CDC wing steelhead caddis

Right you are John,
A spey application of Harling is also an effective ploy for a wading angler to take a position upstream from primo water and to make a narrow angle, 10 to 20 degree degree presentation above the sweet spot and perform a series of swings back and forth with the fly.

You lead the fly with your rod tip, moving it towards the downstream bank that you are wading above as you would do normally. You then let the fly hover at the end of the swing on the dangle briefly while giving it a twitch or shiver while current causes it to rise to the surface. Make sure that you hold a 3 foot loop of slack line and have your reels drag at a minimal resistance setting, I prefer mine in free spool, to allow the fish to hook itself when it takes on the dangle.

Instead of picking up the fly for another cast, you reverse course and lead the fly back towards the deeper water where you had cast. The fly now swings back in the reverse direction and presents its colour profile, action, and silhouette from the opposite direction and at a different angle, speed or depth.

This forgotten technique has many applications for spey angling. I recommend it to my sports when sight fishing to a salmon or steelie, and to cover the primo down stream shallow water on an inside bend of a run or pool. Repeated casting and kicking up silt while wading will disturb your quarry here. Instead of stepping down, you peel off 2 or 3 feet of line and harl the fly stealthy down stream.

This is an excellent tactic for fishing inaccessible or treacherous currents in rock gardens. I also recommend Harling a run or pool to deal with changing light conditions or when fishing a fly to salmonoids that are positioned and facing upstream into the glare of a rising or setting sun. Low clear water conditions will draw spooky fish into shallow running sparkle water where Harling from 80 feet upstream will stealthy present a skater or riffling micro tube over them. I also use this ploy on a follower or on a missed taker and it’s even worked on a fish that’s been stung by the hook. When my bar tab is on the line, and I graciously invite my buddy start off, this is my “money presentation” when following downstream.On beaten water, this will show a shy salmon or steelie an interesting alternative. A stale Springer is like a jaded woman, they both appreciate a new line.

As John advised previously, the technique was developed so that a fly could be presented over prime waters from the safety, comfort and ease of an arm chair in a row boat. I utilize my anchored raft or salmon canoe , especially with my senior anglers, to fish over difficult or deeper midstream lies. I also use my 21 foot Lund with wind anchors for Harling while drifting over the vast expanse of the Niagara Bar or at the “tail-out” of the Soo Rapids.

Harling can be performed on trout or salmon with any rod but it is particularly suited to longer spey rods with their added reach. Alexander Grant’s Far and Fine Off style of speying adopted Harling principals. The allure of the fly from different angles, in conjunction with an emphasis of time on target over likely lies, proved to be an “eee fish ent” manner of speying.

Regards from the Restigouche....Jim