It's Streamer Time!
The greased line method of streamer fishing has to be one of the most overlooked methods for streamer fishing for trout. Originally developed in Europe, the technique was developed to present a fly broadside for Atlantic Salmon.
The fisherman back in the day would grease sinking line to give it buoyancy. Floating lines were not even a thing yet. It was all-natural fly lines back then like silk. With the myriad of lines available today, I’m guessing there’s few that actually grease their lines. However, the technique of presentation, and fly selection, still hold true. Today, we just use floating lines.
The goal of the presentation is to have your fly “swim downstream”. This is a very natural look for baitfish. They are going to swim with the current, not against it in most circumstances. To accomplish this, cast slightly upstream with a large upstream mend. As the line gets tight, mend again to prevent the fly from swinging. You want to continue to do this throughout your drift. End with letting it swing.
This is a way to get the fly to swim downstream for the longest period of time. If using floating line, use a long leader to allow the fly to get down. Fly selection is also key here. I’m a huge fan of marabou flies in slow to mid-current conditions. Marabou comes “alive” in the water and is frankly one the best, most overlooked materials in my honest opinion. A woolhead sculpin also works exceptionally well. It floats well in the middle of the water column and has a great broadside presentation.
The faster the current, go ahead and have at some other flies like muddlers, sculpin, and buggers. I personally love our slumpbuster, aptly named as well! The critical elements here are floating line, a downstream “swim” for the fly, and about mid-level in the water column.
That’s it for now my fishy friends! Remember, pack it in, pack it out!
Tight Lines and Screaming Drags