Swinging Emergers?

[Randyflycaster]

Thanks so much. Unfortunately, the streams here in NY that I fish are now closed. I did start swinging emergers a few days late the fly fishing season and didn't have much success - I was using emergers of my own design with CDC wings, so maybe the patterns were at fault - but then again, I was fishing for wild trout and fishing was difficult to say the least. When I switched to spider flies those days I also didn't have much luck.

The Lawrie book looks interesting. Any thoughts about it?

Randy

[UC Steve]

Sure, I swing emergers. But as to "technique", each run demands what, or what combination. Perhaps better than the pat answer, would be to say: let the water & the fish dictate the presentation.

[letumgo]

John - How long have you had that avatar? What a beautiful fly!

[Siksika]

I love to swing emergers. By that I mean, I like to swing flymphs (tied on a wet fly hook) and traditional wets subsurface (12"-18" below). I'll cast straight across and finish directly down stream, allowing the fly to emerge below me. I might even put a "Big Jim" lift on it at the end of the swing from time to time.
However, on spring creeks, I have a passion for casting flymphs and traditional wets (tied on dry hooks) upstream, letting them ride in the film. As it drifts I will give the "sudden inch" mend. I will do this all they way around and down on each cast.
My method in this is to start the fly as dry as possible and then slowly let it get wetter from cast to cast, depending on how the trout are responding. They might prefer it dry. They might prefer it half and half. They might be sipping them an inch from the surface. A little movement on, in or below the surface can be a real trigger sometimes and the takes have all the pomp and circumstance of a dry-fly take.
I have had great success with this during mayfly and caddis hatches. It is especially effective as a searching pattern/method when nothing seems to be happening.
Note: When doing this give yourself every advantage to hook up. Keep your line and leader clean and greased. A shorter tippet and higher-modulus rod are great for traditional wet-fly swing depths, but use a longer leader/tippet and softer rod for surface action. I prefer e-glass myself.

[Old Hat]

Siksika, good to see you posting. You fit right in with most on this forum I am sure.

[William Anderson]

Siksika, good to see you posting. You fit right in with most on this forum I am sure.

Carl, I agree.

Siksika, great to hear your take on the emergers. I think we share a lot of common ground.