Spey Tips Video Series #5: Fred Telleen’s Drop & Pop Method for a Predatory Response
In 2015, North 40 Fly Shop launched a trout spey clave on Montana’s Missouri River. Fortunately, the Mo is a perfect canvas to play the trout spey game, and everyone who’s attended said they’ve had a blast . . . so we’ve continued the annual clave and will do so again in 2018.
Our goal is to provide instruction and showcase all the amazing rods, lines and fishing systems available to trout anglers in this increasingly popular approach. In addition to explaining the cast and highlighting the tools, we also want to teach anglers how to effectively use these new fly delivery systems to catch trout. Making a long, beautiful cast is one thing; the goal remains to present a fly to the fish in a way that triggers an eat.
At our 2017 event, we filmed a series of spey-tips shorts and we’ve shared those with you over the past month. These tips should help you on the water and I hope my personal spey-tip clip, called the Drop and Pop, does the same. Thanks for tuning into North 40’s Spey Tips Series.
One of the things I love about swinging flies for trout is the duration of each swing. With a long cast, there is time to view, think and break down the water. I like to visualize what my fly is doing, how the fish are seeing it and what I might do to trigger a chomp. It’s a game of cat-and-mouse; I want the cat to eat, but I can only imagine where he might be.
The Drop and Pop is one trick to inciting a reaction. By quickly moving my arm forward, tension is released and the fly pauses and drops downstream. Soft materials expand and flare while performing this move, creating an increased profile. A weighted fly even sinks a little. Imagine for a moment you are a predator. You want to crush prey. The prey suddenly bows up and tries to look bigger and possibly intimidating. What do you do? Do you back down or do you tense up, enraged at the audacity of your potential target? That’s what I imagine happens on the drop.
After the drop, I pull my arm abruptly back to my hip. This “pop” causes the fly to dart forward. Imagine your fly on the pop. As it compresses and lunges forward, a trout’s predatory attack mechanism is triggered. The cat seldom attacks a static mouse, but he’s tense and ready to charge. It’s when the mouse dashes that the cat pounces. Predatory fish should respond as the cat does. With the drop and pop, you can sell your fly as a target that must be crushed . . . before it gets away. Good luck out there with your trout spey. See you at the clave in 2018.
Did you catch Spey Tips Video Series #4: Targeting Giants With Paula Shearer?