# Is this considered fly fishing?



## Str8-Six (Jul 6, 2015)

Fishing heavy current and letting the fly sit back in the current with out stripping. Wiggling the fly a little bit with stripping hand and waiting for a bite.


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## BM_Barrelcooker (May 4, 2011)

Str8-Six said:


> Fishing heavy current and letting the fly sit back in the current with out stripping. Wiggling the fly a little bit with stripping hand and waiting for a bite.


yes as long as you have on a flat brim and the proper fish hippie gear.


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## tailwalk (Nov 20, 2016)

What do you think?


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Is it a spoon fly, san juan worm or tipped with squid?


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## Jason M (Aug 13, 2017)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Is it a spoon fly, san juan worm or tipped with squid?


To me fly fishing is casting and presenting the fly to fish with an artificial lure that couldn't reasonably be cast on conventional gear. 

That sounds like fishing with a fly rod.


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## Str8-Six (Jul 6, 2015)

tailwalk said:


> What do you think?


I think it’s an effective way to catch fish and I like catching fish. Similar to drifting fly down a trout stream except you are not recasting. Still need to
have the right fly.


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## Str8-Six (Jul 6, 2015)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Is it a spoon fly, san juan worm or tipped with squid?


No


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Str8-Six said:


> No


It was a joke because there are people who will do that.
What you are describing isn’t much different than casting a fly up current and taking up slack as it approaches you or moves across the area the current takes it.


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## Jason M (Aug 13, 2017)

Str8-Six said:


> I think it’s an effective way to catch fish and I like catching fish. Similar to drifting fly down a trout stream except you are not recasting. Still need to
> have the right fly.


You want to stir up some trouble what about if you were swinging flies and the line straightens out...


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## Skram (Feb 8, 2019)

Using current to your advantage to present the bait naturally isn’t bad. Whatever presents the fly to the fish the right way to trigger the eat.

I’ve caught a lot of fish while my fly is just sitting and I’m untangling my line haha. I still count em


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## Str8-Six (Jul 6, 2015)

Jason M said:


> You want to stir up some trouble what about if you were swinging flies and the line straightens out...


Not sure what this means..


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## WC53 (Dec 2, 2015)

Are you standing still and not stripping or casting because you have a beer in your hand? If yes, then it absolutely is


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## karstopo (Nov 28, 2019)

Does it work?


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## fishnpreacher (Jul 28, 2018)

If you are using a fly rod, fly line and legal fly, then it's fly fishing. If you are tipping your fly with a piece of squid or crab......that's bait fishing with a fly rod. There are a lot of ways to fly fish and a lot of different casts, retrieves, and methods. Are they all fly fishing to a purist? Maybe not, but if it catches fish?


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## tailwalk (Nov 20, 2016)

Str8-Six said:


> I think it’s an effective way to catch fish and I like catching fish. Similar to drifting fly down a trout stream except you are not recasting. Still need to
> have the right fly.


Well then there you go.


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## BM_Barrelcooker (May 4, 2011)

I guess I’m a bit of the liberal persuasion on this issue. While not dangling a streamer in current as many steel headers do , I am guilty of roll casting 15-20 feet to a redfish right by the boat. I’ve also had several hookups while reeling in my fly line. Both of these might be questioned by the more noble and pure minded fly fishers but are legit in my book. 
Do it however it gives you relaxation and pleasure.
We are only here for a little while.......ENJOY IT !!!!!


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## Shadowcast (Feb 26, 2008)

Str8-Six said:


> Fishing heavy current and letting the fly sit back in the current with out stripping. Wiggling the fly a little bit with stripping hand and waiting for a bite.


Very effective method when catching sharks on fly. If it works....it works. Still gotta cast the fly out there...so you are fly fishing.


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## tailwalk (Nov 20, 2016)

This makes me think of a scenario that happened a few years ago. I was fishing with a friend and we had anchored in a spot that gave a clear cast from the bow into a pocket in the mangroves. He would throw into the pocket, hook a fish, and while fighting the fish he moved down the side of the boat and opened up the spot on the bow so I could cast. I'd step up, cast into the pocket, hook up, and move down the side of the boat to open up the casting spot. He was done landing his fish so he'd take the bow and repeat, then I'd go, etc.. 

on one rotation I was letting my fly drag in the current while waiting for my turn when a snook grabbed the fly. Life was good that day. I don't care about what you want to call how I caught that fish. The point is we were out there having fun and not worried about the stresses or definitions of life on land. That's the dream to chase. Freedom.


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## TidewateR (Nov 11, 2009)

Str8-Six said:


> Fishing heavy current and letting the fly sit back in the current with out stripping. Wiggling the fly a little bit with stripping hand and waiting for a bite.


Isn't this how you fly fish for Salmon / trout?

@EvanHammer & @Baydreamer35 swing flies for Tarpon at spot called "the rig". They claim it is fly fishing. I believe them.


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## fishnpreacher (Jul 28, 2018)

I consider this to be fly fishing more than I do tenkara......


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## Str8-Six (Jul 6, 2015)

This is a variation of the fly, 4/0 hook. Depending on current speed I might use a lead eye to get it down a little further. I anchor with ipilot up current of the bridge and cast back to the shadow line. Once in the shadow line I just let it sit there in the current and occasionally wiggle the fly with my stripping hand. I jumped 5 tarpon in a recent trip using this method. Landing them is the difficult part.


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## bryson (Jun 22, 2015)

Sounds like a fun time no matter what. Night fishing or daytime? I've always thought that fighting tarpon at night would be tricky.


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## Str8-Six (Jul 6, 2015)

bryson said:


> Sounds like a fun time no matter what. Night fishing or daytime? I've always thought that fighting tarpon at night would be tricky.


Only tried at night but I’m sure it will work during the day with a light leader and under right conditions. I’d say it’s at least 10x harder to land a bridge tarpon at night vs open water fish during day. At least at Bahia Honda as most fish are 100+ and run between the pilings every time.


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Trout fly fisherpersons use current to drift the fly then when it stops leave it there. Carp fly fishers drag the fly in front or very near to the carp and then let it sit, no movement.
While fly fishing for grass carp on a pond I some times drag the fly in the water from spot to spot rather then bringing all the line in. I've caught bass, bream and grass carp like this. Didn't land the grassies but did hook it. I was fly fishing, had a fly rod and a fly


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)




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## BM_Barrelcooker (May 4, 2011)

TidewateR said:


> Isn't this how you fly fish for Salmon / trout?
> 
> @EvanHammer & @Baydreamer35 swing flies for Tarpon at spot called "the rig". They claim it is fly fishing. I believe them.


this EvanHammer guy .........I’ve got to fish with him sometime.


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## tailwalk (Nov 20, 2016)

Another scenario that comes to mind here:

Poling back to the anchor buoy we saw two tarpon laid up on the bottom. We were moving up current and the fish were facing the same way. My mind drifted back to a November day in a New England stream on the opposite end of the thermometer.

Standing in the middle of the stream, thankful for the waders and smartwool, I spotted a trout holding upstream. I cast above him and let the fly drift down across his face. As it approached I watched the fish lift up slightly and open its mouth to grab my fly.

Back (way) above zero I wondered what the tarpon would think of that. So I cast way above them and let the fly drift and sink their way. The dark blurry shape turned into well defined scales and a huge eye as one of them got out of bed for a snack! 

I could have executed either move with any old stick off the ground. Should I care?


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