Littoral Zone #11 | Inducing a Take: Stillwater Presentation Techniques to Catch More Fish with Phil Rowley

Show Notes:  https://wetflyswing.com/640

Presented By:  Waters West, Visit Helena, MT, Jackson Hole Fly Company, 

Yellowstone Teton Territory

Phil Rowley is back with the ultimate guide to inducing a take in Stillwater! In today's episode, we're diving deep into the unique challenges and techniques of stillwater fishing.

We’ll cover rod and hand position, retrieve essentials, and how to use 'the hang' to keep your fly in the strike zone longer. Plus, discover top indicator retrieves, wind drifting techniques, and fan casting methods.

Episode Chapters with Phil Rowley on Inducing a Take

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Let's dive into today's subject—inducing a take. Here are some key points we'll cover with Phil today:

Rod and Hand Position: How to hold your rod for the best results.
Retrieve Essentials: Key techniques for retrieving your line.
The Hang: A method to keep your fly in the strike zone longer.
Indicator Retrieves: Popular methods for fishing with indicators.
Wind Drifting and Strike Zone: Techniques to adjust your strategy with or without an indicator.
Fan Casting and Loch Style: Methods to cover more water and specific loch style techniques.

Check out Phil's episode with Devin Oslen for more on Loch-style technique.

07:00 - Presenting your fly in stillwaters can be tricky since there's little to no current to help you. Most fish feed near the bottom, where it's safe. The key is to move the fly in a way that attracts fish.

Rod and Hand Position

08:40 - Getting your rod in the right position when fishing helps eliminate slack and ensures you have direct contact with your fly, so you don’t miss any takes.

Keep the rod tip low or even in the water for subsurface presentations. When fishing dry flies, hold the rod higher to create some slack and time your strike better.

Always be ready to set the hook quickly because fish will spit out the fly fast if they realize it’s not food.

11:38 - Use your forefinger to control the line tension when fighting a fish. Phil also recommends putting fish on the reel to avoid tangles and practice for big catches.

Use side pressure to tire out the fish quickly, and keep the rod angle low to prevent the fish from jumping.

Retrieve Essentials

17:26 - The "drop" is when your fly hits the water and starts sinking. Get your rod and hands in position to gather any slack. Sometimes fish grab the fly as it descends, so be ready!

After the drop, start the retrieve using a countdown system to get the fly to the right depth, usually near the bottom. Begin with two quick strips to attract fish and eliminate slack. Your retrieve should mimic the natural movements of insects in the water.

21:00 - Phil Rowley breaks down the retrieve into four key elements:

Length of the Pull: Determine how much fly line you gather with each hand motion.
Speed: Adjust the pace at which you pull or gather the line.
Retrieve Cadence: Vary your rhythm, such as using quick strips or slow pulls, to mimic natural movement.
Pause: Pauses can trigger strikes from fish attracted to sudden stillness.
Phil's Four Core Stillwater Retrieves

2:43 - Phil Rowley emphasizes key retrieves essential for stillwater fly fishing. Here's a breakdown of these techniques:

Hand Twist (Figure Eight or Hand Weave): This retrieve involves twisting the line with your hand, creating erratic movements to mimic various aquatic insects. It's versatile in speed and can imitate baitfish to chironomids.
Strip Retrieve: Simply pull the line with your thumb and forefinger to mimic swimming insects like water boatmen or leeches. It can be adjusted in speed but beware of going too fast.
Pinch Strip: A variation of the strip retrieve using your fingers fused to control the line, ensuring a slower, more controlled retrieve ideal for cold days or when precision is needed.
Roly Poly: A fast-paced retrieve where you tuck the rod under your arm and use both hands in a hand-over-hand motion. This retrieve is great for triggering aggressive reactions from fish.

30:00 - Phil also talks about the versatility of using indicators in stillwater fly fishing to control the depth and retrieve speed effectively.

Pay attention to the subtle movements of the indicator that signal a fish taking the fly. Adjusting retrieves based on fish response and environmental conditions can significantly improve success rates.

The Hang 

36:00 - As you retrieve your fly and it starts to rise, pause to let it "hang" at the surface. This mimics prey trying to escape, triggering fish to strike. You can experiment with the speed and length of the pause to see what works best.

How do you know it's a hang?

39:00 - Almost all line manufacturers nowadays have some sort of a hang marker system with their stillwater lines.  Phil uses RIO lines that have a focused hang marker on the line set at 20 feet.

Phil also shares tips on how to make your own hang markers if your line doesn't have one.

Use a high-vis thread like white, chartreuse, or hot orange.
Wrap the thread around the fly line, then secure it with a bit of fishing line and super glue.
Add a coating of AquaSeal for durability.
Fan Casting

42:50 - Phil Rowley talks about fan casting to cover more water in lakes. You need to cast in different directions, like a clock face, from 10 o'clock to 2 o'clock.

This helps you find trout by casting at different angles. It works whether you're anchored, on shore, or fishing loch style.

Floating Line Presentations and Wind Drifting

45:36 - When fishing with floating lines, two effective techniques are wind drifting and moving the strike zone. Here’s how to make the most of these techniques:

Wind Drifting
Utilize longer leaders and weighted flies to let the wind carry the flies across the water's surface.
This technique mimics swinging wet flies on rivers, covering large areas efficiently.
Adjust casting angles based on wind speed to ensure proper drift and presentation.
Moving the Strike Zone
Ideal for fishing with indicators, this method allows flies to swing below the angler and be retrieved.
By using an indicator, flies are prevented from snagging on the bottom, maintaining a consistent depth.
This technique maximizes the coverage of water and keeps flies in the target zone effectively.
Loch Style Technique

53:20 - Loch-style fishing is popular in Europe, particularly in the UK, and emphasizes controlled drift using a drogue or underwater parachute to manage boat movement on lakes. This technique ensures anglers cover water effectively without the need for constant repositioning.

If you want to explore loch-style techniques further, check out Devin Olsen's site for equipment and detailed guides.

Show Notes:  https://wetflyswing.com/640