Norfolk Fishing Network 2004 - 2024 - Fly Fishing on Still Water

Our November 2002 contribution from Terry Lawton When fishing Northampton-style, or on the rudder, the boat is set-up so that it is propelled bow-first by the wind, as opposed to drifting sideways as in the traditional loch style. Done well by a skillful angler, it is a very effective way of catching big, deep-holding fish.

Fishing on the rudder, or Northampton style, allows the boat angler to fish at a great range of depths and target the bigger fish that swim deep. The essential difference between traditional loch-style fishing and the Northampton-style is that when fishing Northampton-style the boat is set-up to drift down-wind bow first with the anglers fishing over the stern, although lines can be cast to the side, known as the side-swiping technique. Fishing loch-style involves setting the boat to drift side-on, with the angler or anglers casting over the side with the wind on their backs.

Fishing Northampton-style involves using lures and lines of different sink rates so that they can be fished at the depth at which the trout are holding and/or feeding, although nymphs and floating lines can be used successfully when the fish are high in the water. Done well by a skillful angler it is a very effective way of catching big, deep-holding fish. Although the basic set-up and technique is easy to describe, like so many different ways of fishing, there is more to the Northampton-style than is immediately obvious.

A heavy lure rod for suitable 9 to 11# lines and fast sink and super-fast sink shooting heads and suitable backing are the main requirement, as well as a selection of lures and strong tippets. Strong tackle is needed to cope with hard takes from big fish as your are fishing from a boat moving quickly in the opposite direction.

Although the use of shooting heads is popular (because of the extra distance they can be cast), on a windy day they need careful management as the light shooting line can get blown about. Because they can be cast further, shooting heads give the line and flies more time to sink so they can reach greater depths. Heavier, faster-sinking lines are needed when the wind is strong because your boat will drift faster and the heavy line will be needed to get the flies down quicker.

There are three main ways to achieve bow-first drift. You can use a drogue which is tied to the middle of the stern of the boat. A drogue will slow your drift as well as keeping the stern to the wind. The use of drogues of different sizes can be beneficial as they will give you some control over your speed, particularly on very windy days, rather than simply hurtling flat-out down-wind. The second way, where allowed, is a rudder clamped to the stern of the boat which is used to set and control the angle of drift. The third and most popular way is to use a pair of oars.

When using the oars, they are placed in the aft-most rowlocks and swung along-side the boat, blades to the rear, vertical, and as near the stern or as far beyond as possible. The handles are then tied to the midship rowlocks with bicycle inner tubes. When everything is set-up, you can adjust the angle of drift by "shortening" or "lengthing" one or other oar as well as altering the weight distribution of the anglers in the boat.

The object of the exercise is to fish and search for feeding fish at different depths. Two people can fish at different depths by using different lengths of line as well as lines of different sink rates. After you have cast, by counting the number of armfuls of line as you pull it off the reel, you can measure the depth at which you are fishing. If you catch a fish, by pulling off the same amount of line on your next cast, you should return to fishing at roughly the same depth. If at the end of a drift you have not been successful, then try a different line and fish a different depth.

Another technique that is best practised in light and gentle breezes is known as side swiping. The object of this technique is to present your flies on a long swinging curve. Each angler in the boat casts to one or other side of the boat and as the boat travels downwind, the flies or lures are pulled round in a very enticing curve. You need to use a line that will sink fast enough to avoid making too much disturbance of the water surface but will still get your fly down if the fish are holding well below the surface. When fish can be seen feeding near the surface, then use a slower sinking line. When side swiping you will need to establish the best swing pattern as well as the best depth. You may have to keep checking and changing both to keep catching fish, particularly if conditions are very changeable.