Getting the most out of big streamer flies
I still remember the first time I tied on one of those massive big streamer flies and felt like I was trying to cast a wet gym sock. It felt a little ridiculous, honestly. There I was, standing in the middle of a beautiful river, hucking this six-inch-long bundle of marabou and deer hair that looked more like a drowned squirrel than anything a fish would actually want to eat. But then it happened—a flash of gold from under a sunken log, a head-shaking strike that nearly jerked the rod out of my hand, and I was hooked for life. There's just something about moving big flies that triggers a predatory response you simply won't get with a tiny nymph or a dainty dry fly. ...