Hi all,
Thanks again for your tips and advice on my last thread
on dry fly floatants.
I've started this new thread to gather some more info and tips from you all
to learn more about dry fly fishing, so next year when the time is right i can
take your info on board and hopefully catch some fish on some dries
I will be trying it out on small stillwaters.
So dont be shy, feed my brain with your tips. ( even if a tip is common sense, type it down)

Cheers and a Happy New Year to All.
Séan.

give your dry fly a little tweak from time to time. it looks like the fly is alive and can provoke a take, particularly when using a mayfly or sedge pattern.

another one, and only do this when no one is watching and when you're just having fun, but cast the dry-fly DOWNSTREAM at about 45% to the current in a weir pool let the fly skit across the current and i can almost GUARANTEE that a fish will take it.

De-grease your leader as you dont want to much of it floating.

__________________
I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,9 bean rows will I have there and a hive for the honey bee.

One thing I learned when fishing dry flies on stillwaters this summer was to strike as quickly as possible when you see a fish rising to your fly. Some people might say to wait a second but those people would've missed a lot of fish where I was fishing

On stillwaters fishing hoppers , when you get a take strip strike. If you do not hook up then your fly is still where fish are feeding and not up in the air behind you. A nymph on a dropper will sink the tippet and also get bonus fish. Diawl bachs, PTNs or buzzers are good for this .

When tying your hook to tippet try and tighten the knot away from the hook.
Not tight against the metal of the hook. The hook will land on the water and turn over nicely. Much more natural action with the fly.Makes the difference when the fish are rising up to your fly and turning away last milli second before they take it. When you wonder why that fussy trout changed it's mind this will help considerably. Much more natural drift.

On stillwaters don't leave the fly out there for long. Cast, leave for 15 seconds max, re-cast somewhere else. You will be surprised at the number of takes you get within ten seconds of the fly landing. Fan cast the water in front of you. If you see a fish rise cast about 6' upwind of it and wait until you are sure the fish has gone past your fly before re-casting.

HaHa! Spinning with a floating lure!! I love it!

Yes, apart from when you've got a daddy long-legs on the end of the leader.
I've had a few fish in small, clear waters which have circled around under a daddy for 5 or 10 minutes before suddenly deciding "ooh, ok then!".
Fishing dries at a fishery like Avington or Chalk Springs with gin-clear water & fairly high stock density per acre can be a real eye-opener

When i was learning the noble art, i have to confess to doing this every time my father's back was turned..he couldn't understand how i'd catch a bag of lovely 3lb brownies and he'd maybe get a rainbow or two! I had a day on the anton last year during mayfly time, and stood on a bridge at the top of a nice hatch pool. I cast downstream and let the mayfly skit over the surface. i had 3 fish come to it in one cast before one took! It's incredible how it works. (I put him back as it was against the rules) Anyway, i've for years wanted to write a book about 'non orthodox fly fishing techniques' like this, but would probably be banned from this forum!!