Fish The ENTIRE Water Column
By Bill Byrd (RIP)
Reproduced and edited with permission of the author
Learning to fish the
entire available water column has changed my whole outlook on fly
fishing. I hope you will use the following information to improve
your fly fishing skills and pleasure!
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I
have fly fished since 1968, but beginning in the late 1980's, I
became acutely aware that many, if not most fly fishers are focused
on surface fly fishing - PERIOD!
On the face of it, there is NOTHING wrong with top water fly fishing. Like MOST fly fishers, I love to
catch fish on top!
But, CONDITIONS should dictate when to fish either
surface or sub-surface water.
Here's what I mean.
It is estimated that only 10% of fish actually feed
near or on the surface at any given time.
Even when we say "surface,"
we actually mean, "from beneath the surface."
Think about
that.
It is exceedingly rare to find fish actually loafing about in
the surface film waiting on food to come along, isn't it? Rather, they are
somewhere below – but willing to feed UPWARD.
An example of this is when a true "feeding frenzy" of some
sort starts, like a mass insect hatch. Then almost any fish in the
area will activate and feed up towards the surface - that is where
the forage is.
That's a condition of the environment that makes them
feed at the surface
For
the other 90%, they are feeding somewhere below the surface.
An example of THAT, is when I encounter water surface temperatures below 56°F. Under those conditions, I
invariably spend most of my time fishing subsurface... the conditions
dictate that.
Full
summer will also find the motherlode of fish feeding subsurface,
except at a few specific times of day. Again, conditions determine
this.
I
have also found that prioritizing and probing subsurface ANY TIME usually yields the
most rewarding fly fishing activity! This concept applies all year
long, too, and leads to the best fish
in many varying circumstances. Using the subsurface system I describe
in this article, you can do this, too.
The Choice
If conditions dictate WHERE you should fish at any
given time, then you are faced with a fundamental choice:
Do you want to catch fish, or just catch fish on the
surface?
The
top bite is fun and thrilling, admittedly. And it is always worth
pursuing, WHEN IT IS AVAILABLE.
But when the best fish are holding
below the surface - and that is most of the time –
you need a different plan!
If the decision is for subsurface, then this
article will define a workable plan to help you catch the fish holding there.
Who Needs A Plan Anyway?
When
I originally wrote this article, I had just returned from fly fishing
a southeastern river. Based on the adverse conditions I found there,
I probably wouldn't have caught anything had I fished only the
surface.
But being flexible, I probed sub-surface fish holding spots
and found the most productive presentation to be a black, size-10
streamer bounced across the bottom.
Fishing in really contrary
conditions, I caught over 40 fish from 5 different species. Because I
had a subsurface plan, I fully enjoyed the trip.
Now,
me being me, when I approach a river, I PRIMARILY probe subsurface.
Okay, if I see top water action, I'll jump on it. Im only human! But
my experience suggests that a subsurface presentation will be the
most productive in a river system.
The Records I Keep
Some people collect stamps in a book. I maintain a good fishing logbook.
I have tracked my catch-and-release
numbers since the late 1980s.
Beginning in the early 1990's, when I
began focusing mainly on SUBSURFACE, my totals better than doubled
the preceding two years.
From 1996 forward my catch and release
totals have stayed consistent or even increased. By now you've guessed why: I fish the ENTIRE WATER COLUMN! It makes a huge
difference.
By 2001, I was catching and releasing 10 TIMES
the number of fish as 1993, the first year of the record comparison.
The
better I become at fishing subsurface, the more fish I catch. The numbers don't lie.
Whether you fish a 4-weight for mountain
trout, a six-weight for largemouth bass, or a 12-weight for False
Albacore, this system will work for you, every day, in any season,
because you'll have a plan to FISH THE ENTIRE WATER COLUMN.
So what is this "system?"
1. The right tackle,
2. The right leader/tippet,
3. The
right flies,
4. The right presentation for a particular fly fishing
situation.
WATER
ACCESS
Naturally
you can't catch anything if you don't first get on the water... gain
access, in other words.
How you do that is up to you, and there are
always trade-offs.
But your method will probably vary based mostly on
availability.
Of the many access choices out there, I really prefer
just three:
Wading
Float
tube
Boat
Honorable mention - inflatable pontoon
Sometimes,
I quietly use my shallow draft boat. There is less disturbance
of the water itself, and less siltation, with a boat. It lets me
bring a friend, and has the greatest mobility, allowing me to fish
more locations. It suffers from a high profile.
Wading
is THE MOST intimate access, but it has limited mobility and can
really spook fish from an area. Wading offers a low profile, but
think ahead and employ every measure of stealth possible!
For
most near shore situations, I find the float tube to be the best of
both worlds. It is stealthy, and lets me slip around quietly. It
offers more mobility within an area than wading, and offers the
lowest profile. It cannot cover much distance.
The
BEST Access?
Fishing
platforms, like anything, evolve over time. The latest generations of
rocker hull, inflatable pontoon boats are examples of this, and have
become another stable way to access more fish in calmer, more remote
areas.
My inflatable pontoon boats have replaced my beloved float
tube in all but the most inaccessible areas.
In
fact the latest, high-tech inflatable pontoons allow me to carry full
fly gear, food, camping gear, foul weather gear, and more tackle and
camera gear than I need. I can't do that with a float tube. They
still suffer from reduced mobility over boats, and wind is their nemesis.
But the best ones
allow good river floats and larger area coverage, in addition to
quiet access for out of the way places.
There
are pros and cons for all of these methods for accessing the water.
However, you can fish the entire water column with any of these
access choices and that's what matters.
GEAR
For
local waters and normally accessible species, begin with a light
weight, to medium action, two- to four-weight rod, eight to nine feet
long, and a properly matched WF2F to WF4F line.
(Here I differ and opt for a 5-weight. My personal choice ~ David)
These
fly lines will be heavy enough to help you build skill casting
heavier sub-surface flies, and you can better feel what is going on
with your fly.
Most
any reel will do, but I like one with a silky smooth, readily
adjustable drag.
For
large fish like stripers, big largemouth bass, rowdy trout, or medium
to heavy salt species, 6-, 8- to 10-weight outfits and flies tied on
salt hooks are needed.
Floating, intermediate sink, and integrated
head sink lines are needed to match most conditions when fishing the
water column deep.
LEADERS/TIPPETS
Leader
length/diameter and tippet strength/diameter are very important in
this system.
If you choose a thick diameter tippet material, it will
actually impede your fly's ability to sink. In fact, that is one way
to adjust sink rate.
That is why I recommend carrying a selection of 7, 9, and
12 foot tapered leaders suited for your line weight, plus a selection
of high quality tippet material from 6 down to 2 pound rating to
lengthen your leader/tippet to as long as 14 feet and help your fly
sink and stay at depth.
If you HAVE to use stronger than 6 pound
tippet, use as fine a diameter as possible.
You
should step down at least .002 to .003 inches in diameter from your
leader to the tippet.
I normally fish a 9 foot, hand-tied, tapered leader that ends with a 6 pound, .010 inch diameter.
Then I lengthen the total
leader/tippet by adding 24" to 48" of 4 pound .008 inch
diameter tippet. This addition of fine 4 pound tippet helps to sink
my fly, and it turns over as well as it can while casting.
Another
important point is that I use monofilament leaders/tippet material.
I
have used braided and furled leaders, and just don't care for them.
I'm trying to eliminate ALL the buoyancy I possibly can. Mono is easy
to find in about any strength, abrasion resistance, and diameter you
would desire.
For
shallow subsurface: surface - 4 feet.
Try
a 7 foot leader ending in .010 inch diameter with 24 inches of .008
inch diameter 4 pound tippet.
For
mid subsurface: 4 - 7 feet.
Tie
on a 9 foot leader ending in .010 inch diameter, and tie on a 24"
to 36" 4 to 5 pound .008 inch diameter four pound tippet.
For deep
subsurface: 7 - 12 feet.
Use
a 12 foot leader ending with .010 inch diameter and tie on 30"
to 40" of four pound .008 diameter tippet. You'll get a 15 or
15½ foot leader that will really get down.
Set
your leaders/tippets up using these guidelines. Fish small, heavily
weighted streamers and you'll find getting a fly down to fish isn't
so difficult after all.
FLIES
While
I consider the LINE AND LEADER element most
important, most folks usually want to know about flies. It's just how they think.
My normal response is to tell them to add small, heavily weighted streamers to their usual selection of streamers, wet flies, and nymphs with floating line to catch deep, feeding fish.
These colors are all I recommend:
1. Black
2. Chartreuse
3. Crayfish
4. Olive
5. (other fish forage colors)
Then
I gently remind them AGAIN about the leader/tippet suggestions already given –
several more times.
Surface First
Remember we don't dislike surface fly fishing - we use it when conditions dictate.
So, we start with that as our reference.
For
the sunfishes including bass, plus trout, probe the surface with:
-
size 10 to 14 poppers,
-
size 12 to 14 sponge spiders,
-
Your favorite small, dry flies.
Mid Depth
For
shallow subsurface, down to 4 feet, have a selection of size 12 to 14
leggy nymphs, size 10 to 12 Clouser minnows, and other slowly
sinking, wet flies as you like.
Deeper, Deeper
For
deep water presentations, complete your selection with streamers,
nymphs, and a selection of deep, size 8 to 10 heavy streamer
patterns.
That's
all you need to start. You can fish most waters with these basic fly
styles for just about every fish you'll encounter.
This includes big
bluegills, giant trout, large- and smallmouth bass, spotted seatrout,
even juvenile Tarpon!
For larger stripers, hybrids, large bass, and
the salt water species that forage on large prey, larger flies tied
on strong hooks are needed, but the principles of fishing the water
column will remain the same.
TRUE STORIES
1. While
fly fishing St. Simons Island, in GA, we fished 3- and 4-weights for
spotted seatrout with long leaders, used the countdown method, and had gray/white Clouser minnows tied on.
We caught trout in tidal creek mouths in
7 feet of water. The trout hit just two feet off bottom.
2. I
have also caught lesser Amberjack and Bonita off the coast of Alabama
in over 80 feet of water. I fished a 4 piece, 10-weight with 300
grain line, big Lefty's Deceivers, and sunk the fly down 25 feet to
schools of fish suspended over wrecks.
Then, fast strips received
hard strikes from extremely strong fish!
You
can catch stripers and hybrids the same way.
Heavy
fly tackle, sinking lines, and the countdown method to sink flies.
This takes some patience, but IT PAYS OFF!
YOUR
APPROACH TO THE WATER
Alright,
you've got some gear, some flies, and some way to access the
water.
So, how do you approach a body of water?
First,
BELIEVE that fish are feeding at some depth - BECAUSE THEY
ARE!
Next,
upon arrival, slow down and observe everything.
- Look
for feeding birds, and fish.
- Look
for insect hatches and subtle rises to those insects.
- Look
for the wind, and sun, and how theire effects are felt on the water.
- Look
for obvious features like points, shelves, flats with brush
overgrowing the water, woody cover, creek inlets, oyster beds, and
sandbars.
- Look
for rip rap, creek inlets, creek channels... anything that will
normally hold fish.
- Look
closely for signs of surface activity.
But, if none is noted, be prepared to probe the water column and determine
at what depth the fish are feeding. Then fish patiently, and the fish
will confirm your pattern!
THE
COUNTDOWN METHOD
This
is simply a method of sinking your fly into the strike zone for
targeted fish.
By
knowing the sink rate of your fly you can estimate how long it will
take to get to depth.
Then
you cast, count while your fly sinks down in the water column, then
impart the appropriate presentation as you strip it back.
The
graphic (above) illustrates the countdown.
At
a foot per second sink rate, it will take about 7 seconds for your
heavily weighted streamer to be down to 5 to 7 feet. Yes, this is a simple concept, but it takes thought, patience and skill.
Why?
The
variety of fly tackle, lines, leaders/tippets, and flies is endless.
Current, leader/tippet diameters and sink rate, wind, all influence
this process.
What
you use in a fly fishing situation depends on knowledge that builds
over time.
Once mastered, the applications and impact on your fly
fishing will be amazing!
You
will catch more fish than you ever expected.
THE
WATER COLUMN
This
is where the rubber meets the road, as it were. We've been hinting at
it all along; now we'll examine the living quarters of the fish we're
after.
SURFACE
Even
if you don't see surface action, explore fish holding cover with your
favorite surface fly.
Remember, the fish are down there – and they may
be willing to feed UP to the surface.
Find out, as the first step.
Experiment
to discover an effective triggering action and fish it. Use poppers, small floating spiders, or dry flies to probe cover that should hold
bluegills, bass, trout, or whatever species you seek.
If you get
strikes, keep at it.
If the action is very slow or you don't get strikes after ten or so casts, continue to watch for activity, but prepare to start probing shallow subsurface.
SHALLOW
SUB-SURFACE: 0 – 4 feet
Re-fish
the same areas you just probed with top water flies, but this time
probe from just below the surface to 4 feet.
Tie
on a light, slow sinking wet fly, or a nymph. Then, drop the fly in
the water in front of you, and count the seconds for it to drop a
foot.
Now,
cast and count the fly down to desired depth, and probe shallow
fish-holding cover varying your presentation until you get a strike.
Emulate
the minute actions of small insects as if there were a fish
watching -- becasue there probably is!
Try slow retrieves, then faster
retrieves, but keep the strips to no more than 2 inches. Why?
Everything needs to be to scale, and little critters don't move too
far at one time.
If
you catch fish, note the countdown time, repeat it, and work the
pattern.
If
there are no strikes in 10 solid casts, go to the next step.
MID
SUB-SURFACE: 4 - 7 feet
To
probe deeper water, re-tie a longer tippet to extend your
leader/tippet length to ten feet.
Try
a black 1/50th ounce size 10 or 12 weighted streamer.
Before
you probe the 4 to 7 foot water with this fly, drop it in the water
and note its sink rate.
(Here is where I would start adding tungsten putty to the leader, instead of heavily weighted flies~ David)
Now
cast to drop offs along shoreline cover and count it down four to six
seconds.
If you drag along the bottom, shorten your count, but
retrieve in 2 inch strips all the way back.
Bump
the bottom or keep the fly just above the bottom as you strip
retrieve. If you still aren't locating fish, proceed to the next
step.
DEEP
SUB-SURFACE: 7 - 12 feet
Re-tie
your tippet to extend your leader/tippet length to twelve feet. The
finer the tippet, the better the fly will sink and stay at depth.
With floating fly line, you'll need the thinnest, heaviest, deep
sinking streamer available, so tie on a black size 8 to 10 1/36th
ounce streamer.
Verify
your fly's sink rate as before.
Then
probe the next level of deepest available water in suspected fish
holding areas. Cast the fly and give it a seven to fifteen count.
Watch for strikes on the drop! Retrieve in slow 2 inch strips and
pause between them 2 or 3 seconds to help the streamer stay at depth.
You
should contact fish in this deeper water holding on, or suspended
above, structure. Once you make contact with fish, continue to fish
the active pattern and enjoy!
Watch for strikes when you pick the fly
up, too.
See this article here, "Fish Sinking Lines Better," for more details on the countdown method and a chart on
relative sink times for sinking lines.
THIS
SYSTEM WORKS!
It's not rocket science and it makes sense if you think about it.
This
system works whether you are fishing for bonita on the Gulf coast of
Alabama with Clouser Minnows on a 10-weight and 300 grain sinking line, or probing for trout in a
deep pool on a north Georgia trout stream with weighted streamer, long leader, and fine
tippet.
Each
fishing day, one of my greatest challenges is to ensure that my guest
fly fishers and I catch fish EVERY trip.
I use this system more than
110 days annually, and catch thousands of fish each year. My guests
consistently catch surprising numbers of quality fish, too.
The
more skill and confidence you build with this system, the better
you'll become with it.
If you adopt this fly fishing system, and build skill using it -- you're going to catch many more fish. So, PLEASE, be a good steward of the resource and carefully release most fish.
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Post note: Bill Byrd passed away in 2021.
His webpage, www.byrdultrafly.com, a favorite for so long, is no longer available.
The web archive DOES exist, however, and I highly recommend it. See the link at the end.
Over the course of several seasons, Bill and I corresponded and he gave me his permission to post and edit his writing, with credit being given to him.
With that in mind, I will pay homage to the man and periodically present his works here in edited format.
Tribute article to Bill Byrd: Bill Bird Tribute
Bill Byrd web archive: Bill Byrd Archive
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Tight Lines,
David Hutton
Palmetto Fly N Fish. 2023
