Reading the latest issue of STS last night. An article on fly fishing instructs the reader to use a lead slinky to sink his fly in the faster currents. Is this not drift fishing? Should I go get a fly outfit so I can drift fish the "fly fishing only" waters?? What's your opinion?

Quite a common technique on the Great Lakes tribs, though why anyone would use fly gear to drift fish is completely beyond me. And no, don't try using that type of tackle in a fly only area in Washington, the regs are quite specific about not allowing additional weight to be added to the line.

Sounds like they ran the same article that came out in Wild Steelhead & Atlantic Salmon Mag a year or two back.

I just don't understand why they don't call gear fishing' gear fishing and flyfishin' flyfishing ...

Gearfishin it is!

Hey guys, just think trying to actually cast that set up on a flyrod. They must be using like 12wt fly rods. I know what it's like throwing a weighted fly, let alone a slinky on an 8 and 9 wt rods.

I understand their reasoning behind the slinky, but why not use extrafast sinktip flyline. I haven't had a problem yet keeping on the bottom. Oh well...

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you haven't lived til you've rowed a cataraft. Friends don't let friends run Outcasts.

An alternative to fishing lead on a flyrod is to fish a lighter rod with a single action centerpin for a reel. I fish a GL3 with a JW Young Seldex and find it as enjoyable as fishing my 8wt. Fishing lead or heavy shooting heads is essentially drift fishing anyways(have you ever seen guys cast shooting heads....UGLY!). With a centerpin, once you hookup, the fight is the same as on a flyrod.
In my opinion fly fishing should be graceful and relaxing, and chucking lead and heavy heads defeats the purpose.Just a thought....

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Long Live O. Kisutch

Fly fishing is generally understood to mean that the weight of the line engages the action of the rod to make the cast. If weight in the "fly" or a slinky added to the line contributes to making the cast, then it certainly would not be fly casting, and some of us don't really think it is fly fishing either. I've tried both casting heavily weighted flies and adding weight to my leader. Ain't fun. A spinning rod and reel is much better suited to that purpose. Oh well, different strokes . . .

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

The great aspect about fishing is we can, for the most part, chose our own methods according to our pleasures. For me, to fish a floating line for steelhead is pure pleasure. If I wanted to attactch a large strike indicator and a "jig" fly to my floating line, I would prefer to do so with a float rod and spinning reel. To do the same to accomodate "flyfishing only" regulations... well to each his own. A drifting rod is much better adapted to "sling slinkies" but again, to each his/her own.

DaveD