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Loch Style fly-fishing involves fly-fishing from a boat, side onto the wind, using a system incorporating one or a number of flies. There are both wet and dry lock style fishing techniques.
The dry fly technique involves casting out in the direction of the drift, stopping the cast above the water so as to let the team of flies settle, waiting the desired time (often only 5 to 10 seconds) and then repeating the process in a slightly different position. Dry fly Loch style fly fishing covers a lot of water in a short time. The flies used are ordinary dry flies such as those shown in the dry fly page of this website. When selecting a team of flies try to balance the selection so that the most aerodynamic fly is on the point and the least aerodynamic fly is on the top dropper.
The wet technique involves casting out in the direction of the drift, fishing the flies using some or all of the following techniques:
Fishing the drop can be very productive. Its important however to keep in contact with the flies by retrieving just fast enough to keep pace with the drift of the boat. If you don't do this its possible that you will miss takes or that fish will spit the fly before you can set the hook. Once the flies have dropped to the selected depth you can fish a single or combinations of retrieves from almost static to fast Roly Polly retrieves. At the same time you can either fish a smooth action or a jerky action. Once the flies have been retrieved as far as you want to retrieve you can simply lift them from the water and recast or you can mimic the action of a rising nymph and lift the flies and even let them drop again. If fish are responding to this sort of action its possible to incorporate more than one rise and subsequent drop in a single retrieve. Between lifts and drops its often useful to incorporate a hang of the flies just to give any interested fish a chance to take the fly. Once you have the flies at the surface you can also dibble or even skate one or each of the flies across the surface to give fish one final chance to hit your fly.
Have a look at a full list of loch style flies featured on this web site: QUICK LINK
From the above list I choose to carry just these few:
Wake or bob flies.
On a sinking line the top dropper fly or Bob fly is often the fly that gets deepest and the first fly that trout see. Fish will often follow the Bob fly all the way in but turn away at the last moment and take the middle dropper fly or point fly. Alternatively when fish are taking just below the surface creating a surface wake is just the trigger needed to solicit a strike.
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Yellow
Pink
Lime |
Dropper flies - Bob or middle.
Match the hatch from streamers, nymphs & emergers or other fly boxes or try these specific loch flies
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Gold body
Red body
Green body |
Attractors
Generally fished on the middle dropper to bring attention to the team of flies - any of your flashy flies can be used but it may be worth having just a few of the following to fill any gaps
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Yellow/orangePinkChartreuse |
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Silver
Gold |
Point flies
By far my most successful point flies are the flies I list in 'My favourite buggers' but most nymphs, midge pupa and grubs, streamers and pulling flies, dry flies, emergers and boobies have their day as point flies depending on what fish are feeding on so try to match the hatch where possible. It can be a trade off but it's often worth having a heavier "anchor" fly on the point so as to ensure that you have contact with your full team of flies. I have a couple of specific 'anchor flies' for loch style fishing as set out below.
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Last Updated: January 18, 2011
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