[o mykiss]

AD: How to cast by multi-tip line

Tac, you ask more questions on how to present a fly than one can reasonably answer in a web site posting. (Ray Helears will probably prove me wrong on that with one of his usual long and inciteful posts.) Although everything in this sport seems to devolve to spending more money, I'd encourage you to either (i) buy a good book on the "how to's" of steelhead flyfishing, or (ii) take a how to class from a guide or hire one for a day and ask him to teach you. My favorite "how to" book is Deke Meyer's Advanced Flyfishing for Steelhead (about $25). As to guides, there are a number of good ones around here. I took a class from Dennis Dickson some time ago and found it very valuable. If you don't want to spend money, check out Dennis' web site at www.flyfishsteelhead.com. He has a number of informative articles on steelhead fishing on his site. There are probably other good guides out there that others on the site could recommend. In fact, I think there's a link to Gordon Gracey's site on this site's home page; can't remember if there's "how to" info but it's got a hell of a lot of good info on steelhead flies (thanks for sharing Gordon!).

 

[o mykiss]

AD: How to cast by multi-tip line

Meant as a compliment, Ray.

Much as I hate to, though (and acknowledging that it may have been tongue in cheek), I have to disagree with your advice on what to do with a dry fly when fishing for steelhead. While it's certainly possible that steelhead will respond to a dead-drifted fly, I believe common wisdom is that the better presentation is to skate or wake it (I think the difference between skating and waking is more in the fly than in what the angler does with it). Basic point, though, is that instead of mending the line to keep the dry fly dead drifting, you actually cast so that your line and leader are laid out straight (or as straight as you can get it), and then let the fly swing across stream so that it creates some turbulence.