Small streams

[axle27]

I usually fish down stream, staying far back from hole I'm fishing. My friend always fishing upstream, but I believe that one could be throwing the line over their heads and spooking them.

 

[ant]

I cast upstream but usually let it drift by me downstream. I figure, cover as much water as possible.

 

[cattech89]

Well, fishing upstream is what i prefer if possible, but that is the way I was taught. I was always told that if you fish downstream you cause aggregate to drift down which will spook the trout more than a carefully placed line. The trout in turn will drift downstream which will alert other trout and it just snowballs. I was also taught that when fishing upstream try to cover the stream a few feet at a time from side to side. That way you reach trout one at a time instead of fishing across the stream and alerting the entire spot. Of course this is all in theory. Im no expert. Ive caught fish both ways, but more so when heading upstream.
Theres my two cents..........

 

[franzenangler]

All I fish is small water and all I do is fish upstream. Although the chance of lining the fish is there, it's small. What you do is work your way up from the very tail end of the pool not just cast all the way to the head. It also gives you the most natural drift possible. I typically fish small water with a 7x 9'-13' leader. The problem I see with fishing downstream towards skittish wild trout is they can see you. They are genetically wired to look upstream because that's where the current and food comes from, and if you're standing upstream from them odds are is they're going to see you.

 

[wonderfulremark]

All I fish is small water and all I do is fish upstream. Although the chance of lining the fish is there, it's small. What you do is work your way up from the very tail end of the pool not just cast all the way to the head. It also gives you the most natural drift possible.

This is what I was taught by my friend

and it works like charm!!

 

[ant]

if you're standing upstream from them odds are is they're going to see you.

Just use camouflage waders.

 

[franzenangler]

This is what I was taught by my friend

and it works like charm!!

That it does, great minds fish alike

Just use camouflage waders.

Hmmm I'm sure Team Realtree makes a pair.... I might have to look into that haha

 

[FrankB2]

I fish upstream 99% of the time, but will allow a dry or nymph to float downstream if it looks like a better choice. I've caught trout drifting downstream, but need a good reason to do so.

Valley Creek (Valley Forge, PA) is a stream that I didn't fish very often, but
used a downstream drift on sometimes. The fish are 100% native, and see a lot of anglers. It's shallow and very narrow, and the trout see you coming from a mile away. The only time I was able to catch one of these trout was floating a CDC caddis downstream on a very long and light leader. You really need to be there to see the frustration level among fly anglers!

The problem with a downstream drift is pulling the fly out of the fish's mouth.
It requires a lighter touch, and a millisecond longer before setting the hook.

 

[Ard]

What if I do both, I go down with streamers and up with dries?

 

[MoscaPescador]

Like Ard, I fish both directions. This is all dependent on the type of presentation that I am trying to acheive or the situation that I am in.

For dry flies, my presentation is mostly upstream. But if fish are actively rising within range of me downstream, I will not start stepping around to get downstream of them. I'll make a cast and control my drift as best as I can.

Streamers are fished in both directions. I will fish downstream for the swing. I will cast upstream, so I make an escaping baitfish presentation by doing fast strips.

MP

 

[FrankB2]

I thought we were talking about dry flies here....don't know why....

For nymphs and streamers, I fish all directions: up, down, across and down. If I could figure out how to do across and up, I'd do that as well. Actually, I do have a fly drift down into an eddy whose current moves back up a bit, and let that action play out if it seems it might work.

One of my most successful techniques on the Schuylkill River, was to position myself near a channel I knew held smallmouth, cast downstream with a Clouser minnow, and then strip the line back up along the length of the channel. Very effective, especially since these channels tended to be rather narrow.

With dry flies, I tend to cast upstream, sometimes directly, and sometimes up and across. Last month I finally decided to target specific rising trout, and that has carried over to my panfish dry fly fishing. Much more rewarding, at least for me.

 

[HuronRiverDan]

I fish up mostly, but will fish downstream if the need arises. When I'm fishing the little brushy streams I work a small portion of the stream, small plunge pools, undercuts, shaded spots etc. Most of the time I'll fish small terrestrials.

Dan