My box for 2012

[Otter]

TDF - sounds easy eh ?

[flyfishwithme]

Okay, okay a few hints then.
Think a longer rod than you normally fish. I like mine to be no shorter than 10' and I can get away with this length of rod in most streams even when over grown. You just need to be a little innovative.
Then make sure that the rod takes a 3/4 wt. I normally use a 3 weight and an artificial silk line. But any line is okay.
Next use a long leader. The shortest I use is 16' (5m). That is why I am trying to always design a longer leader (I am almost there). This leader has to be absolutely balanced as most of the time that is all I am fishing. Put line on the water and the micro currents start to affect the drift. A 8m leader of .10mm line would be perfect but unusable.
Droppers are important too. Too short and they are too stiff. Too long and your fishing time is reduced because of tangles. 4" (10cm) is what I aim for and I want them to be supple. So at times I DO NOT make a dropper from a knot (especially the top and middle droppers) as the line is too stiff. I add the dropper to the leader using the same material as the tippet. Last year I showed how I did this but if anyone is interested this is how I do it:
And lastly CONTROL. This is the real skill of fishing flies in a dead drift. Now I cannot reveal too much here as this is what I am trying to write about. But one thing you need to know is how to mend properly. I once heard Ollie Edwards say two things "Hardly anybody knows how to mend properly" and "I have never seen anyone mend without moving the fly, I don't believe it can be done". Well it can, that is why I am an Instructor for the Italian style of fishing. So control - cast, drift, currents all of it.
That help mate?

[michaelgmcgraw]

I am a big fan of-user of the loop snugged up against the leader/tippet knot. It's easy & fairly tangle free. 1 dropper is all I want when fishing the small creeks with jungle like canopy and overhanging bank growth.

[Otter]

Okay, okay a few hints then.
Think a longer rod than you normally fish. I like mine to be no shorter than 10' and I can get away with this length of rod in most streams even when over grown. You just need to be a little innovative.
Then make sure that the rod takes a 3/4 wt. I normally use a 3 weight and an artificial silk line. But any line is okay.
Next use a long leader. The shortest I use is 16' (5m). That is why I am trying to always design a longer leader (I am almost there). This leader has to be absolutely balanced as most of the time that is all I am fishing. Put line on the water and the micro currents start to affect the drift. A 8m leader of .10mm line would be perfect but unusable.
Droppers are important too. Too short and they are too stiff. Too long and your fishing time is reduced because of tangles. 4" (10cm) is what I aim for and I want them to be supple. So at times I DO NOT make a dropper from a knot (especially the top and middle droppers) as the line is too stiff. I add the dropper to the leader using the same material as the tippet. Last year I showed how I did this but if anyone is interested this is how I do it:
And lastly CONTROL. This is the real skill of fishing flies in a dead drift. Now I cannot reveal too much here as this is what I am trying to write about. But one thing you need to know is how to mend properly. I once heard Ollie Edwards say two things "Hardly anybody knows how to mend properly" and "I have never seen anyone mend without moving the fly, I don't believe it can be done". Well it can, that is why I am an Instructor for the Italian style of fishing. So control - cast, drift, currents all of it.
That help mate?

Interesting approach Philip.

[fflutterffly]

I often use the Perfection knot, but now have moved to a single Duncan.