Drift Boat Fly Fishing Tips
Drift boats are an effective way to cover and fly fishing a large amount of water that is inaccessible by other means. Although unfamiliar to many visiting anglers, floating is THE standard method to fly fishing the large and medium-sized rivers in Montana where the best fly fishing in the state occurs. Unlike many other western states - Colorado or Wyoming for example - anglers are able to get out and fish throughout a river's course and boats are permitted to anchor wherever feasible in Montana.
The rivers of Montana are relatively large and difficult for most anglers to wade in a manner that allows them to cover more than a mile or two of water in a day. When floating, we are able to cover 8-12 miles of river in a day, enabling anglers to focus on the most productive water while enjoying the stunning river scenery that changes around every bend. Additionally, the slightly elevated angling positions (anglers can fish sitting or standing in most drift boats and rafts) make for more efficient casting strokes with less concern for hooking trees and shrubs on the back cast. Both experts and novices come to appreciate this quickly once they fly fish from a drift boat for the first time.
Here are a few tips to help with fly fishing from a drift boat:
- Across stream casting at a right angle to the boat will allow the fly to have a long drag-free drift, and tangles will be minimized when two anglers are simultaneously making parallel casts. If the fly is moving slower than the boat you can quarter your cast downstream on an angle to the bank, but both fishermen must be in sync with casting or tangles will occur.
- Keeping your back cast high is also very important because it keeps the flies from finding their way into other people on the boat.
- Since your back cast will be higher than it is when wade fishing you must bring you forward cast down to a lower angle than you normally would.
- Mending is another important aspect to drift boat fly fishing. Mending allows for the drag-free drift essential to tricking trout. If the boat is moving faster than the fly you will mend downstream, and if the boat is moving slower than the fly you will normally mend upstream.
- You don’t have a long time to hit a target with a drift boat, so looking downstream for the next lie will help you to be ready for the next cast.
- Accuracy makes a big difference in the number of strikes you will receive. Adjusting the length of the fly line out of the reel for the cast distance of a particular drift makes it easier to accurately hit a target. False casting too often is a common mistake.
- False casting causes more tangles, and your flies are in the air instead of the water where the fish are.
- Keep your rod tip low and pointing at the fly or strike indicator while drifting, this gives the angler a greater range of motion when setting the hook.
- Typical casting distances are 2-3 rod lengths from the blades of the oars, so keep in mind that most casts will only need to be 20-30' in length. Longer casts are needed at times for sure, but a skilled oarsman is always reading the water with the intention of being just far away from a likely holding spot to not spook fish while also staying in the same current as anglers are trying to cover with their flies.
Our Montana fly fishing guides are skilled instructors, anglers, and oarsmen (and women) that work tirelessly to communicate angling instructions to our guests. They offer casting instructions and guidance throughout the day as situations and tactics change. Their ability to "read the water" is top-notch and gives the angler the edge when trying to determine where that next cast or drift should be targeted while floating. They untangle lines, change flies, change setups, unhook fish, net fish, and take photos of fish and guests - all while safely navigating wild rivers full of boulders, mixed currents, and submerged trees. These folks are skilled, to say the least.
Fins and Feathers Guide Service has been outfitting Montana fly fishing trips for 25 years on the legendary wild trout rivers near Bozeman. Guided fly fishing trips can be booked online, via e-mail, or by calling us at 1-406-468-5019.
