[VTDryFly]

Hello I am relatively new to SRC beach fishing and am read Richard Stoll's new SRC book and have some questions about how to mend, strip, and swing flies, both streamers and dries. Where I fish usually has a pronounced seam from the fast incoming tide and am trying to figure out how to fish it. I see loads of fish jumping and feeding on the surface (mostly in the fast water side of the seam actually) but have a hard time getting them to slash at or take the dry fly. I use the Mykowski popper or gurglers a lot, and have some success but really am at a loss at how to present it to these rising fish.

In the book it talks about cast straight out and mending down tide to speed up the dry fly, and then swing it over to shore. Also says to mend up current to get a drag free drift(?) then swing on streamer patterns. Long story short, can someone explain to me if/when to mend in these faster currents and how to fish to these rising fish (both stripping streamers and dries). I have fished for years in rivers and other moving water, but am at a loss on how to fish moving water on a beach. I have both an intermediate line and floating line.

Also quick question- do the fish cruise the slower water or do they hold in place and feed in the same general location. I assume this effects how you cast to rising fish in slower water.
Thanks,

 

[Stonefish]

I'll take a shot at part of your question.
This is my way of doing things and others will likely do it different.
There really isn't a right or wrong way. Just fish at lot and use whatever technique has been successful for you and that you have confidence in.

Assume everything I type is about stripping streamers on a intermediate line.
Please excuse the Stickman Chronicles artwork but hopefully the visual will help you.
Most of the times a hard rip will form off of a point of land. The head of the rip will form right at the beach and angle out off the beach.
There will be softer, slower water on the inside of the rip as you described.
If possible, I like to start fishing right at the head of the rip. Be willing to move around the beach as the rip moves.

Rather then casting straight out across the current at a 90 degree angle, I like to cast down into the current rip.
If the tide is really ripping, I like to cast at about a 45 degree angle and strip the fly up through the current rather then across it.
You can vary your down current cast angle depending on how fast the water is moving. If it is flowing slower you can bring the angle more towards 60 degrees or so.
You can start stripping right away or let the fly swing a bit before stripping. Letting the fly swing right into the transition point (the edge) between the fast outside water and slower inside water can be money. So can stripping it up through that edge.
Also throw some casts straight down parrallel to the shoreline, regardless of the water speed is in that area.
I rarely mend when fishing an intermediate, but a up current mend will slow your fly down.
I also like to strip in with my rod tip completely underwater to eliminate as much slack and debris as possible.

Hopefully others will chime in.
I don't fish surface patterns, poppers or dries nearly as much as I do the dark side (subsurface).
I hope this helps,
SF

 

[SaltyTippet]

Any further replies to this thread would be pointless.... SF nailed it.... this is becoming something of a ongoing thing I am starting to realize here....

 

[stilly stalker]

I'll chime in on another part.

I have MANY TIMES found SRC busting bait up to the gravel EXACTLY in that little triangle where the shore the rip and the slow water meet. It's my #1 looked for SRC type of scenario and a lot of people wade out past it.

At a Seattle beach that goes by L.P (lol sue me)
I have gotten MANY MANY MANY SRC in exsctly the scenario described by Stonefish above, but stand exactly where his line for shore, rip and slow meet. Then cast 45 out and let it swing through the fast water, then strip like mad (2 hand retrieve) as soon as it hits the slow water

 

[stilly stalker]

I don't fish poppers or dries for SRC either, but if I did I would do the exact same thing except twitch the shit out of the popper on the swing

 

[VTDryFly]

I'll chime in on another part.

I have MANY TIMES found SRC busting bait up to the gravel EXACTLY in that little triangle where the shore the rip and the slow water meet. It's my #1 looked for SRC type of scenario and a lot of people wade out past it.

At a Seattle beach that goes by L.P (lol sue me)
I have gotten MANY MANY MANY SRC in exsctly the scenario described by Stonefish above, but stand exactly where his line for shore, rip and slow meet. Then cast 45 out and let it swing through the fast water, then strip like mad (2 hand retrieve) as soon as it hits the slow water

Thanks. When it comes to that little triangle of slow water where it meets rip and shore that is productive, how/where do you fish it since it's not in the current and so close to shore.
Thanks

 

[Flyguy65]

[QUOTE="VTDryFly, post: 1313374, I use the Mykowski popper or gurglers a lot, and have some success but really am at a loss at how to present it to these rising fish.

I'm not familiar with the Mykowski popper...is this a Polish version of Leland's??

 

[fishbadger]

I'll take a shot at part of your question.
This is my way of doing things and others will likely do it different.. . .
I hope this helps,
SF

View attachment 150531

JFC Stonefish that's how it's done. Great post. . .even a dumbass bait chucking heathen like me could catch a fish listening to you!

fb

 

[Jim Wallace]

SF, Whaaaaa? Did you employ a drone to take an aerial photo of one of my secret spots? At least you didn't name it!

I will start higher above the rip line. Approaching from the left side of your drawing (due to the access), I usually try to stay low, far away from the waters edge, and sneak softly up current past the rip's "departure point" about 40 or 50 feet, so that I can make my first casts out at a 45 degree angle down-current and swing my fly right into the little triangle where the rip current begins to leave the shore. Sometimes a cutthroat will be holding right in there, a couple of feet from the water line. Then I step down current a little more, and repeat.
I vary my stripping at first, until I get a hit. Will also change patterns if the one I have on is not working, but usually not before I fish my first selection for the entire distance of the "run."

When my streamer swings to the surface (or just under, if it is weighted like a Clouser or ConeHead Squid), I will strip it back erratically and quickly, and try to skate it over the surface a bit.

If the cutts are following my fly in up over the dropoff, but waiting until it swings up or skates before they go after it, then I'll often quickly switch patterns to a bushy dry or gurgler, or maybe even dig out my lonesome Mykowskiwappa (sincere apologies to Leland, but I couldn't resist) Popper.

As the tide runs out toward low, my spot gets shallower beneath the rip line, so I want to be fishing on the surface by low tide. I have to keep my eyes open for a bait angler who usually show up there around low tide, so that I can stand where he can't low-hole me if he shows up a bit early.

The cutthroat go somewhere else after low tide when the rips change.
Dang, almost forgot to say I will throw upstream mends, stripping off more line from my reel to throw another one or two, usually immediately after my cast...then I let it swing in.

 

[NW_flyfisher]

[QUOTE="VTDryFly, post: 1313374, I use the Mykowski popper or gurglers a lot, and have some success but really am at a loss at how to present it to these rising fish.

I'm not familiar with the Mykowski popper...is this a Polish version of Leland's??

I noticed this too, as I figured most of us have.

 

[Go Fish]

Don't wade out to the top of your waders.
Most SCR's will be found close to shore.

I've seen people wade out right through where the fish are holding.

 

[stilly stalker]

Thanks. When it comes to that little triangle of slow water where it meets rip and shore that is productive, how/where do you fish it since it's not in the current and so close to shore.
Thanks

Think of that rip line as a veil that predatory fish hide behind while the bait is in the calmer water against shore. ALL saltwater fisherman learn that these rip lines/current seams are MONEY for attracting fish.

You can fish that little pocket however you feel you can. I have found that short casts from shore are the most effective when the cutties are up onto the gravel, or from deeper water towards shore- location dependant

 

[VTDryFly]

Thank you stilly, so is the general rule to fish the softer water, that the SRC stay in the faster water but hunt in softer water, so on the swing portion of the retrieve, is there little chance for fish since the fly is in the faster rip?
Thanks,

 

[stilly stalker]

Thank you stilly, so is the general rule to fish the softer water, that the SRC stay in the faster water but hunt in softer water, so on the swing portion of the retrieve, is there little chance for fish since the fly is in the faster rip?
Thanks,

I wouldnt say that at all. The rip line is just a convenient "structure" to always hit. There are many more variables.

Most often SRC will be in the faster water, but close to the calmer water to bust in- get food- then retreat back behind the veil to faster water
There are a LOT of different types of beach structure to learn

For instance- rip currents often dig a "ditch" that runs parallel to shore that are basically fish highways that concentrate both predator and prey.

For sandier beaches and oyster bars there are often "sinkholes" that will look darker from the beach- also prime time for crime time to drop a weighted fly into

Watch the beaches for where the surge pushes up further than the rest of the beach - we target these areas for Corbina here in SD - makes trenches that extend from the beach way out to deeper water. These channels are also amazingly good fish highways and should never be passed up

Low tide/high tide will change up where the fish are

Learn to read beach structure and put the pieces together for your local beaches - you won't be sorry

 

[miyawaki]

It's not always about rips and seams for me. But I always look for moving water, although it can move pretty slow at times. Mostly the tides are moving parallel to the beach. If the wind and the tide are moving in the same direction, all the better. I make a quarter cast downtide and make a tiny reach mend to get my popper moving. Using the belly I've formed, I face down the beach and strip long slow strokes with a tiny twitch at the end. The popper is basically moving towards shore and uptide simultaneously. I will mend downtide if the popper is moving too slow and vice versa if too fast. Searuns, small silvers and blackmouth will simply strike or jump the popper. Larger coho will track the popper and mending while stripping will often provoke the strike. When fishing a popper, it helps to remember that you are mimicking a wounded baitfish whose actions are erratic. I rarely pull the fly to me against the current. Cripples don't do that.

Leland

 

[stilly stalker]

It's not always about rips and seams for me. But I always look for moving water, although it can move pretty slow at times. Mostly the tides are moving parallel to the beach. If the wind and the tide are moving in the same direction, all the better. I make a quarter cast downtide and make a tiny reach mend to get my popper moving. Using the belly I've formed, I face down the beach and strip long slow strokes with a tiny twitch at the end. The popper is basically moving towards shore and uptide simultaneously. I will mend downtide if the popper is moving too slow and vice versa if too fast. Searuns, small silvers and blackmouth will simply strike or jump the popper. Larger coho will track the popper and mending while stripping will often provoke the strike. When fishing a popper, it helps to remember that you are mimicking a wounded baitfish whose actions are erratic. I rarely pull the fly to me against the current. Cripples don't do that.

Leland

Excellent advice from the master

 

[VTDryFly]

Thanks Leland. So when you quarter downstream you strip it back to you on the swing but yoI are saying you rarely pull it straight back against the current, but you do on the 45 degree angle?
Do I have that right?

 

[miyawaki]

Thanks Leland. So when you quarter downstream you strip it back to you on the swing but yoI are saying you rarely pull it straight back against the current, but you do on the 45 degree angle?
Do I have that right?[/QUOTE

When you make the little aerial mend and set your belly, you will be stripping the popper back but curving it in towards the near shore. The retrieve is over down the beach rather than at your rod tip.

Leland.

 

[Jim Wallace]

I'm now going to have to try Leland's method of throwing a "downstream mend." Seems like I've been doing it bass akwards (throwing "stack mends" upstream ), but miraculously, I still get some cutthroat to strike. I'm hoping this will improve my "count," now. I'll have to make it over to the Canal soon, but things are really starting to pick up around here after this rain we just had. Talked to someone today who left me feeling kind of jealous after hearing their report.

 

[VTDryFly]

so Is the general approach to fishing dries or streamers while sight fishing or prospecting in likely locations a down and across approach?

Thanks