Properly presented fly

Depends on the prey being imitated. Match the behavior of the food being pursued.

KerryS said:

I was doing a bit of reading on searun cutthroat trout this morning and came across this statement; "The Sea-Run Cuttthroat is known for its aggressive behavior towards a properly presented fly." This caused me to consider what is a properly presented fly for cutthroat? I have tossed flies upstream, downstream, swung 'em, dead drifted 'em, fished dries, wet, you name it and caught cutts on every one. Even hooked up a few times with a fly an inch or two in the water dangling from my rod while I searched my fly box for a different pattern. Is that even a presentation? So what is a properly presented fly?

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One that elicits a take? So it's a self-fulfilling prophesy.

I've always read that sort of stuff as "properly presented for the environment you are in and fly you are using" rather than "there is one way".

But I'm with you generally. That phrase does come off as overly vague and somewhat pompous.

I don't think the author thought that through and instead reached for a lazy cliché.

A well presented Royal Wulff along a rock wall on the N/F Stilly in the summer time will bring out the best in them fish.

125* dangle angle

I would think that the definition of an aggressive fish would be one that consistently respond to a "poorly presented" fly.

KerryS said:

So what is a properly presented fly?

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I believe you've covered it. That's also why there are so many patterns for SRC. They all work. If it looks like food, they eat it. One of their favorite foods is clam necks, attached to a clam. Match that presentation. I know a guide (sponsor on this forum) who caught one on a toothpick skated across the surface with a hook attached by a rubber band. It's called Topwater Pine Float.

Are you guys allowed to talk about searuns this year?

Fish don't grow by passing on meals..

Folks in generally over pump their "ability" in the whole scheme. Right place, right time, reasonable food replica..

Kyle Smith said:

Are you guys allowed to talk about searuns this year?

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No.

I once dropped a clear flybox in the water at a beach. As it bobbed on top of the water a couple of small fish hit the box, presumably seeing the flies through the lid.

Kyle Smith said:

Are you guys allowed to talk about searuns this year?

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Talk about them, fish for them, support CCC for them.. src fishing ins open is Puget Sound.

Ed Call said:

I once dropped a clear flybox in the water at a beach. As it bobbed on top of the water a couple of small fish hit the box, presumably seeing the flies through the lid.

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Took my 5 yo daughter out to a pond last week and caught several bluegills and bass. There were several times where the bluegills kept eating my tippet knots and ignoring the fly. And we all have had nice fish eat a yarn indicator. I've only caught 3 salmon on a fly despite many hours of specifically targeting them. One of the 3 was a 31" 15# chinook that took my bead head birds nest that was dangling 15' below me in the current while I was looking for a different fly to try. He hit it hard and was hooked just inside the corner of the mouth like a little trout. At first I thought it was going to be a big steelhead by the way it purposely slammed it. Things like these make you laugh at yourself for thinking you know so much about these fish.

I've only caught one maybe searun cutt. It was on the Skagit in about '94, I was steelface fishing. A properly presented fly to me lands about 10 yards upstream of where I'm hoping a steelface might lay.