I came across this entry while browsing our site and thought it should be re posted to keep it current. Many times when we are looking for fishing information, our efforts are hampered by the engine we are using. I like to use HotBot when Google comes up short. What ever the case, have fun fishing. Here is a reposting of Dick Penney's Article:

Chris Henson at Kittery Trading Post's fishing department says that there are a lot of misconceptions about trolling streamer flies for salmon and trout. "You have to judge the mood of the day to the variances of what you do to become a steady, productive streamer fly troller."

"If you are trolling with more than one line, it's important that they both be the same type of line, as mixing fly line or leadcore lines with mono lines is going to produce a lot of tangles. Mono line cuts through the water but fly lines more or less follow the path of the boat. So the mono will cut across the path of the fly line or leadcore lines and produce the tangles. Also, leadcore will track somewhere between what mono and fly line will do and is not compatible with either at times."

"Smart fly trollers will never start with duplicate flies on each line. You want to have a dark fly, such as the gray ghost or nine-three patterns on one line and a brighter fly such as the black ghost or Mickey Finn on another line. If you have more than two lines out, make sure that third line has a different fly pattern. When you find out what colors are working, then change over."

"Only on rough days would we recommend fishing with a floating fly line and then a light split shot may be needed to keep your fly in the right depth. Sink tip lines are okay for dark and rough days. For the bright, calm days, a long full sinking fly line is the key, along with a leader that can be as long as you choose, but should be at least the length of your fly rod."

"Fish your fly lines at different lengths from the boat. You'll want to try a short line off the back of the boat that rides deep enough to stay in the prop wash that can be back from 10 to 15 feet to around 40 feet. Your other lines should be back from 50 to 100 feet, depending on the length of your fly line. Cortland makes a trolling, sinking fly line that is 50 yards long and is very popular among fly trollers."

"Try to keep your boat on structure, either over schools of smelt or ledges or humps. Don't just take a boat ride with a predetermined destination! If you catch a fish don't just keep going. Turn around and hit that same place again at least a couple of times and if you keep catching fish there, stick with them until they stop hitting and then head to a different location."

"Trolling in a straight line isn't the best idea as making turns will vary the speed of your flies. On a turn, if you get a hit on an outside line, you know the fish liked the faster fly speed. A hit on the inside line should acknowledge the fact that hit came on the slower fly. Vary your speed accordingly. Keeping your rod in hand and imparting a jigging action will almost always increase your luck."

"Some people don't realize what the difference is between a single hook fly and a tandem hook fly. A fish hooked on a long single hook has a lot of leverage on the hook and often enables a fish to twist and throw the hook. Because the back hook of a tandem hook streamer is flexible, a fish is less apt to be able to shake that hook. For smaller flies, it's okay to go with a single hook. For the larger flies, stick with the tandems," Chris said.

E-mail this entry to a friend