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Dry Flies And The Two Handed Rod

9K views 21 replies 14 participants last post by  eriefisher 
#1 ·
Does anybody have any advice, websites, video etc. for using the two handed rod with dry flies? Anything in general or bombers for Atlantic salmon in particular.

Thanks, Leo.
 
#3 ·
Most people here (Atlantic Canada) with a single handed rod with the fly on the dangle, would make a few false cast to dry the fly and position the fly slightly up stream of the caster for the forward cast. Just wondering what cast and technique people use with a spey rod. They also try for a drag free drift as well. As I said, just curious what people do. Pretend I don't know how it's done with a single handed rod.

Leo
 
#5 ·
Most people here (Atlantic Canada) with a single handed rod with the fly on the dangle, would make a few false cast to dry the fly and position the fly slightly up stream of the caster for the forward cast. Just wondering what cast and technique people use with a spey rod. They also try for a drag free drift as well. As I said, just curious what people do. Pretend I don't know how it's done with a single handed rod.

Leo
Leo the thing about fishing a dry or bomber fly with a two had rod is keeping that fly dry. You have to overhead cast to dry that fly. A Spey cast using a water anchor keeps the fly wet. Everyone I see with a two hand rod fishing bugs are overhead casting. Otherwise you only have seconds to strike a fish dry.
Pierre

That is what Im experiencing so far. A false cast or two to shake the water off. Stripping line as soon as the fly hits the water (when shooting), and "popping" it with the rod - keeps the fly on the surface until the back taper is back at the tip-top where I can exert more control (by far) over the fly. I can do this at greater distance with spey rods (and spey lines) than with a single-hand outfit.

Natural based waterproofing wax help a bunch. Any of those that do not contain harsh chemicals or petroleum-based additives only - please.

Vic.
 
#4 ·
Leo the thing about fishing a dry or bomber fly with a two had rod is keeping that fly dry. You have to overhead cast to dry that fly. A Spey cast using a water anchor keeps the fly wet. Everyone I see with a two hand rod fishing bugs are overhead casting. Otherwise you only have seconds to strike a fish dry.
Pierre
 
#8 ·
Agree 100% with _WW_.

Allow yourself to succumb to the temptation of petrochemical dry flies. Have not had the pleasure of 2-handing to Atlantics but 2-handing for trout with dries works like a charm.

The drifts for flowing water dry fly presentations to trout are much longer than the yard, yard and a half drifts typically used for Atlantics. If and when the wind kicks up like it often does in intermountain valley streams in the western cordillera, you will be happy to be fishing a 2-hander.

An occasional overhead cast can be helpful. Occasionally retrieving the dry fly and squeezing the water out of it between folds of your shirt helps too but I did the same when single-handing dry flies. An over-powered sustained anchor or single spey cast will dry the fly and put some S bends into the leader and tippet which helps assure a drag-free dead drift.

If I end up on the North Shore or in the Gaspé again, I would leave the single handers at home and fish dry 99% of the time. On occasion I would overhead cast in order to present the dry fly immediately out in front.

It is fun to hook a large acrobatic fish 70 to 90 feet out. It far more spectacular to hook a large acrobatic fish 10 to 15 feet in front of you.
 
#9 ·
Fishing dries for Salmon or Steelhead with a two hander this is what works for me.

Flies almost exclusively use deer or Elk and lots of floatant.
For the most part use Snake Roll and Single spey casts, for me the Snake roll seems to shed water better therefore the fly stays on the surface longer. When the fly no longer stays on the surface I perform a snap T making sure to get a real good snap the water sheds better than a number of overhead false casts.

I fish both dead drift and the swing but not always on the same cast, I also at times use a riffle hitch tied under the head of the fly but that is used primarily for swinging.

Good Luck.

Ian
 
#10 ·
I fish dead drifted bombers and dries with the two handers quite often for atlantics.
I've found airborne anchors work best for me. My goal is to lift the line off the water before the fly to avoid it being drowned and soaked by drag. It does help to have that extra reach with 15'+ rods. Lifting line, mending and false casting keep my flies dry. Moreso and longer than single handers would.
Here are a few bad videos I made for some friends on how I do it. A keen eye will see fish raised in each clip!







 
#21 ·
I fish dead drifted bombers and dries with the two handers quite often for atlantics.
I've found airborne anchors work best for me. My goal is to lift the line off the water before the fly to avoid it being drowned and soaked by drag. It does help to have that extra reach with 15'+ rods. Lifting line, mending and false casting keep my flies dry. Moreso and longer than single handers would.
Here are a few bad videos I made for some friends on how I do it. A keen eye will see fish raised in each clip!

https://youtu.be/nVuZdAEfqzc

https://youtu.be/oGzKOd-Tc_s

https://youtu.be/v1N3UT0mDcY

https://youtu.be/nVuZdAEfqzc
Fun thread ... !!!

This works for me as well for Summer Steelhead. Airborne anchor casts with a 14’0”/16’0” rod can be accomplished quite consistently with high rolled Snakes.

I personally prefer to use shorter Classic Speys (45/50 feet in length or long formula floating Scandi heads) on a light 15’0” 6/7 wt rod ... This assists in minimizing touch-down with the longer rod ... Keeping the fly “Dry"

I will often incorporate a dead drift over the targeted zone, with a high stick skitter or skate into the dangle <> Kind of a "teasing the cat” sort of thing.

We have (for example) a strong seasonal Salmon Fly hatch on the upper Rogue that will allow the angler to target, resident Rainbows, Cuttys and adult Steelhead in the same window.

This dead drift technique works very well presenting foam bodied, high hackled Salmon Fly patterns to these aggressively top water feeding fish.

I generally pre-floatant my bugs with several coatings the evening before.

... But in truth .. The drowned dry fly can also do equally as well at times ... !!!

Also ... Keep in mind that the “Spey Police “ will not arrest you for using two-handed overhead deliveries with the long rod ... In fact sometimes it is really your most logical delivery with dead drift dry fly presentations ... };^) ... !!!

Meiz
 
#13 ·
Gianni, you are a beast man !! Love the videos ... gave me the shakes too :hihi:

I'm a newbie when it comes to dead-drift dry fly presentations with a two hander, but I do much the same as hitcher and I find it works well. I will back up John when he mentions the longer stick helps, it certainly does help control the line and keep line off the water when needed.
Foam flies would help, but I have yet to try them dead-drifted. So far I've been successful with Bombers and Carter's Bugs.
Funny how I have yet to here of anyone trying Skittering or Skating with a two-hander. I have done this form of dry fly fishing with the two-hander on local steelhead and out east fooling salar. Heavily hackled Wulffs, Rat Faced MacDogal, Bivisibles and my favorite a Whiskey Sedge are extra fun on a two-hander. You need to really "grease up" the leader and apply a good dose of floatant. Start out like dead-drifting a dry, then hop and mend the line to see that ball of hackles skate and skitter across the surface. Takes are explosive :D:D


Mike
 
#17 ·
Think I'll try me a Carter's bug this summer.
A great choice, just make sure it's ugly :hihi:
That was the advice from one of the fishiest salmon dawgs that I know of :hihi:



That bug got me this last fall



While it's not a salmon, it was mixed up in a pool filled with salmon. The largest Brook Trout I ever landed.


Mike
 
#22 ·
I skate for steelhead quite often here but have yet to hook up this way. I have had a tonne of rolls and some vicious attacks but no hook up. It's funny because so many people say that steelhead won't take a dry fly here on my river. I know they're looking up.

Also recently came across this vid. It's long but it's overhead casting with a Meiser.

Dan

 
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