I would like to know the best way to wet fly fish so please can you tell me the best way to wet fly fish.

Eh? People have written lengthy books purely on wet fly fishing, how do you expect us to instruct you on successful methods with such an open ended question. You don't even say whether you're fishing rivers or lakes.

My advise, go to the library or buy a few books, read them thoroughly, try the methods and then come back with a more specific set of questions. I know that doesn't sound helpful but let's get real here.

Yer ahvin a laugh surely. Anyway,you should know there aint no "best way" to do anything.

Tr08, one way to fish wets would be as a team of two or three on a floating line fished down and across the stream. If you imagine a clock face with 12 o clock being directly downstream from you, cast across at about 10 and let the flies swing downstream and across the current, retrieve them, move downstream a couple of steps and repeat. It can be difficult to hook fish like this at times though as they are hitting the flies on a tight line. You can fish wets such as spiders (and nymphs too) by casting them upstream on a short line into likely looking pockets of water and allowing them to drift towards you, retrieving the line at the same time so you keep in touch with the flies. Takes can be felt on your fingers or rod tip or indicated by the line stopping or jagging forward. You could even use a floating indicator or a dry fly to show when a fish has taken hold. However as already recommended, get a good book from the library on the subject, many general fly fishing books have sections covering different methods such as wet fly. Peter Lapsley wrote a good book on fly fishing rivers with loads on how to fish wets.
Good fishing,
Andy.

__________________
The trout in yonder wimpling burn
That glides, a silver dart,
And, safe beneath the shady thorn,
Defies the anglers art

R.Burns

Oh ok then i will tey this out next time i go thanks.

Hello,

Just read your post. Wet fly fishing is probably the easiest of the fly fishing disciplines. Although there are many different variations it is generally moving a fly in such a way that it imitates aquatic life (whether that is a fish or an insect) beneath the surface of the water.

I used to use a sinking line however one can fish a fly wet (IE under the surface) using a dry line as well. When using a sinking line (normally quite cheap and a lot easier than fishing with a floating line) tie on about 7-8 feet of leader to start. Simply tie on a suitable lure or wet fly (my all time favourite has to be a cats whisker or a green maribou nymph) to the end of the leader. Cast out as far as you are comfortable with. start counting upwards until you reach a suitable depth, by using this method you can fish different depths and will probably find that once you do get a take that fishing this depth will continue to catch. Then bring the line back in using your non rod hand, this can be done using a figure of eight gathering in method for a slower retrieve or alternatively you can pinch the line to the rod handle and 'strip' using your free hand.

Wet fly fishing is simple in concept but like everything in fishing, nothing is guaranteed, you may find you need to change your lure, change the depth you are fishing or the speed of your retrieve, so try different things until you find something that catches. As said previously good flies to try are cats whiskers, or failing that try using a goldhead blob (as you are very likely to at least get takes with this fly and then you can refine your technique once you have built some confidence). The speed of the retrieve is probably the key to this technique of fly fishing.

As a side note, it strikes me that if you are asking how to fish a wet fly then you are fairly new to fishing. As with all skills practice is the key, that and keeping it simpe in the early stages. I would tend to avoid messing about with droppers or tying three flies onto a line at this stage as all you will end up getting is a birdsnest of nylon at the end of your line. Besides, if you wanted to strip several bits of feather through the water at once, you'd be better off mackerel fishing. *puts helmet on in anticipation of the flak barrage that is about to follow*.

I've never fished more than one fly on my line at one time and I catch enough fish to enjoy the sport.

Give the above a whirl. happy fishing

Sedge.

Sedge
Whilst I agree with much of what you say I'm not sure I agree with this part. It is certainly true that some forms of wet fly fishing (such as the wet fly swing) are easier to execute than dry fly and in some cases drag is less important taken all in all I think it is more difficult. With dry fly there is only one depth (well two - on the surface and in the surface) - with wet fly you have to pick the depth. There are more variations in technique with wet fly - so an in all more choices to make. With wet fly there's a trade off it seems between take detection and reliability of hook up (downstream swing more likely to pull the fly). With dry fly there's usually no difficulty!

But I am far newer to wet fly than dry fly - so I'd be interested in your views.

Taishiroy
I have yet to find a really good book specifically on wet fly fishing on rivers to compare with the Oliver Edwards DVD's available from Spidersplus. (On the web or you will find him on the forum)
GD

GD

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We come from dust; we return to dust. I'm going to fish

Hi, TR08,
You are new to the forum it appears. Welcome.
I certainly do not want to cause confusion for you, but at the risk of starting an argument, I have to say that wet fly is most certainly not the easiest of fly fishing techniques. That is a very common misconception, perpetuated by the fact that most fly fishers begin by drowning flies in order to catch fish.
In a fertile water, 80 to 90% of food taken by trout is said to be found sub-surface, which suggests that wet flies, fished correctly, should appeal to more trout than floating flies, most of the time. I stress that correctly bit.
On relatively infertile water, some upland lakes and tarns or little hill streams, the figures are about 80% surface food, which explains why the fish in these waters are almost constantly on the lookout for floating grub, often unlucky land insects --- terrestrials like hawthorn flies and daddy longlegs.
There are factors like drag, accuracy and delicacy of presentation which make dry fly difficult at times, but you can at least see what is going on most of the time. I exclude a favourite pastime which is fishing dry in the dark. And even that is not as hard as some think it is.
Wet fly is by far the more diverse.
Just think, if wet fly was so easy, there wouldn't be a lot left to catch. But do not be put off by its complexity, as you can make it as easy or as hard as you, yourself, choose.
I don't know Midlander, but he knows what he's on about. There are books and videos which are a great help, heck, I'm 73 and I still consult them at times. If you can't find a helpful, skillful angler to coach you, try the library.
One of the best sets of videos, VHS, is the Gary Borger series -- Fishing the nymph, the midge, crustaceans, dragonflies etc, covering lakes and streams.
GD has whiskers, you get them while growing older, and in many cases, wiser.
He's right, too, and the other lads, but the forum gives you gems, a few at a time, not the crock of gold that its subscribers could give, with time and space.
Good luck in your search, and come back and pickup info, bit by bit.
Cheers, Terry C

I agree completely. For some reason, dry fly fishing is wrongly assumed to be the most difficult technique in fly fishing. In fact, it's far and away the easiest.

IMO, wetfly fishing is the second most productive way to fish, just after nymphing. It's also the second most difficult to learn to do well, again after nymphing which is by far the most difficult to learn.

If you look at wetfly fishing there are dozens of different techniques. Just look at the complexities of just one of these techniques, say the upstream presentation with what you call "North Country Spiders". Just getting good at that one technique would be a significant accomplishment.

Even the much maligned downstream swing is far more difficult to master than most people think. It can certainly be easy to get a lot of hits, but you haven't mastered it until you've got your hookup ratio above 90% IMO.

Grouse

With regard to wet fly fishing as opposed to nymphing, modern style -- bungs, indicators, NZ, or the so-called duo, which is a very old technique, I think the best advice one can give to the would-be wet fly fisher is : -- when fishing upstream, fish as tight a line as you can, to keep in touch with the flies; but when fishing down, use a high rod and fish with a slack line. Look for the takes, the feel often comes too late. The fish feels first, the angler feels second.
But that has been said before, times innumerable I would guess.
TC
PS The second greatest advantage gained by fishing with a rod at about 45 degrees is that a strike from 45 degrees up and back to 90 degrees, moves a lot more line than the strike from horizontal to the 45 degree angle. Perhaps I should have said, written, the 'lift', 'strike' is a misnomer. High-sticking rules OK?