Fly Fishing: Fundamentals of Streamer Fishing

Producer: Gunnar Brammer

This video aims to highlight the base line fundamentals of streamer fishing with a fly rod.

First and foremost is line control – by placing the fly line immediately under the fore fingers of the rod hand, you create a closed system with all line management happening “in the background”, thus reducing room for errors and lack of control when a fish strikes.

Second is the position of your rod tip when streamer fishing. When a rod tip is high above the water, and likewise when a rod tip is not inline with your fly line (laterally) slack is introduced into the system reducing the effectiveness of your hook setting potential. By always keeping a low rod tip, and chasing your line laterally with your rod, you minimize the slack within the system and will result in more sensitivity and better hook ups!

Third is retrieves: both the Strip and Jerk Strip. The beauty of the Strip retrieve is that it is by far the simplest and also puts the angler in the best position to set the hook (both strip setting, and rod sweeping). The Jerk Strip is a more complex movement yet by transitioning from line to rod tip as the source of the movement it often results in a fly with more life and nuance imparted into it. The Jerk Strip however is better suited for close range situations as the rod is the primary driver for setting the hook.

Lastly we look at the fighting mechanics of a fly rod, and using the rod butt to create the maximum leverage when fighting a fish. Placing the stress in the rod from cork to tip, and getting the fish to the net as quickly as possible!