# Fly Fishing "THE SHORT GAME."



## captken (Feb 24, 2008)

<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt">Fly Fishing: The Short Game.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>[/B]<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt"><o></o>[/B]<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">When fly fishing out of my kayak, I depend a lot on my short game. Long casts require too much effort and, for the most part don?t catch any more fish than my usual less than 30 footers.<o></o><P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><o></o><P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">Actually, my casting most often resembles casting a spinning rod more than ?<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1:City><st1lace><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">Normal</st1lace></st1:City><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">? fly casting. Many fly fishermen would turn up their noses at my casting but there is ?Method in my madness.?<o></o><P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><o></o><P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">To start with, I fish with a 7? 5wt. rod with no fly line as most folks know it. My line consists of about 100 yards of 30# test Cortland Micron Flyline Backing with ~2? of 30# lead core trolling line with 12? of 20# Stren Dura Tuff Mono and a foot of 10-12# Dura Tuff for a leader.<o></o><P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><o></o><P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">Casting (Such as it is) is duck soup. With the leader and lead core plus about 2 feet of backing off the tip and hanging off the port side of my yak, I swing the rod horizontally to the stbd. side, loading the rod. I point the rod toward where I want to drop the fly and allow the line to shoot. Twenty to 30 foot casts are easy and accurate. This is side arm casting so the line makes only a tiny splash as it lands.<o></o><P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><o></o><P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">The rod lies across my lap or stripping basket and I strip with both hands. Setting the hook is super simple, just a quick twitch of which ever hand is pulling the line at the strike.<o></o><P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><o></o><P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">Wind is seldom an issue unless it interferes with anchoring and boat handling. Actually, a little ripple is a good thing because it breaks up your outline. <o></o><P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><o></o><P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">The flies I use are simple too. I use regular Bass worm hooks and seldom more than a half dozen grizzly hackle feathers and a little hot orange or hot pink thread for the head. In the same situation, my Dad would add a size 0 or 1 silver Colorado Spinner in front of the fly. Chances are, he?d out fish me too. A simple brown or olive wooly worm is deadly on Mangrove Snapper, especially if you add a tiny strip of GULP, FishBite or even shrimp to the hook.<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><o></o><P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">I usually fish this way while at anchor, casting at obvious spots like run-outs rocks, logs, docks, etc. Count your fly down and keep the fly as deep as possible. I don't get hung often because the fly is darn near snagless when tied upside down.<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><o>This is absolutely deadly in October and November when the Flounder are around shallow docks. In the Gulf Shores area, try Cotton Bayou. The Interrarity Point area was good to me too, especially for big Trout. Of course, I haven't fished the area in years.</o><P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><o></o>


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## captken (Feb 24, 2008)

If anybody is interested in how I build these short shooting heads, just ask.


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## fishFEEDER9697 (Sep 30, 2007)

interesting.


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