Timeless Tips: When Fishing Streamers, Keep your Rod Tip Down!

When stripping streamers from a boat, I have received some confused looks when people see that I have my rod tip completely submerged in the water.  I do this for 3 different reasons.

1. Keep the fly deep while retrieving.  When stripping your fly back to you, if you have your rod tip high, the retrieval pattern of the fly will be in an upward motion, not one that is common to a fleeing baitfish (which we are trying to imitate).  Keeping the rod tip low and even in the water, will keep your line deeper and therefore keep your fly deeper as your retrieve it. 
2. It decreases slack between strips.  With a higher rod tip, the slack line (between your rod tip and the surface of the water) bounces in between your strips.  With a rod tip in the water, it gives you a tighter line and more direct contact to your fly, ie: you wont miss as many strikes. 
3. Lastly, it is easier to pick up and recast.  With the rod tip already low, you can go right into your next cast as opposed to dropping your rod tip, stripping in the new extra slack created by dropping your rod tip, then getting tension on the line before rising your rod to cast again.

Note:  One time where I do like to fish streamers with a higher rod tip is when I am using the rod to control the sink rate. If I am fishing a heavier streamer in a shallow riffle, keeping the rod tip up is a great way to fish some skinny water (where large pressured fish often reside) without snagging on the bottom.

More Tips on Trout Fishing:

• 5 Streamer Fishing Techniques
• Dry Fly Techniques
• Nymphing Techniques