Dapping

Walter & Group......

 

 

Here is a term which belongs in the lexicon of any MCI candidate:    DAPPING .  Read Paul's message followed by my comments for, "more than ye need  know" on the subject.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

From Paul Arden..

 

AKA Dapping. Traditional method of flyfishing especially in Ireland (Corrib) where it's

still in common use. Often during mayfly time they'll use a couple of the naturals

instead of an artificial fly. The trick is to keep the naturals dry and not drown

them in the process. Although this technique is allowed at certain times of the year on

British stillwaters I've only seen it done in Ireland.

 

Of course it is also bait fishing...

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Paul....

 

I was about to challenge you for what I thought was confusion between blow-line fishing and, "dapping". Then I found a reference in Darrel Martin's, THE FLY FISHERS ILLUSTRATED DICTIONARY, pp. 53-54 .  I quote:

"Dapping.  To fish with a light line (or silk blow line) with the line often attached directly to the end of the long rod (traditionally 12 to 18 feet), which allows the line to drift and dance in the wind as the fly gently touches the water."

 

The term appeard with synonyms: "Dape" and, "Dip" in the Oxford English Dictionary using references from back in 1653.

 

......and in T.C. Hofland's, THE BRITISH ANGLER'S MANUAL (1848) Where it was also called, "dibbing", "bushing", "bush fishing" and "shade fishing".

 

......again, in John Denny's, THE SECRETS OF ANGLING (1620)

 

It can also be done with an artificial fly.

 

Some use the term, "dapping" to mean different actions.  The technique may possibly have pre-dated true fly casting as the fly, lure, or bait was flicked or plopped onto the water surface.

 

One reference to the term is found in Jason Borger's book, THE NATURE OF FLY CASTING, pp 247-248.  He lists it as a form of, "line handling" under, "minor casts".  The fly is held over the water with only the leader out of the rod tip and moved about repeatedly touching the water.  He makes a definite distinction between this and, "blow-line fishing".

 

Mac Brown lists the term in his, CASTING ANGLES, pp. 179-180.  He does classify this as a cast, calling it, "the dapping cast".   In describing it, he says it's performed, "by keeping the line tight (tension) and in contact with the fly at all times.  Line may be worked out through the guides....."  "Shake the rod up and down throughout the process of letting out line."  "The lifting and shaking of the rod tip actually lifts and replaces the fly into new locations on the stream, which by definition make it a cast."

 

I've seen the local folks on Penn's Creek use the technique by placing 2 or 3 Green Drake spinners in a single hook and, "dapple" them during a spinner fall in the evening.  These folks call this bait a, "bouquet".  This is what you describe as being done in Ireland.

 

Gordy