I'm fairly new to fly fishing and recently had my first try at a small stream in the Australian high country. I've done some lake fishing with bait, lures and wet flys, but this was a whole different ball game. I've watched some YouTube videos and from that did my best to keep low and fish close to the edges with a small dry fly (Royal Wulff). Didn't have much luck and scared plenty but did catch a few small ones. I use a 6wt for the lake but bought a 3wt for this smaller water, it took a while to get used to such light gear but I did a lot of practice in the back yard and while I'm no expert I feel my casting is OK. Would really appreciate any advice from more experienced fly fishers if anyone has some good general tips. Thanks
Posted by New-Chicken2383
3 Comments
Glass clear water like this is challenging. They see you really well and the big smart ones clam up.
Don’t know the bugs down there but was there anything hatching? The RW is a super old school version of an attractor from the east coast US from the 1930s. Mostly fished out west in the US and never used it, would go for a Humpy or Adam’s over that.
For low brush and tall grass, crouching and sneaking up on the stream (which you’re already doing) and using a bow and arrow cast would be my go to. Fish can feel vibrations, and they are adept at seeing predators from above, so minimizing both of those things on such a small body of water is gonna be key to not spooking.
Also agree with the other comment. RF are a great fly, but make sure you’re stopping and observing before going in. Taking a few minutes to see what bugs are flying around and examining how the fish are feeding (if you can see that) and tying on a fly that mimics that food source is gonna be key.
Good luck!
find the deep pockets. it looks like everything in this pic is a foot deep or less. You can definitely catch fish still, but in deeper water with more structure there will be more fish and less spooky fish. Look for sharper bends, or places where the stream gets really skinny and goes directly into a wider section.