Upstream or Downstream

[bigwilly11189]

How do you fish? Do you cast upstream and stripe in the line as it is coming towards you and slowing work your way upstream or do you cast downstream and work your way down and across? Just wondering...

[The Fisherman]

It depends on the water, where the fish are, what kind of casting room I have, dries or streamers or nymphs....many factors. These are just a few of them.

Example: fishing for wild trout in a plunge pool. Most of the time, I'll fish upstream, casting into the waterfall so as to not spook the trout.

Another example: trout sipping size 26 Trico spinners. I might position myself above the trout, and gently drift my fly over where the trout are holding.

It really is a dynamic situational decision.

[Painter]

I tend to catch more fish downstream, though my best fish last year was on an upstream cast. In fact I nearly lost that one because on hookup it charged right at me and I had slack line for what seemed like an eternity.

I would probably catch more fish on upstream casts if my skills were better; I know I have spooked fish because of my line drifting over them. I just find it easier to get a good presentation and drift by casting across, and maybe slightly up.

[The Patriot]

What Steve said. There are no absolutes, every situation is unique and requires a different presentation, and sometimes there is more than one solution.

Usually, I fish wooly buggers, and other streamers, down and across. Or I might cast upstream to sink the fly, then swing and strip as the fly passes below me.

Yesterday on the Naugy, there were fish in an eddy. I was casting up and across, WAY up, and letting the fly just sort of sit and drift slowly back towards me, VERY slowly. Sometimes a little twitch or strip would bring a strike, and sometimes the fish would pick up the fly on the dead drift. The strikes were hard to detect, with the line upstream. But the subtlest tension on the line triggered me to strike, and more often than not there was a fish on the other end of the line. It was almost zen.

Approach every fishing situation as a problem or a puzzle to be solved. That's half the fun! ;) :)

[bigwilly11189]

Thanks for all the inputs...i figured it was a multi-faceted answer but I just like to hear other people's viewpoints and tactics.