults failing to take flight. This is a great technique to use in low light (dawn and dusk), on overcast days, or anytime when trout are “bulging” the surface or producing subtle rises.

Twitch or Wake?

Since most wet flies are specifically designed to sink beneath the surface, you need to rig a little differently to keep the fly on top. Use a 9-foot tapered leader with a slightly heavier tippet than you’d choose for dry flies (3X-5X is ideal), as the heavier tippet material won’t sink as quickly. Any standard wet-fly pattern without added weight can be pressed into service as an impromptu surface fly, but those wet flies with slender bodies and a lot of hackle will work best. Simply treat the fly with floatant (I prefer a silicone-based gel) or desiccant powder to enhance its buoyancy.

Cast across the current or across-and-downstream, and try to keep as much of the fly line off the water as possible. High-stick whenever possible, which will keep the fly floating longer. Once the fly is floating you can either make it skitter by wiggling your rod tip, which gives the appearance of a struggling insect, or allow the line to come tight so the fly skates across the current below you.

To impart action to your wet fly, hold your rod tip high and as the fly drifts downstream and starts to swing, make short, sharp wiggles with your rod tip. This should make the fly skitter on the surface. There’s a little bit of trial and error involved here, as you learn how much wiggling is too much, causing your fly to dart below the surface. Experiment, as well, with alternating wiggles and short periods of dead drift. This accurately mimics how real insects struggle on the water.

To skate the fly, cast quartering downstream, again keeping as much fly line off the water as possible. Keep your rod tip high and pointed at the fly, following its path across the current. Don’t pick up the fly to early, as trout will often chase it across and slam it right at the end of the swing. Let the fly hang directly below you for at least five seconds; you’ll be surprised by how often a trout will hit the fly at this moment.

In pocket water—boulder-strewn stretches of smaller streams—high-sticking is also the technique of choice. Identify promising holding water, and use available structure to break your silhouette. A relatively short cast followed by an rod-tip-high position minimizes line contact with the current, allowing for a drag-free drift. Impart lifelike action to your fly by wiggling your rod tip.

Track the drift carefully, and at the completion of your presentation, you have two options: recast immediately or allow the current to submerge the fly, initiating a traditional subsurface swing. I’ve found this approach particularly deadly when fishing gentle currents moving at walking pace or slower. When confronted with selective trout that appear to be feeding in the upper water column, this floating-to-sunken transition can be your secret weapon. Fish that refuse the surface presentation will often commit aggressively once the fly begins its underwater swing.

The Riffling Hitch

An old-school technique that originally developed on the Atlantic salmon rivers of the Canadian Maritimes, the riffling hitch can be adapted to smaller wet flies. It all starts with the “hitch” itself. Tie your wet fly to the tippet with a standard improved clinch knot. Next, throw a couple half hitches over the hook eye and around the shank. This will cause the tippet to come off the fly at an angle, which cause the the fly to skate on its side across the surface, creating a V-wake that can trigger aggressive strikes. By adjusting the position the hitch and which way the tippet comes off the fly, you can change the movement of the fly on the water.

Cast across and slightly downstream, and immediately mend upstream to create tension. Allow the fly to swing across the current while maintaining a tight line. The riffling hitch will force the fly to skate and create a pronounced wake on the surface.

From upper left: traditional Starling Softie Spider, Soft Hackle, and Floating Wet. Photos: Umpqua

Dry Wet Flies

There are a few patterns—such as Umpqua’s Floating Wet, designed especially for this kind of presentation, but most unweighted wet flies can be fished on the surface. The “legs” of Soft-Hackles and Spider Patterns help keep the flies floating and pulse with life and create subtle disturbances when drawn across the surface.

The subtle wake and surface disturbance created by these methods often trigger instinctive strikes when conventional approaches fail. By mastering these specialized rigging techniques, you’ll add powerful methods to your angling arsenal.

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