The drag free drift -- a high percentage of the time, that’s what catches trout on top. So aiming for perfection on a dead drift sets the baseline. And if you get those great drifts, but they won’t eat it, try some animation. Think slight, small and subtle for those movements to the fly, and you just might fool some trout that are keyed in on motion.

Everything works sometimes. So we’re ready to try anything. But we spend the most time with tactics that produce with the highest rate of return. That’s just common sense.

Whatever fly you're fishing, whatever bait, lure or fly you’re presenting across the spectrum of fishing, it pays to watch the food form you’re trying to imitate. In this case, watch how a mayfly rides on the water. Set up and watch rising trout for a while, and see if they’re eating caddis that are dapping and skittering, or if they’re eating something unseen, perhaps just under the surface. Also, get close to the water and see how a carpenter ant or a hopper behaves once it’s made the mistake and found itself on the water. How do these bugs move, and how do the trout respond? Imitate that with your fly.

My friend, Matt Grobe, joins me for this second episode in our dry fly skills series.

Resources

READ: Troutbitten | Category | Dry Fly Fishing
READ: Troutbitten | That's Not a Dead Drift
VIDEO: Troutbitten | Real Dead Drifts -- Up Top and Underneath
READ: Troutbitten | Dry Fly Fishing on the Mono Rig

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