[Loxiafan]

Following Richard's post about L2H sometime last year, plus the controversy of Jeremy Lucas's articles in FTandFF I thought I'd post this clip of a John Pearson Delicate Presentation using a #3 Streamflex plus at 9' 6''- "Back lit to highlight nylon. Leader is 7.5-m of "tapered" with 2 m of level tippet (0.12mm diameter) for an overall length of 9.5m. No flies are attached and the knot between the flyline and leader butt is just outside of the tip ring" :

http://player.vimeo.com/video/34284256

(Sorry clip not embedding !)

Useable for dries/nymphs on the Don in Summer/low water/low wind given the range (presumably pushing 40 feet in the clip)?

Cheers,

Lindsay

[Rob Brownfield]

Thanks for posting this. Its a method I am very interested in, but with the constant wind on the Don, I am not sure how useful it will be.

[Loxiafan]

I have ordered one of the "enhanced presentation" leaders which are apparently designed for turnover in windier conditions. Will let you know how I get on in practice !

Lindsay

[Loxiafan]

For those that may be interested Fulling Mill produce a "Tactical Presentation Leader":

http://www.fullingmill.com/index.php?c=358&p=1425**

The use of the word "tactical" no doubt alludes to the involvement of Jeremy Lucas who has created much of the buzz in "leader to hand" technique (his term) in FF and FT. I understand he recommends this leader over others due to its suitability to dry fly. For those who read FF and FT this is presumably also the type of leader Ollie Edwards was arguing cannot be cast with any efficiency !

I too am sceptical (for the Don) but at least want to try the Pearson one since I have seen it cast reasonably well on the same kind of rod (more or less) that I use. Jeremy L is no mug either so I guess his must work too, certainly for him it does. We will see, a cheap experiment !

Lindsay

[Allan Liddle]

I tend to use off the shelf 'Carp' leaders to a fixed loop (very small) and then my leader from this (generally 3lb Maxima green) and team of (two) very small nymphs or wets.  Use the Streamflex 10' #4 or a #5 Streamflex Plus (wonder where they got that extension piece idea from?)  Have even been known to use the 'Plus Extension' on the 10' rod (handy in the tube as well for upland troots on the short line as it lets you work the flies longer).

Can be devastating in 'skinny water' but equally you can get stumped.  Good method to try out and very interesting, but still not my go to technique (dries), amazing the fish that seem to materalise from no-where on it as well.

Used to watch old guys fish similar to this with live bait on the Tweed / Clyde in my apprenticeship years (not all that long ago before you get yer oar in Noel)  12' soft rods and flyreel loaded with stiff nylon was all they used fishing everything from Brandling worm through Caddis (Staneman or Stickman depending on the outer casing material), maggot, docken grub, Stonefly Nymph (Gadger), natural fly, beetles, or anything else that was in or near the water.  Quite deadly and very skilled. (Yup confess to being a follower as well once upon a time, way back in the Dark Years, thankfully i've seen the light and have been reborn  )
Now who says all these methods are new?

Allan

[Rob Brownfield]

Used to watch old guys fish similar to this with live bait on the Tweed / Clyde in my apprenticeship years (not all that long ago before you get yer oar in Noel)  12' soft rods and flyreel loaded with stiff nylon was all they used fishing everything from Brandling worm through Caddis (Staneman or Stickman depending on the outer casing material), maggot, docken grub, Stonefly Nymph (Gadger), natural fly, beetles, or anything else that was in or near the water.  Quite deadly and very skilled. (Yup confess to being a follower as well once upon a time, way back in the Dark Years, thankfully i've seen the light and have been reborn  )
Now who says all these methods are new?

When I moved up here in the early 80's I lived in a wee village with a small burn running not more than 20 meters past my house. As I had moved up from a coarse fishing haven, I had very little fly gear, but I did have several light 13foot match rods and a few 8 metre Poles. These were all put into use to fish small baits upstream, and it was deadly. Infact, it got a little too predictable once I had sussed out the pools. Sounds like I was fishing a very old method indeed.

The pole was extremely good for this. I could stand at the bottom of a pool and fish a worm back through it without moving my spot. I even fished a team of spiders with a heavy nymph on the point...MacTenkara perhaps?

[Loxiafan]

Cheers for the comments Allan. I am actually primarily wanting to use it for close range dries, not much of a nympher me, though I hope to explore this too in summer in lower water levels.

Got the leader through just now. Seems well made ( I opted for Brown as I thought the clear mono was perhaps a bit "flashy" in the video demo. Perhaps clear would have been better for dries ? We'll see). Will see how I get on with a bit of practice, I am expecting a bit of a learning curve. I agree it will have limitations as far as the wind goes and unlike Lucas I don't think it will make my fly line redundant any time soon !

The only thing I have done remotely like it is dapping on lochs with floss lines, but for that you need the wind 

Cheers,

Lindsay

[Loxiafan]

The only thing I have done remotely like it is dapping on lochs with floss lines, but for that you need the wind 

Re-reading your post Allan I have also used upstream worm (with centre pin reel and 12' carp rod) as a boy on the Leven (Fife). No weights, just Pennel tackle hooks and a smallish worm cast upstream and allowed to trundle. Deadly just after a spate and in low summer conditions, possibly very unsporting looking back now, but when you are 15 no-one will tell you otherwise ! Also, caught 40 odd decent Perch this way in one day near Auchmuir Bridge which was hillarious !

FTR I moved over from "The Dark Side" many years ago and haven't even 'lapsed' to Streamers or Wooly Buggers in Rivers for Trout.........but there is still time ! 

L

[Rob Brownfield]

FTR I moved over from "The Dark Side" many years ago and haven't even 'lapsed' to Streamers or Wooly Buggers in Rivers for Trout.........but there is still time ! 

If done well, i would say there was more skill in upstream worming that there is in swinging wet flies for trout

Done wrongly it leads to deep hooking and "set lines", ie ledgering a static bait and putting the rod down to wait for a bite.

I am looking forward to tomorrows worm outing

[Allan Liddle]

Yup when fished correctly very skilled and very deadly.  You're right about the teenage bit as well.

Interested to know how the dry experiment goes, these same 'Old Guys' used to fish natural flies of all different kinds on 16, 18 or 20 light wire hooks, 12' soft rods ond mono only.  Never gave this much thought until read your comments.  Def a very delecate presentation for low clear water, got me thinking now....