Hey guys!- I was wondering about presenting dries....I normally will cast to where I generally want the fly and let it set for a short time and move it on to a new spot-this is generally when I can see the fish just under the surface moveing about. When I really feel the need I will sort of "skate" the fly across the top to create a tiny wake so as to coax the fish up. But a guy advised me I was all wrong and that I need only to cast the fly-let it set a second or two and cast again to a new spot.....I have caught plenty of fish so far with my method so it seems silly I even ask...but is my method ok? and are there any helpful presentations of which I should be aware? thanx-Jim(aka-bouface)

Skating a fly is okay in some instances like trying to duplicate a caddis dancin' on the water, bass and bluegill fishing, trying to do whatever it is that makes west coast steelhead hungry for a skating hair bug or, as big not-so-much-a-dummie suggests, if it works for you.
There are tons of us though who have spent our whole fly fishing life learning how to present a drag free drift. We mend, curve cast, grow extentions on our arms, get the softest tippet material and leaders possible and even cast on to boulders and tree's all for a few more drag free seconds.
I'm sure you'll do fine not worrying about that aspect of presentation but you might find your hit rate improving when you apply a drag free drifts in more than a few instances.

Drag free is the ticket (in most cases). The advise you recieved about constantly recasting the fly every few seconds sounds laborious. If the fish are mobile, then anything that helps you make a long drag free drift should be the goal. Just like fishing wets! I often think I've made a good presentation and the fish refuses, so I'll try from another angle and often get the fish on the first cast. Lesson I've learned is you can't always see micro drag. A few more observations; long leaders help promote bigger mends and longer drifts. Long tippets are a must if you want to combat micro drag. If you're working a small stream & short leader, fine, but try to keep the tippet long. I see lots of folk fail at getting good dry fly results because they were too lazy to replace a short tippet. A long "puddled up" tippet is better than a short one that drags. Another; Mono floats, flouro' doesn't. If you feel the need for more stealth try a lighter tippet. If you like flouro' try a "hybrid-tippet". Like...if you use a 30" tippet and want the advantages of flouro', use 20" of mono and knot a 10" segment of flouro' leading to the fly. 10"s won't sink a fly as badly as 30" will. Last tip; drifting the fly down stream to a fish is bad sport in Great Britain. Here in the US, it's deadly. Sorry to babble on... Hope I helped you.

is your method "ok?" sounds like it if you're catching them, but as another pointed out, many of us work tirelessly for a drag-free presentation.

interesting... just a few minutes ago, i was reading chapter two i think of labranche's the dry fly and fast water. he says he at one time followed the practice of casting a small amount of time and if no rise occurs, moving on. but then he experimented and found repeatedly casting can be a technique to raising fish from below who were not previously rising. you'll have to read the book, i might have missed something a bit, but you get the general idea.

also, btw, it sounds like you're fishing still water. is this the case? just curious.

as an aside, i've discovered, by pure unintentional accident of course, that if i can place the line over an exposed rock in fast water, it helps to keep the line off and gives extra drag free drift seconds for the slower water i target on the far side. interesting discovery.... kind of like someone standing motionless in the middle and holding the line off the water for me...

eric
fresno, ca.

>>even cast on to boulders and tree's all for a few more drag free seconds.<<

I agree with the other posts, as I think you are doing just fine. As for letting the dry fly sit for a couple of seconds before casting again, I guess it depends on where your fishing. For me personally I let the fly drift drag free for as long as I can become I pick-up my line and recast. Take-care!

I've kind of given up on the "drag-free" idea since it's soo... darn difficult to get it right. Why waste your time trying to fight the elements? Go with the flow! Let mayhem reign and keep catching fish with your "tiny wake" method, or, as in my case, "mother-of-all-disatrous-wakes" method

Seriously, you've found a method which works for you. Fine. Keep it up. Normally very useful in stillwaters, a bit more troublesome in moving, clear waters inhabited by spooky fish.

Thanx again guys!! To answer some of the replys above..a lot of my fishing is on still waters-and when I can it is on streams. the info about the drag free drift will help me out alot. again thanks alot-tight lines-n-all that stuff!!