page_title: Dry fly fishing
section_title: Angling technique
hierarchical_section_title: Dry fly fishing / Angling technique
caption_attribution_description: Nymphing The Gardner River, Yellowstone National Park, September 2005
context_page_description: Dry fly fishing is an angling technique in which the lure is an artificial fly which floats on the surface of the water and does not get wet. Developed originally for trout fishing, it is sometimes regarded as the supreme fishing sport, owing to its difficulty in both manual dexterity and understanding of the fish in its environment.
context_section_description: Dry fly fishing uses a line and flies that float. They are joined by a fine 3 to 5 meters long leader, typically of  nylon monofilament line, which is tapered so that it is nearly invisible where the fly is knotted, and the angler can replace the last meter or so of nylon as required. 
  Most of a trout's food is carried to it on the current, so they tend to face upstream with their attention focused into the current. Trout fishermen therefore prefer to begin downstream of the fish's suspected lie and work upstream into the current. Trout can see a wide area around them, so the angler must stay not only downstream of the fish, but also as low to the ground and as far from the bank as possible, moving upstream with stealth.
  Trout tend to strike their food at current "edges", where faster- and slower-moving waters mix. Obstructions to the stream flow, such as large rocks or nearby pools, provide a "low energy" environment where fish sit and wait for food without expending much energy. Casting upstream to the edge of the slower water, the angler can see the fly land and drift slowly back downstream. 
  The fly should land softly, as if dropped onto the water, with the leader fully extended from the fly line.
  The challenge in stream fishing is to place the fly with deadly accuracy, within inches of a protective rock for instance, to mimic the behaviour of a real fly. When done properly, the fly appears to be just floating along in the current with a "perfect drift" as if not connected to the fly line. The angler must remain vigilant for the "take" in order to be ready to raise the rod tip and set the hook.
  Due to rivers having faster and slower currents often running side by side, the fly can overtake or be overtaken by the line, thus disturbing the fly's drift. Mending is a technique whereby one lifts and moves the part of the line that requires re-aligning with the fly's drift, thus extending the drag free drift. The mend can be upstream or downstream depending on the currents carrying the line or fly. To be effective, any mending of the fly line should not disturb the natural drift of the fly. Learning to mend is often much easier if the angler can see the fly.
  Unlike wet fly fishing, the "take" on a dry fly is visible, explosive and exciting. Right from the beginning, anglers often prefer dry fly fishing because of the relative ease of detecting a strike and the instant gratification of seeing a trout strike their fly. Nymph fishing may be more productive, but dry fly anglers can become addicted to the surface strike.
  Once a fish has been caught and landed, the fly may be wet and no longer float well. Flies can sometimes be dried by "false" casting back and forth in the air. With care, a small piece of reusable absorbent towel, an amadou patch or a Chamois leather may be used. A used dry fly which refuses to float may be replaced with another similar or identical fly while the original dries out more thoroughly, rotating through a set of flies. After drying a fly may need a fresh application of water-repellent fly "dressing" liquid.
caption: Fly fishing on the Gardner River in Yellowstone National Park, USA
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