Basic Up and Across Presentation

There are three phases to consider during this long drift: the sinking phase, the constant depth phase, and finally the downstream phase.

The most effective phase of the drift is the constant depth phase, so it’s important to target the best zone for holding fish during that phase. The best drift in the constant depth phase happens in an area that starts slightly up and across from the angler, and then extends a bit downstream. The nymphs suffer less drag and it affords the angler the best strike detection. The sinking phase and the downstream phase can be effective parts of the presentation, but the constant phase is just better.

The cast must be made upstream from the target zone to allow the flies to sink enough by the time they reach that zone.When the cast is made correctly, the flies drop with enough slack to have a good sink rate. After the cast, the angler must avoid any tippet or leader floating in the water by lifting the rod and making a long strip with his line hand. This must be done carefully, because one of the biggest mistakes beginners make is to lift the rod too much or to retrieve too much slack, which pulls and lifts the flies. It is more about preventing the tippet and leader from floating but still maintaining enough slack to guarantee the descent. The goal is to help the flies sink without slack floating on the surface. To keep control, you must lower the rod to follow the flies as they sink to the bottom. Follow the nymphs to the bottom, leaving just enough slack to let the nymphs sink, but without an excess of slack to maintain strike detection.

The duration of the sinking phase depends on the depth and the speed of the current. The deeper and faster the water, the farther upstream you need to cast. There is no need to cast far above the lie in shallower water, where flies can touch bottom before they reach the target zone.

The sinking phase ends when the flies reach the desired depth. One of the biggest mis takes anglers make when contact nymphing is that they begin leading the flies too early, before the nymphs have reached the right depth. The end of the sinking phase is noticeable when the tippet has entered the water and the sighter tightens up a bit. At this point, the rod must be kept at a height that keeps the sighter off the water, forming a soft curve.

Now the rod tip is moved downstream, parallel to the current and kept ahead of the flies. The speed of the rod leading the nymphs downstream is the key for achieving a dead drift and the best strike detection. The easiest way to determine the correct speed for rod movement during the presentation is to watch the sighter. Slack will occur if the rod moves downstream slower than the flies do, and this will cause you to lose control and not have good strike detection. On the other hand, if you move the rod too fast, the sighter will form a straight line with a more horizontal forward angle. This is a signal that the angler is dragging the flies. To secure a drag-free drift and to have a good strike detection, the sighter should form the shape of a gentle bow. The leader should be neither tight nor slack, and the sighter should have a near-vertical forward angle of approximately twenty degrees.

Don’t pull the flies faster than the current is moving, which ruins the dead drift. To lead the flies properly the angler must allow them to move naturally, maintaining contact in order to detect bites. If you notice the tippet cutting through the water and moving slower than the surface water is moving, that’s a good indication that the flies are drifting at the speed of the current near the bottom.

The drift continues downstream until the angler can no longer maintain the curve of the sighter or the forward angle by moving the rod downstream. The leader gets tight now, and the flies swing and rise, to imitate the movement of emerging insects. In this final part of the presentation, the rod tip must be lowered to allow the nymphs a longer drift and to achieve a smooth swing. A lot of takes happen during these downstream drifts, it is no longer a dead drift now, but it is still a dynamic and effective presentation. The nymphs will move from the bottom to the surface of the water in an ascending drift imitating the movement of an emerging insect.