Dry flies were around before Halford, he made them a way of fly fishing which still stands today. Stewart debated the value of upstream fishing against the downstream approach adopted by Chomelley-Pennell.

So you have protested that dry fly is the only way in my Wet Fly thread. Now is you opportunity.

Let's debate the issue. Is upstream better than downstream? Is dry fly better than wet?

Here is you chance to put forward your reasons for fishing the way you do.

Me? I am catholic. I fish to catch fish and use all methods but I know some of you choose otherwise. Why? What made you select a single way of fly fishing? Come on, let us all in on your secrets of catching more fish with a single approach? Or is it that you just love becoming an expert in a single technique?

I am intrigued because twice in my fly fishing time I have selected to maintain a single technique against all odds.

This should be a beauty.

__________________
"A traditional wet fly addict"

Uk representative and Instructor for Fly Fishing Masters - www.flyfishingmasters.co.uk

Distributor for Terenzio Silk and Artificial Silk Fly Lines - Pay distributor retail price.

For me upstream dry wins! reasons why are this, to visually see a trout come up and look or take your fly is pure excitement it takes skill to put your fly in the correct place plus match your fly to the hatch! and then putting your mends in so it drifts past the trout as naturally as possible this is why i think its not a easy skill to master!
I can't comment much on other styles but i think its time to learn and improve other avenues so when the trout are not rising try another method to fool them
Robert

My prefered method is on the dry, I think this is due to the visual aspect of it, maybe a throwback from my coarse fishing days. I fish the dry mainly upstream as I think this is the best way to present the fly naturally.

I catch far more fish on the dry than I do any other method, my least favourite method, nymph fishing, why? cus I am **** at it.

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Downstream wets were considered here briefly:-

http://flyforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=43155

Hi', Phil. For me, there is no single right way to present a dry fly. Upstream gives us the advantage of a blind-side approach, and in running water, a bit of turbulence to mask it. Also, the most likely means of obtaining an easy, drag-free drift -- not on tails of flats and glides, tho -- and good hooking on the lift.
Across the steam, so long as the pace of the water covered is even over its width, gives us the opportunity to present the fish with a fly and very little or no leader to be seen, plus the opportunity to set the hook in the scissors.
Downstream gives the best opportunity to hide the leader, very often, the chance to avoid drag, but hooking is more tricky, and we have to learn to fish parachute presentation and slack line feeding, plus unobtrusive removal of the leader after each unsuccessful drift -- but you know all the above already!!
The main advantage of downstream presentation of wet fly is probably that it gives the fly more life, lively movement, than the upstream, tumble back down the water, dead drift, which is dependent upon the tried and tested simple spider patterns, the sparse and light, wispy hackles of which take on life and attraction even in light currents, without fighting the flow.
No method is best all round, each is best in a given situation. All have to be learned to be a complete angler; and there aren't a lot around. Terry.
And I ain't one!!
It's always horses for courses to get the best results --- utility and versatility --- that is the combination.

dry upstream because its the most effective and efficient and therefore easy.

interesting maybe, i fish dry on lochs, sometimes with movement, i find it more reliable and predictable than wets on still water.

I've only been flyfishing a short while so take what I say with a big pinch of salt

I fish nearly exclusively upstream/sidestream dries. The reason for this is that I find it the easiest method by far, I've been a little surprised by this because on here it sometimes seems to be seen as a bit of an elitist method. But I simply do it because it's what works for me.

I try the downstream dry a bit, but while I find it quite easy to get takes, hook ups are more difficult as Terry mentioned. I've tried nymphing a bit, but when fishing them upstream I find they tend to catch on the bottom too much, leaving me constantly striking in case it's a fish, which probably means I'm just pulling the nymph away from any fish about to take it. Downstream nymphs, I don't tend to have anything happen, I think I'm not covering enough water with them though. I've never caught with wets, but I haven't really tried them very often either.

I do plan on working to improve my wet/nymph fishing, but at the same time I have so much fun with the dries it's hard to motivate myself to try anything else

I fish both wet and dry and thoroughly enjoy both methods. I certainly don`t agree with anyone who decries one method or the other. I fish because I love fishing, wet, dry, nymph, shucks I`ve even been known to trot a worm on the fly rod. Ain`t that enough to send the elitists into a frenzy.

Very interesting comments. How many of you have tried fishing a dry fly directly downstream onto a rising fish?
I know I have and I do it a lot when I am in awkward situations. Hans Van Klinken designed his Klinkhamer Special to be fished in very fast water and he uses a method where he casts directly downstream, stops the rod high so that the fly lands with a lot of line around it and then lets the fly travel downstream unimpeded and without drag. He lowers his rod so that he gets maximum drift.
The other day I did that very same thing on a large fish rising in a fast section of the Wharfe. I used a size 12 KS (a real one) as my smaller flies were being engulfed by the pace and turbulence of the water. Fist cast the fish came up and I hooked and landed a 3lb wild fish.
Gives us something to think about doesn't it? The two threads I started are intended to provoke our thoughts about how we fish, what other things could I consider.
Go for it.

__________________
"A traditional wet fly addict"

Uk representative and Instructor for Fly Fishing Masters - www.flyfishingmasters.co.uk

Distributor for Terenzio Silk and Artificial Silk Fly Lines - Pay distributor retail price.

[QUOTE=flyfishwithme;506014]Very interesting comments. How many of you have tried fishing a dry fly directly downstream onto a rising fish?
QUOTE]


Regularly, its a very efficient way to catch Grayling on the dry fly in slow water. As i understand it Graylings mouths are significantly different to trouts and the hooking is much easier with a down stream presentation.
I would also add for all Grayling are easy to catch on nymphs they appear significantly more fussy about drys (90% of the time). Showing them the fly without the tippet first improves your chances.