can some tell me when i should and should not retrieve the line when river fishing?
i was told as a boy to strip back when i was night fishing for sea trout but not to when dry fly fishing?? any help welcome
thanks

also what to do with different types of lines ie sinker,floater etc

there's enough info there to write a book, but in very very brief terms you should let a dry fly drift down on the current, you should retrieve line as the fly gets closer to you so as to strike properly when a fish takes. do not 'strip' line in on a dry fly or you will at best drag the fly unrealistically along the surface or sink it.

Dry flies are fished upstream.
When fishing downstream your fly will be pulled by the current and should swing round at the right speed to attract the fish. in slack water you may want to retrieve a little faster to impart some action to the fly but in the whole, the fly can be left to swing round

The scandamavdians swear by the method of stripping a wet fly for big trout and salmon but it's not that big here yet...

thanks for the info.