When the dead drift took over as a popular approach to fly fishing, the path of navigation through trout streams began to change. While early fly rod tactics focused on swinging wet flies, modern fly fishing styles present dry flies, nymphs and often streamers from downstream to upstream, with drifts that attempt a simulation of what real trout foods do in the water.
For the majority of our tactics, fishing upstream is the best way to present the flies. And sometimes it’s the only way to get the preferred drift.
So too, working upstream allows for stealth. The angler becomes the hunter. With a close, targeted approach to smaller zones, we get great drifts in rhythm, one at a time.
READ: Troutbitten | Get Short And Effective Drifts With Your Fly
READ: Troutbitten | The Downstream Fisher Yields to the Upstream Fisher
Spook Few | Catch More
I grew up casting spinning rigs on small streams no wider than a two lane highway. There were plentiful undercuts and fallen logs at every turn. As these freestone streams carved through the mountains, some side channels dried up. Others stole the main flow from their sisters and grew into the main channel after a season of floodwaters and recessions.
I credit my uncle for teaching me all that is now ingrained within me about trout fishing. We waded upstream through creeks and streams — not because it was easiest, but because it was the best approach. Now, regardless of a river’s size, these principles remain the same.
“Don’t wade above them. The trout will see you,” I was told. And early on, I understood that a trout faces upstream, or always into the current. By processing that fact, I was stunned by how close I could approach a trout. As long as I remained behind the fish and didn’t push waves, they didn’t spook — even when highlighted by the shining sun.
This is truly the guiding principle for trout fishing: A scared trout never eats.
So an angler’s success always starts with this primary tenet: Don’t spook ‘em.
READ: Troutbitten | The Spooky Trout — Find Their Blind Spot
Photo by Josh Darling
Because trout are facing upstream, it’s pretty hard to argue against the logic of approaching from behind. Yes, trout have a wide blind spot, similar to you and me. And although they can’t see nearly as far ahead as we do up here in the atmosphere, they’re still more sensitive to what is ahead than what is behind.
Of course working downstream toward the trout can work. But it requires more distance from the fish. And then, the approach becomes less accurate, less targeted and less effective. Longer casts require more work and more false casting. And those inefficiencies rob us of good fishing.
READ: Troutbitten | False Casting is a Waste of Time
Dead Drift?
In large part, what the trout eats drifts with the current and not against it. Bugs and crustaceans hold one current seam, and they don’t swim across the flow with much aptitude. What the trout eats is most often small and weak of ability to swim far or fast, relative to the size of the trout and the river. Even the strongest swimmers of the bug family generally bumble along with the current, waiting to find the next rock and hoping not to be eaten. (Okay, they don’t hope.)
Likewise, baitfish do a lot less darting around than most anglers seem to imagine. They spend their day holding in an area and perhaps relocating a few feet with glides and drifts. Surely, when threatened, a baitfish swims hard and fast away from the threat. But even then, a baitfish uses the current to their advantage, escaping with the flow (head pointed with the current) rather than fighting against the current. Think about it.
Now, consider the dead drift. The term is thrown around too generally, these days. Because there’s drifting — mostly going with the current. And then there’s dead drifting — going along with the current perfectly, just as something dead would make progress downstream. Good dead drifts don’t cross seams. Instead, they hold one lane. Watch an autumn leaf take a trip on the river’s surface someday. Now that’s a great dead drift.
A dead drift is at the mercy of the current. It’s path is dictated by the river, and not by tension to your line, to your rod tip or indicator.
READ: Troutbitten | Get a Good Drift — Then Move On
Old Guys and Idiots
Yeah, it’s a little harsh. And it’s really unfair. But it was the reply from my friend, Jeff, as we stood on a sunny bridge and stared downstream at the backside of another angler. He was wading downstream, in low, clear water, fishing something on a swing that he was casting at a forty-five. As Jeff had passed him on route to meet me at the bridge, they’d exchanged hellos, and Jeff had asked the stranger what he was fishing.
“Just dead drifting my nymphs,” was the reply.
“Jeff,” I said, watching the futility of the angler as he spooked every trout within a hundred feet and dragged his flies unnaturally, “what kind of people do this?”
Without hesitation, and without breaking his gaze of curiosity and pity for the fisherman, Jeff replied, “Old guys and idiots, Dom.”
Being now closer to old than young, I suppose, I might take umbrage to that statement. But it’s hard to offend me, especially if there’s a lot of truth involved.
Fishing, and fly fishing in particular, is a sport that most seem to learn by watching others. There’s a rich tradition of swinging wet flies in fly fishing. And it works — sometimes and if done with considerable nuance beyond just swingin’ flies. So I think plenty of fly anglers have watched someone swing wets, tied on whatever fly came out of the box and then started swinging it.
Of course, dries and nymphs need a dead drift more often than not, and even streamers catch more trout by imitating a natural presentation.
READ: Troutbitten | Natural vs Attractive Presentations
So let’s not say old guys, but rather . . . misguided traditionalists. And let us not say idiots, but change that affront to . . . fishers who are unlearned or simple in their technical approach. (This is the twenty-first century, after all, and people are easily wounded by such challenges.)
The fact is, swinging flies downstream works within a limited range of flies and situations.
Dry flies downstream? Okay. Sometimes, with a parachute cast, it’s a fair approach. Streamers on the swing? Sure. Now see if they’ll eat it instead of just chasing it.
Remember, everything works sometimes.
But by and large, the bulk of good fly fishing for trout happens while working upstream — especially when the goal is a dead drift.
Yes, I fully expect to be crucified by some excellent anglers who walk with the currents. But read the preceding paragraph again if you’re mad at me.
Photo by Josh Darling
Hooking and Fighting
Here’s a final point, and another great argument for working upstream.
When we hook a trout on the upstream side rather than downstream, we set the hook back into the trout. On the contrary, if a fish eats downstream of our position, the best we can do is pull sideways (bankside) and hope the fly sets sideways into the trout. More often, even with our best efforts, the hook pulls away from the trout and upstream. A good hookset is simply more difficult while fishing downstream.
When the hook does find a firm grip, the downstream angler is at a remarkable disadvantage in the fight. The current is working for the trout instead of against it. And the angler feels the pressure not only of the fish, but also the current pushing on that fish.
There’s no doubt the best place to fight a fish in the river is upstream. Good anglers who find a trout downstream of their position often run downstream to change angles on the fish.
READ: Troutbitten | Fight Big Fish Upstream
So an upstream approach to fishing puts the angler in the best chance to land the fish from the beginning.
Do It
Work upstream through the river. Make it your default approach.
Then there are times you might deviate. I fish downstream at night a good bit. When floating, most of my casts are downstream of the boat or beside it. And there are times when I wade downstream and fish long swings with a wet fly or streamer — because that’s what turns the fish on that day.
But those situations are the exception to the rule. Because great dead drifts happen by casting upstream. And because we fish cleaner and spook fewer trout by approaching from behind.
Fish hard, friends.
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Enjoy the day.
Domenick Swentosky
T R O U T B I T T E N
domenick@troutbitten.com
One disadvantage to a downstream approach is that the wade angler will inevitably disturb the stream bottom, sending plumes of silt and debris downstream that can put fish on high alert or send them fleeing.
Right on.
“So let’s not say old guys, but rather . . . misguided traditionalists. And let us not say idiots, but change that affront to . . . fishers who are unlearned or simple in their technical approach.” Absolute truth! Just celebrated my 82nd birthday. Added tight line nymphing to my 70 plus years of fly fishing 2 years ago. Your article is exceptional and helps all fly fishers become more successful by understanding their intended target. The analogy to hunting is great.
Cheers, Pat.
No crucifixion, but…I have caught many a beauty casting tiny dries downstream when that was the only accessible option for a continually rising trout. The advantage is obvious, they’re not seeing a leader or fly line in front of their food. When approached with stealth, distance, and slack, a downstream cast can be a very viable option. A well-timed hookset helps. Of course, I’m 67 years old, so I may just be full of it, right?
“I’m 67 years old, so I may just be full of it, right?”
Certainly not. And that experience gives you a lot of ideas about how to get the next great cast.
I agree about wading downstream when it’s your best or only angle. As I wrote, sometimes, with a parachute cast, it’s a fair approach.
You said, “The advantage is obvious, they’re not seeing a leader or fly line in front of their food.”
But we can also present the fly and land the leader so that mono does not drift over the trout while we fish upstream too. I think most of us are trying for that look as a default. Granted, it can be easier with a parachute cast downstream.
Everything work sometimes . . .
Cheers.
Dom
Hard to argue against the logic of working upstream. My challenge is moving upstream without making too much noise in the water. Even going in slow motion creates waves and “sloshing”. How do you deal with this? Thanks!
Hi Roger,
I suggest skipping that kind of water. The water you describe is quite slow. If you’re pushing waves ahead, even while wading slowly, then it’s a pretty slow flat or long pool. I choose to either move on to water that I can wade more effectively or I stay out of the water. If I must wade that kind of water, then I just do it with more caution, and coming behind them is still the better angle.
Cheers.
Dom
So maybe that old idiot already walked and fished upstream and is now heading back down stream towards his car. And maybe he is fishing a streamer and just told that young punk he was dead drifting.
Definitely maybe. I’ll tell Jeff.
Cheers.
Dom
Dominick, lot of good stuff, especially for the youngins and a few of us old farts. I especially like your subtle beer “message”. Have you ever had the pleasure of drinking that on tap. No comparison bottle vs draft.
Not yet. But I’m on the lookout.
Sorry, can’t go along with this one entirely…. I fish very heavily fished rivers in my area and I fish down stream with soft hackles about 80% of the time…If I spook every fish within a 100 feet and spoil the water for everyone else, how do I ever catch 50 fish in a day working down the river.. then often then nymph my way back upstream and catch plenty more…I agree, fishing dries and tight lining will be more productive often fishing up… but not all the time… for everyone…on every river….
Hi Ron,
Didn’t say you spook every fish within a hundred feet. Just gave an example of a guy who was in one situation.
Glad you catch 50 and plenty more.
Everything works sometimes.
— “But by and large, the bulk of good fly fishing for trout happens while working upstream — especially when the goal is a dead drift.”
That’s true.
Thanks for reading and for the comment.
Cheers.
Dom
For dry fly fishing perhaps it depends on the water. In the Catskills especially for the wild trout on the East or West Branch of the Delaware, I’m a novice, multiple guides in person and blogs have told me it’s a downstream [casting] fishery. Long 12 foot leaders and 40+ feet casts required on runs and pools. It’s been explained it’s so the spooky trout see the fly first.
Everywhere else I’ve only done dry fly casts upstream.
Hi Mike.
I’ve never bought intob the last about showering this fish the fly first.
First, we can do that quite well from a downstream and to the side angle, if it seems important to keep the leader aware from them.
But second, I believe trout just aren’t leader shy. Even in the most placid pools, slack tippet passing over the trout does not matter. .
Cheers.
Dom
100%
Not leader shy at all – just drag shy!
Right on.
From above, “fly first” is also “tail first” which is not how duns are positioned when floating downstream. This may or may not matter at all to most feeding trout but there probably are times when matching the proper position/profile/silhouette just might make the difference.
Mike, I have fished the UD system for many years and casting downstream with long leaders and long casts to rising fish is the standard approach for guides floating in drift boats and the vast majority of wade anglers too. They need those long casts because they can’t get close to trout that are facing them. Happy trout on the UD are no more spooky than happy trout anywhere – unless you try and get close from above – hence it has become an accepted “fact” that it is the only way to fish to rising trout on the EW, EB, or MS. If you fish to rising fish from close-and-below, you will get quite an assortment of looks from the guides who think you are spooking fish. Keep in mind there are many unproven “truisms” in this sport and more BS than in Kansas feedlot (credit to LK).
Agree with all that.
I’ll also just say, one more time, that I acknowledge working downstream is a good way to approach some scenarios. I wrote it above and in these comments. So we’re talking about the exceptions, and that’s cool. But the article is about the general rule — what’s the default approach? And I believe it’s upstream.
Dom
Rick and Dom
Thanks for the expert discussion!It really helps a Catskill novice like myself understand proper approaches to dry fly casting on that water.
From my angle, I can’t say that anyone is much of an expert in fishing. I mean that. I don’t know anyone who routinely puts it together, day after day,over multiple tactics. Lots of days, the fish win. Anyone who claims otherwise, I suspect, as ego issues and fibs a bit. 🙂
Dom
Dom
There are experts in specialized areas; fly fishers for example who have, “comprehensive and authoritative knowledge and skills in a particular area”.
You certainly qualify as an expert at fishing the Mono-Rig; a tough day does nothing to diminish your knowledge and skills because there are variables well beyond your control.
I have not met any overtly, self-proclaimed experts on the stream but definitely a few blowhards who act like it.
Mike,
I am a DFO guy who fishes the UD regularly, but nothing remotely close to an expert. But I do have a few words of advice that I wish someone had told me when I first started on the UD system.
Blanket hatches with dozens of happy, surface feeding trout are extremely rare, especially for wade anglers who don’t get the benefit of floating miles of water.
Predicting hatches is impossible; just fish a lot and you will eventually hit some good ones.
The vast majority of time will be spent hunting for solitary fish, which more often than not, rise intermittently with no discernable pattern. The one-and -done risers are worth a few casts then move on.
Keep on the move, the more water you cover searching the better.
Don’t flail away endlessly. Your casting should match the pace of feeding; three casts per rise is a good rule.
The majority of “rises” you see are not noses/heads feeding on mayfly duns. Way more in the film/under the film eats of mayfly nymphs and emergers. Parachutes, Comparaduns, and Klinkhammers are good choices for dry fly style.
When in doubt, try a #16 rusty spinner.
Regardless of time of year, always fish at dusk and into the dark.
Learn your bugs using books and careful observation; note just how delicate they are and make sure your flies match size, shape, and posture. Standard hatch charts don’t always match what you’ll find on these cold tailwaters, especially close to the dams.
On a scale of 0 to 10, the importance of a drag free drift rates 1,000! As your casting improves move to long (12′ to 16′) leaders, 5X max.
The UD system is extremely challenging for even experienced anglers; do not get discouraged as it will take years of persistence to catch fish consistently. The UD is not a numbers game, a really good day for a DIY wade angler might be 4 – 6 fish. Have no expectations other than fishing hard and continued improvement – there are lessons to be learned from every outing, even the skunks.
Have the mindset of a hunter; no one ever asks them how many deer they got after a day out!
Rick
Ah abbreviations.
I get UD, WB, EB, and MS but what’s DFO?
Dry Fly Only
On rivers and mid-size streams I often fish upstream using dries if fish are rising, or nymphs if they’re not. Then I go back downstream fishing a small streamer or a pair of wet flies or emergers. Best of both worlds.
On small brooks I agree that working just upstream is the way too go.
Hi Charlie. I like it. I do that a lot in the winter time as well. Upstream with dead drifts, then fish back downstream, faster, to fish streamers a bit.
Dom