Speed leads happen mostly in one lane, and they go faster than their parent current. Lane changes are exactly what they sound like — the fly is traveling in one lane, and then we deliberately bring the fly over to a nearby lane and travel down that one.

The speed lead is a term coined by our friend, Josh Stewart. Way back in 2017, I published a few articles about low-riding streamer presentations, with streamers tied on lead ball jigs. I’d gotten the idea from Rich Strolis, and it was a bit of an underground thing at the time. I remember that Stewey got in touch after reading my article, and we started sharing ideas and presentation styles with some of these flies. When I described leading low but faster than the current, Josh said he called it a speed lead, and it was one of his best tactics for stirring up big trout.

The Speed Lead is a big part of what we do with streamers. It's another animation to mix in while reading and working the water, searching for the best way to present the streamer. Lane changes are the perfect compliment for a speed lead.

My friend, Austin Dando, joins me for a great discussion.

Resources

READ: Troutbitten | Category | Streamers
READ: Troutbitten | Streamer Presentations -- The Speed Lead
READ: Troutbitten | Streamer Presentations -- The Endless Retrieve
READ: Troutbitten | Troutbitten Fly Box -- The Jig Streamers

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We've covered many animations in these series. We’ve talked about the streamer head position and its direction, about cross current movement vs holding one lane. We've covered jerk strips, glides, slides, fast, slow, quick or smooth, we talked about drop rates and a lot more.

And now, we're here to talk about one of the most basic movements performed on any fly, lure or bait — jigging.

Moving the fly up and then letting it drop — it’s such a simple motion that it might seem silly to spend much time on the topic. But like so many other good things in fishing, jigging is a world of its own. And there are, in fact, a multitude of variables to consider and to play with.

In this episode, we talk about angle, depth and speed of the jig, cross current or one current jigs, free falls or pendulum drops, and more.

My friend, Austin Dando, joins me for a great discussion.

Resources

READ: Troutbitten | Category | Streamers
READ: Troutbitten | Streamer Presentations -- Jigging the Streamer
READ: Troutbitten | Troutbitten Fly Box -- The Jig Streamers

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This steamer presentation is what streamer anglers probably do most — swinging the flies. From what I see on the water, what I read in articles and watch in videos, I think it’s fair to say, swinging is a pretty popular look.

But it’s also fair to say that swinging is what we do the least. I think part of that is regional.

Swinging streamers is a good tactic. It’s not our preferred method, but that might not matter to you and to the trout in your waters. That’s kind of the point to this whole Streamer Presentations series — I think it’s best to be armed with a wide range of tactics — or presentations. Try them all, and then let the fish decide.

I mix in swings every day that I fish streamers. I give swings a chance. Sometimes a swing suits the moment better than anything else. And sometimes I let a slow slide or cross current strips finish out below me, allowing tension to change the head angle, and I finish by letting the fly swing out.

Swinging is arguably the easiest presentation on a streamer. That also might make it the most relaxing. It’s a great way to cover a lot of water, and it’s an easy way to stay in rhythm.

We get more refusals with a swing than with most other tactics. We also average smaller trout to the net. That might have a lot to do with a swinging presentation being more attractive than natural. And when we do get a solid take on a swing, clean hooks sets can be challenging and we’re in a bad place to start fighting a good fish.

My friend, Austin Dando, and I cover all of that and more in this episode.

Resources

READ: Troutbitten | Category | Streamers
READ: Troutbitten | Natural vs Attractive Presentations
PODCAST: Troutbitten | Night Fishing for Trout - Swinging and Drifting

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