Interesting thread. Personally, I tend not to use the terms wet or dry, rather I categorize flies according the the depth the fly is fished. I like to say that a fly presented in the top inch or two of water as - fishing on top regardless of if the fly is actually floating or not. IN a dry fly hatch, often the most effective presentation is that of an emerger right in the film of the surface. Though the fly is under the surface I still refer to this as fishing on top. That would even include an unweighted nymph fished just under the surface.

To me, nymph fishing refers to presenting the fly deep...with a bead or split shot to sink it.

Top or Deep!

Dave

Of course, most of my fishing is for trout on moving water. I do like to see a dry fly floating high and watch a trout take it. But realistically, I am content to watch a trout rise to a fly I know is there and where it is approximately, but can't see it....yet the trout rolls on it anyway. When fishing tiny flies such as midge and BWO patterns at the end of 40-50 foot casts, you could not even see the fly anyway.

Most patterns I use are small and simple...meant to fish in the film. As far as I am concerned, if a trout moved from it's lair on the bottom to take the fly anywhere above him and close to the surface, it means the trout is looking up and that is fishing on top.

As one that fishes "on top" whenever possible, I heartily concur. On moving water "downstream and dry" is just an exercise in futility. On many occasions (usually per fishing trip) I have stripped line out to increase my "drift time" as the fly goes by. But on those occasions the fly usually isn't coming back upstream "dry" very many times (if any) either.

If I'm ambitious, I'll change flies out once that happens. If not, (which is usually the case) I revert to the technique I offered in my original post to this thread, and start "swinging it". More times than not I'm lazy and leave the fly on until I'm convinced it won't be productive, and it doesn't seem to matter what fly I have on either. I've "swung" hoppers and humpys, adams and ants. I can't say they were overly productive in that technique, and it isn't one I'd recommend. But while I can't recall a specific example, I'd bet that they've all produced at least one fish, even when they should have been "back in the box".

So Dave, if I use your definition of "Top or Deep", I'm a 99.99% top water fisherman.

---David

I used to be a hard core nymph fisherman. I fished hard and caught tons of fish. I was always about the numbers and always tried to catch more than the next guy. The only time I would fish dries was in the middle of a hatch. After one particually sucessful evening fishing dries I got the idea I was going to fish nothing but dries (which I include cripples and emergers) the rest of the summer. That was about 4 or 5 years ago and I never looked back. To me there is nothing like getting that perfect drift with the perfect fly and seeing the fish come up and take it......... that is what keeps me coming back. My whole approch to fly fishing has changed. Before I used to seem to fight the river trying to catch as many as possible now I seem to go more with the flow, I am more asstute to the hatches and whats going on around me. I also figured out that even in the middle of the day with no hatch a properly placed dry fly can still produce. Your not going to do as well as a good nymph fisherman but hey you can still be successful.

For grayling i start out with a dry and emerger on a dropper. Sometime 50-50 takes, sometimes 80-20 takes either way, rarely 99-1 but happens . . . mostly on late lazy summer afternoons . . . and then i'll break off the fly not working ... and not look back. If absolutely nothing is rising i'll tie tungsten beadhead and a softhackle dropper. If i'm going deep 4-6' i'll add an indicator ( there . . .. i said it and am going to hell.) One best rod when wading. Two "perfect" rods when floating. Guess that makes me dry and/or wet for grayling.

For rainbows i start out mousing . . . then smolting . . . then egging. Whatever it takes to touch 25+ inch rainbows. Some days i never let the mouse rig out of my hands. Middle of a major chum spawn . . . egg and indicator is the only setup that gets the attention i need. I mostly do 10 day wilderness floats for rainbows and carry three rigged rod with two of the rods cased when not in use. ( I run some sometimes scary rivers to get away from the guided jet boat crowd.) Guess that makes me dry and/or wet for rainbow too.

( Disclaimer . . . always "ultra light" for grayling (but a couple of local rivers i wade and use a fast 4wt for smallstream smolting and end up touching more rainbows than grayling) . . . never "ultra light" when targeting exclusively rainbows.

Wish the rivers would thaw so I can Go Fish. This must be what a crack addict feels like with no stash !

Where ?

All places Alaska . . . but mostly north of Fairbanks and south of the crest of the Brooks Range . . . from a single engine plane . . . a canoe . . . a raft . . or a dual sport motorcycle. Life is good when there is flowing water somewhere

Born and raised in your country . . . still have home in Klamath Falls . . . but found a better way

I fish about 90% dry flies when UL-fishing. Perhaps I dont catch as much fish as those fishing wet or nymphs. But its my belief I have much more fun

I prefer dry fly fishing, if that's what they want. Presentation depends on whether I'm going after trout or warmwater species. My favorite is tossing a dry in the middle of some tuff, variable speed currents and getting that perfect drift and getting rewarded by Mr Trout. Still not an expert at the drag free drift, but when it happens it's a blast.

I prefer dries because I like watching the take, but I tend to follow the feeding patterns of the fish I'm chasing. In the morning hours on trout streams, I'll fish nymphs, leeches, buggers. But in the afternoon and fish are on the surface then I'll switch to terrestrials or the hatch dujour. I try to be very aware of the entymology of the water ecosystem that I am fishing. If I can match the food sources with an imitation, then it's game on.
How well you do, is based upon how well you read the conditions around you, and understand how to take advantage of them. For me it's not about the number of fish, it's all about how I can fool them into becoming my next gourmet meal.

Interesting well both and some.. I love fishing dries , also nymphs and spiders. The art of fishing spiders is controlling where your flies are within the water column from in the surface film to virtually on the bottom all drag free.
Dries upstream mainly but also downstream too. Grayling can often be caught more effectively fishing dries downstream. A reach cast is something you want in your armoury for getting that drag free presentation.
Nymph fishing is very effective but hard to do well. I am just experimenting with french leaders at the moment.

Andy