Small stream tactics by Roy Christie

Roy Christie has been fishing since the age of 5, and has caught trout across the globe. He is also a fisher of small streams and an innovator of fly design. As early as 1968, he was tying his reversed parachute emerger, a unique design in that the leader is submerged for impeccable presentation. Some of his designs and a short biography can be viewed by following the link below:

http://www.danica.com/flytier/rchristie/rchristie.htm

The following piece was written by Roy some years ago, and captures brilliantly his approach to successful small stream tactics. I have followed this valuable advice, and caught trout because of it.

When fishing a small stream, I'd be using a tapered leader of about six - seven feet with a foot or two of tippet, if there's room for that - minimum about seven feet. Tippet as fine as the fish require, 3 pound should do; it's pretty safe unless there are big fish in there. At the same time, if they are not shy, fish as heavy as you can, thus you will spend more time fishing and less time retrieving your flies or tying on new ones.

Forget overhead casting - rolling and sidecasting is the order of the day. As you are coming at them from their blind spot, you should be able to watch them closely.

Be prepared to go down to 22's or 24's in low flows and degrease the tippet for a foot back from the fly on dries.

When you are wading make sure that you do not push any water forward at the fish from off your waders, that means you are going upstream at a slower pace than the flow coming down.

Stealth is the answer.

If the stream consists of pools and rapids, I'd fish every pool from the neck of the lower pool - that lets you avoid pushing water and keeps your profile low.

Play the fish by watching its head and if it wants line, give it some leeway- then the minute it turns sideways haul it in on a really low rod so that it is discouraged from leaping, that way you should be able to take fish without scaring its pals. Every time you catch a fish, rest the pool until you see three more rises. Then they have their false sense of security restored.

Avoid false casting - even with a side cast - in any position where the line or leader may cross over any fish. Take out the fish at the rear of any pool before trying for the fish further up, that way you won't spook the pod. Release the fish into the pool behind you, you will see him come back up a couple of minutes later. He will re-enter the pool naturally, rather than rush in. Play them really softly so they don't run, just wait for them to turn, then 'encourage' them to your hand/net very firmly.

When you hook up, play the fish with your rod down to your side. You should be fishing at three rod lengths or so, so overline the rod by one or two weights. Don't move your body, just your arms. Be a very slow robot. Anything under a pound is a doddle. Bigger fish are worth spooking the pool for. When casting, try to do so when the fish is looking the other way.

For your first couple of trips try to see how close you can get to your target, if they spook, stay really still until they resume feeding. Watch and wait; you should get a fish every other cast.. i.e. one every two or three minutes in a good hatch.

Unless it is wooded, you need to camouflage to appear like a piece of sky. Light grey/blue should still work and let you get really close... It works for herons.

Thanks for permission to post this, Roy.