Fishing

Think carefully as you answer Dennis's questions. This is a real World topic.

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Fishing in High Mountain Streams

Hi Gordy,

I am privileged to have fished in so many different high mountains streams. I have encountered some traditional fishing styles using flies in the Pyrenees in Spain, the Tatras in Slovakia and Poland and the Nippon-Alps in Japan. Learning the traditional fishing styles directly from the local fishers is very exciting. There are some similarities in these old styles of fly fishing, such as upstream and short distance fishing using long rods.

So why cast with long rod in small stream? They are heavier than shorter rods, except for Japanese Tenkara rods, which are usually telescopically extended to a length from 11 to 16 feet and do not have a reel seat and guides. It is best to use a longer rod because there are so many different currents in small, high mountains streams. To present your fly naturally to the fish, you should avoid laying your fly line on the water. Instead, use a minimal length of leader on the water as though you are dropping only the fly onto the water.

I would like to mention one casting technique, which I?ve encountered recently. With this technique, I will be able to manage better presentations during the mountain stream fishing.

Bob Clouse?s cast ? When there are obstacles such as hanging tree branches, I sometime use his under-line tension cast. You cast line, leader and fly under your rod tip with constant tension in both forward and backward. With this technique, you can propel your fly through a narrower path to avoid the obstacles.

I recommend a couple of fishing tools for your safety. Use a wading staff with 0.75 inches (1.9 cm) wide tubing to check the river bottom for your next step and for climbing slippery slopes. You can prevent the clanging noise of your wading staff by wrapping the bottom with duct tape so as not to spook the fish. If the rocks are slippery, it is better to add some metal studs to your wading shoes for extra safety. I wear special guards to protect my lower legs, especially my knees, and waders. I can walk more easily in the water with them, because they help to reduce the water pressure on my legs. Please see the picture showing how tightly you can wrap them around your legs. The other picture is of another type of guard that you will be able to find in a sporting goods store where softball and baseball equipment is sold.

Safe fishing to all and tight lines,

Misako Ishimura

Dear Gordy,

I started to cast using Bob Clouser?s constant tensioned under line casting technique for avoiding the obstacle, fighting wind, and the accuracy cast. It is like a regular OVAL back cast except the rod tip moves in the higher position. So during these casts, the line-leader-fly are hanging from the rod tip downward.

Back cast to a little lower and reposition the casting hand a little higher and stroke in the straight line to the front. If you add the haul with the most speed by the line hand rotational movement along on the target line at the end of each stroke, also extend the strokes adding body rocking movement, you can cast full line with this technique.

Tight lines,

Misako Ishimura

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Misako.... Pleased to hear from you . Some fine information in your messages. This should be saved for future reference by members for when we visit stream fishing as a whole new topic. I placed your pictures in the attachments.

We have addressed Tenkara fishing in the recent past. I have never tried it, though the concept of a drag free drift for a dry fly with no line and almost no leader on the water is an attractive one.

Gordy