[murph]

Hi all,

I'm really struggling to get my dry flies to turn over properly. Nine times out of ten the fly drops to the side and I'm needing to retrieve line to get in touch with the fly.

I'm using a 7wt rod with matching Barrio 7wt wf line and 5lb breaking strain line.

Any advice or tips???

Many thanks,

Paul

[Rob Brownfield]

Are you using a tapered leader?
These next bits are things that work for me..may not be correct and other will have different views, but here goes.

I found that when using dry flies, aim the cast higher. If the main line lands on the water too soon, then the energy to turn the fly over is lost. Aiming higher and allowing the entire line to unfurl, as well as the leader before landing on the water made for better presentations.

A tapered monofiliment leader allowed better turn over of a fly.

The size of the dry makes a difference...a bigger, bushier fly needing a bit more "energy" from the fly line to help turn it over.

A shorter leader helps, but it can also be a hindrence in that the main line can spook the fish.

[murph]

Thanks for that!

I'm not using a tapered leader but after reading the thread on this site about it, it's defo something I will do in future.

The bigger, bushier flies don't seem to be a problem, it's more the cds and such like that I struggle with.

[Iain Cameron]

simple tip - on the final forward cast, try halting or tugging back lightly on the fly line (probably with your left hand if you are right-handed) - this will help stop the fly line, and the leader & flies will hopefully turn over and land beyond the end of the fly line. Can also be useful when casting into a wind. It works for me, anyway

complicated tip - have a casting lesson and let someone qualified analyse what it is in your casting technique that is causing the failure to turn over!

cheers
iain

[Ben Dixon]

Good advice Iain,

Checking the line with the line hand will kick the fly over, I do it a lot.


Paul,

It sounds from what you say about the problem being mainly with smaller flies and not with bushier stuff that it is probably a leader thing and using a knotless tapered leader should sort it out.  A 7wt flyline carries a lot energy, the straight 5lb leader is probably turning over so hard that the fly is recoiling back on its self, the energy in the line has to go somewhere.  With large bushy fies, more energy is required to get them to turn due to them being more air resistant, a tapered leader will dissipate the energy and give a more controlled presentation with the small fly.  You are also probably using too heavier line for the flies you are trying to cast.  When deciding what line weight to fish, you should first consider the size of the flies you are casting and choose the line weight based upon that, small / light flies = light line.

Cheers

Ben