Fly Fishing the Mono Rig: Streamers -- Episode 1 

Thanks. That's cool.

Thanks, man. Pleasure was mine. Good day.

Nice

That's cool. Cheers.

Thanks, John. Appreciate that. We have a full series for streamers on the Mono Rig coming. Cheers.

Thanks, Jim.

Hi buddy. Thanks again.

Very kind. Thank you.

Thanks very much.

Thanks, John

Just piggy backing on this. Thanks for making it. 🙏

Cheers. :-) Thanks, man. I appreciate the kind words. I do value versatility on the water SO much. You make a point that I haven't thought of for a while. Since I stopped gigging (music), I think of how I do one thing (fishing). But yes, there are many aspects to this Troutbitten company that allow for creativity and intrigue. Thanks again for the support. Dom

@@Troutbitten Woah! I feel honored to get so many words lol. Didn't know you did music as well. That is cool! Maybe write/compose for videos now? I wouldn't look at it as good at "one thing" either. You are a master of your craft. I have always liked this quote, and it applies to what you said. "I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times". Tight lines my friend!

Thanks

Thank you, Jason.

You got it. Thanks for the support, David.

Thank you.

Cheers.

Many thanks.

Thanks for the support, Stephen.

Cheers

Thank you, Scott.

Excellent.

Right on.

Thank you, Peter.

Thank you.

Cheers.

Right on. That's my favorite trigger.

Thanks, Jon.

Good call. The main thing I love is the ability to control speed precisely.

Thanks, Mike.

Ha! That leaf was wild. Not stocked. Nice colors too. Cheers.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Well, thank you.

Cheers.

Nice

Ha. Yes you did. Thanks, Beau.

Very cool. Yes, we'll get going with about one a month. Thanks for the support. Cheers. Dom

Cheers

Thanks.

You're welcome!

Hi Philip. Likely about once a month.

Cheers

Great to hear that!. It's the NUMBER ONE that people miss with tight line styles. Things are much better, more effective and more enjoyable if you learn to cast the leader rather than lob it. troutbitten.com/2019/07/07/fly-fishing-the-mono-rig-its-casting-not-lobbing/

Ha. That's right. Most tight line anglers get around to throwing a streamer on there at some point. And if you really dig in, the options are wide open.

Hi there. That's all up to you and your situation for the day. Just a ton of factors go into that.

Cheers.

On it!

Hi Will. Good to hear from you. I appreciate the input. And what you are looking for is contained in the following episodes. We have a plan. Trust me. Think of this as the introductory chapter of a larger project. And in this introduction, a lot needed to be set up and communicated in a relatively short time. I know everyone wants more live shots. That stuff is coming. Thanks again for your support over the years, Will. Looking forward to seeing you again too. Cheers. Dom

Hi Ralph. I've used Stroft GTM but not FC1. The GTM was a good bit softer than Chameleon, in my hands. Dom

@@Troutbitten Thx a lot! Now I have a starting point for my efforts! 👍😀

@@RaHeHe Sure thing.

Hi there. I get that question sometimes. Short answer: because I also love using fly line for what it does well. And having fly line on the spool allows me to easily change leaders in a couple of minutes. Take off a thirty foot Mono Rig and change over to a standard leader -- easy. Also, you do NOT want to try to fill a fly line spool with Chameleon. Long answers, where I can expand more, are found in these Troutbitten articles: troutbitten.com/2017/03/21/get-me-back-to-my-fly-connecting-and-disconnecting-the-mono-rig/ troutbitten.com/2018/09/30/fly-fishing-the-mono-rig-q-a-lines-rigging-and-the-skeptics/ Dig in! Cheers. Dom

@@Troutbitten Do you use just a typical WF dry fly line?

Good stuff. I would strongly recommend fishing the Standard build first. It's so much more versatile and fun to cast. The micro rig is a terrible way to start tight lining, in my opinion, but it has it's place, once you have tight lining skills. Not sure what you mean about tippet size and trout takes. I guess it doesn't matter to me. I just set the hook fast but not far, just tighten up quickly, and don't break off fish. We can do that with 2x or 8x, right?

Thanks very much, I was referring to whether you thought there was much difference in leader visibility (from the fish's perspective ) when you go from 6x to 4x, do you feel like you're getting the same number of strikes ? Like you, I drink a lot of water when I'm on the river and was wondering if you had tried the Katadyne BeFree water purifier collapsible bottle, it folds up to fit in any fly vest pocket and you can fill up to one liter. If you haven't tried it you might want to check it out. I've used one for three years now and it works perfectly, and it sure solves the problem of having enough clean, cold water and not feeling like a pack horse. I really enjoy your work, thank you !

Good points.

Hi there. Chameleon has more power. Meaning, it's a bit stiffer and turns things over with more authority. That allows it to cast more like fly line. However, it also lays out flatter, with no coil when stretched. Chameleon is unique stuff. Lazar line actually hold more coil, especially in cold weather. Cheers. Dom

I do think it's good to start by overweighting the rig. Here's more: troutbitten.com/2018/02/08/over-or-under-your-best-bet-on-weight-2/

@@Troutbitten Thanks!

@@Whatsthecraicsir Right on

Sure thing. Over on the Troutbitten website. Menu under Shop.

Thanks for the kind words, Jim. You're question is a good one, but the answer has a lot of components. You're right that if you keep reading through the Troutbitten articles, you'll learn a lot more about my preferences. Here are a couple things: -- I'm certainly not the only angler to prefer stiffer materials like Chameleon. You'll find many, many formulas using Chamleon for its unique ability to lay flat once stretched but still perform with power. -- My approach is built on turnover. I employ a tuck cast, not just to get deep quickly, but to place the tippet and leader at whatever angle I choose. Without enough turnover power, that simply is not possible. -- I don't have any interest in competing. Some comp anglers choose to boil material or choose very supple nylons, in part fo tippet protection. I don't care about that. I don't use ultra thin tippets like 7x or 8X. I rarely use 6X. For the same reason, I don't need or want extra long or soft tipped rods. I don't really care of if bounce a small fish on a stiffer rod. I'm not trying to score an eight inch fish. I care most about not losing the large trout, instead. It really all comes back to turnover power. I choose to cast these rigs and not lob them. I think it's more enjoyable and more effective, if you get it right. Couple articles that directly apply: troutbitten.com/2019/01/02/fly-fishing-the-mono-rig-thicker-leaders-cast-more-like-fly-line/ troutbitten.com/2019/07/07/fly-fishing-the-mono-rig-its-casting-not-lobbing/ Hope you have fun with the experimentation. Cheers. Dom

Hi there. Blood knots in the thicker sections and anything that will pass through the rod guides. Double Surgeon's or an Orvis Tippet Knot for the tippet sections. Remember, none of these videos stand alone. There are many, many resources for you on Troutbitten. Here's the keystone article to the Mono Rig: troutbitten.com/2021/03/14/design-and-function-of-the-troutbitten-standard-mono-rig/ Cheers.

For sure

Hi there. Chameleon comes on different spool sizes. One of those sizes is called One Shot. But it's all the same material. Here's a full article, with a ton of supporting links on the Mono Rig. Design and Function of the Troutbitten Standard Mono Rig troutbitten.com/2021/03/14/design-and-function-of-the-troutbitten-standard-mono-rig/ That'll help.

@@Troutbitten Thank You!

Thanks for your comment. Couple things there . . . Please don't judge the Troutbitten project on one video. My work on the website, the podcasts and these videos covers everything about being on the water. I love these rivers deeply. I reflect that in the stories, photography and more. Here's one article that addresses two sides to every fisherman -- the technical and the love of the woods and water. Yes, of course we can have both: troutbitten.com/2016/10/09/two-sides-to-every-fisherman/ And in fact the latest podcast is a story about being on the river. No tactics. You might like it. troutbitten.com/2023/03/26/podcast-fish-it-anyway-a-story/ Also, don't assume that the purpose of Mono rig techniques is to catch the most trout per hour. I'm not sure where that notion comes from. We love the Mono Rig and tight line tactics because of the control it provides to the fly. Simple as that. So we are fishing rather than hoping. But with that control, a whole world of learning and working on skills opens up. That's what its about. As for the fly shop that I carry on the water . . . I like to be versatile. It's a fun way for me to approach the water. troutbitten.com/2022/07/03/podcast-the-versatile-angler-s3-ep15/

@@Troutbitten I admit my comment was rushed and I do believe your love of the river and fish is genuine. I guess I got frustrated after seeing countless videos with strike indicators and 4 flies on the leader and what not. I mean just net the river at that point and stop calling it fly fishing. When I saw your setup trying to exclude the fly line I had a similar feeling. Maybe I’m overreacting idk. I’ll die on this hill! 😅

Great question. Lots more here: troutbitten.com/2021/03/14/design-and-function-of-the-troutbitten-standard-mono-rig/ But the short answer is that Maxima Chameleon is pretty unique stuff. It lays dead flat when stretched, yet it is hard and stiff -- that makes it powerful. Power in a butt section is a very big deal to me because CASTING is the goal and not lobbing -- because it allows for many more options. Lazar Line holds a coil a lot more in the cold, especially, and it gets too soft in the summer. At not time is it ever as powerful as Chameleon, in the same diameter. I would love a Maxima Chameleon kind of line with full color. I would use that to film. It doesn't exist -- but I keep looking. I guess that wasn't a short answer. Link above will give you a lot more.

Hi Keith. Thanks. The video format is exactly how we want it. Be patient. What you would like to see is coming. Think of this as the introductory chapter of a larger project. Thanks for watching. Cheers. Dom

Hi John, Well, certainly not at this point. It's fly fishing because we're using flies, we're casting with fly line style casts, and because we are hand lining and not reeling in every time. I don't see why we need a traditional fly line for it to be fly fishing -- especially when the fly line does nothing but hurt the presentations. Lastly, the casting on a well-built Mono Rig is much more elegant than a fly line/bobber setup for nymphs, more elegant than throwing a sinking line for streamers for nymphing, but not as elegant as throwing a single dry (what is?) You said: "at what point is fly fishing ....not fly fishing anymore?" If that's a rhetorical question and you've already made up your mind, then disregard all of this, because it's not for you. But if you're asking the question in good faith, then consider learning more at the following Troutbitten links, which will explain SO much more than I can here. Think about what I call the "original sin" of fly fishing. If you're doing anything other than casing dries or wets, then you're already well past the original sin. More about what I mean in these articles: troutbitten.com/2017/03/01/bill-dance-and-jimmy-houston-go-fly-fishing-the-mono-rig-for-streamers/ troutbitten.com/2018/09/30/fly-fishing-the-mono-rig-q-a-lines-rigging-and-the-skeptics/ troutbitten.com/2016/02/03/the-mono-rig-and-why-fly-line-sucks/ Dig in, man. And see what I mean. Have fun. Cheers. Dom

@@Troutbitten fair enough you make some valid points ...each to there own ..as a long time fishing guide there is a point where some techniques are better suited to conventional gear ! I am far from a purist and learned its ok to pick up a conventional fishing rod from time to time as some water is better fished that way. you however have shared some great info in this video series for those that enjoy this way of fishing and that is cool. i will continue to watch your video's as they are well done ...keep it up !

@@johnhorner9692 Right on, John. I agree that some tactics are best left to conventional gear. I grew up fishing strung minnows on a spinning rod. I still fish Rapalas and spinners at times. It's good fun. When I do fish stillwaters, I prefer using conventional tackle if I need to get under the water very far, because I find it to be more efficient than fly fishing. But as you see in those article links, the Mono Rig really isn't designed to do what a conventional rod can. It's a long leader that functions like a fly line, if you treat it that way, yet it sags far less. There are many things you cannot do with conventional gear that you can do with a Mono Rig -- for example, cast a single #16 nymph thirty feet and dead drift it. I've tried, but that just doesn't work on conventional gear. Not enough weight in the nymph. With the Mono Rig, as I tie and fish it, we are casting the leader, not just using the weight of a fly to do the work of taking the line to the target. The leader pushes. And it can also be pulled. I write that not to try and change your mind or anyone else's, but just for clarity. Because there's a lot of misunderstandings that come from people calling all manner of things mono rigs and fishing them a lot of different ways. Cheers. Dom

@@Troutbitten another thing ... i think this technique could be better approached on a small switch spey rod ..as that's essentially how you are trying to cast the rig anyways

@@Troutbitten when you say ( for example, cast a single #16 nymph thirty feet and dead drift it. I've tried, but that just doesn't work on conventional gear.) that is simply not true ... it can be easily done with a center pin float rod ... in fact those center pin float guys will out drift us fly guys all day long ... on one of my local rivers there is a group of guys fishing this way chucking nymphs under the float ...and have been absolutely crushing it ... especially in the water that us fly guys have a hell of a time fishing ..

Well now that's not true. ;-) Thank you.

@@Troutbitten lol much love buddy.

@@HOLYdEYEver Cheers

@@Troutbitten now that I have your attention to a certain degree I have a question or five. How is this different from an euro nymphing setup besides the fact that you add enough 20lb maxima to eliminate the fly line? If you add the extra 20 maxima you can do....whatever you want? Is that your end goal? Add enough mono to make the terminal end totally modular?

@@HOLYdEYEver Hi. Kinda right. Yes, use enough of a butt section to keep traditional fly line on the reel. But, no, we can't do everything with it. It's a very versatile setup, but it surely has limitations. How's it different than a euro nymphing setup? Pretty significantly so, in some aspects. Not enough room in these comments to break it down. But here are two articles where I go into details that answer your questions: troutbitten.com/2020/05/17/beyond-euro-nymphing/ troutbitten.com/2018/01/10/what-is-euro-nymphing-and-what-is-the-mono-rig/ Hope that helps. Cheers. Dom

Cheers.