Fly Fishing - Drift Fishing with a Drogue

The speed at which a boat drifts is dependant on the wind and/or the current.

If current were the only factor, it would be of little importance because the current, boat and fly would all move at pretty much the same speed. When there is no wind, the boat will move with the current, and an angler casting from the boat can retrieve a fly through the water at the speed the angler’s hand is creating.

When there is a significant wind blowing, often the wind will push the boat along so fast that it ‘overruns’ the fly. The angler can cast downwind, but before the fly has had time to sink to the ideal depth and for the retrieve to start, the drifting boat is over the fly. So depending on the drift speed, this may force a faster retrieve or, in a worst-case scenario, mean the retrieve is unable to commence before the boat reaches the fly.

A number of factors affect the speed at which a boat will drift. The primary factor affecting boat speed is wind, with the boat’s shape and the direction it is facing having lesser consequences. Drogues are used to slow a drifting boat and, to lesser extent, to control the drift’s direction.

Types of drogue

There are two common styles of drogue: the cone type and the rectangular type. Either will do, however the rectangular types are much more effective. Peter Hayes, a Tasmanian fishing guide, has improved the rectangular type so that it is easier to control.

A hole in the centre of the drogue actually increases resistance by making a vortex that the water passes through. Rectangular drogues usually have weights at the bottom and/or floats at the top to ensure they hang vertically in the water and don’t spin.

The cone drogue is little more than a bucket with a hole in the bottom (in fact, a bucket can be used as a crude drogue). Different sizes are available; the larger the drogue the more resistance it provides. Cone drogues slow the boat less effectively than rectangular models, provide less control over the drift direction, and make it more difficult to adjust the drift line by moving the boat either forward or backward during the drift. They are more difficult to retrieve than the rectangular variety as well.

Using the drogue

When the wind is pushing the boat along too fast to allow a controlled retrieve, use a drogue to slow the drift. The drogue is secured at the bow and stern so that it holds the boat side-on to the prevailing wind and drifts sideways downwind. As a rule, the closer the drogue is to the boat and the closer it is to the surface, the less it will slow the boat. Therefore, in stronger winds let more rope out to produce more drag and further slow the boat.

If the ideal drift is not directly downwind – for example, you may want to drift a shoreline – the drift direction can be controlled to a reasonable extent by lengthening either the bow or stern line so that the rectangular drogue is no longer parallel to the centreline of the boat.

A cone drogue controls the direction to a lesser extent if it is secured closer to the bow or stern. For this reason they are often secured by a continuous line that allows them to slide backwards and forwards easily.

It’s common to move your boat fore or aft in order to avoid an obstacle, such as a point or rock, during the drift. Depending on the circumstances, the outboard or a paddle can be used. A rectangular drogue has the advantage that it slides through the water end-on with little effort, while a cone swings around and must be dragged through the water if not retrieved.

A couple of safety issues should be kept in mind when using a drogue. When pulling them in, particularly the cone variety, there is a lot of resistance and it’s possible for a small boat to tip over or swamp if the occupant/s stand up and attempt to lift a fully set cone drogue aboard. Ensure it’s collapsed first. Most are equipped with a trip rope that allows then to be pulled in backwards. Secondly, when using the outboard, ensure that the drogue or its lines cannot be caught in the propeller. When motoring at speed ensure the drogue is well stowed – if it’s just resting on a gunwale it can blow overboard and set, causing an accident or even flipping the boat.

Fishing with a drogue

Once the drogue is set and the drift is on, it’s simply a matter of casting, usually downwind, and retrieving the fly at the speed desired. A sinking or floating line can be used depending on the depth desired; a floating line with an indicator, or a dry fly acting as an indicator, with a couple of nymphs hanging underneath, can be very effective.

Remember that the retrieve speed must take into account the drift speed – sometimes it has to be very fast, especially if the cast is directly downwind. Casting at 90 degrees from the drift direction, and from either the stern or bow, means that the boat speed will not affect the retrieve, and although the boat often drifts past the fly, it can then drag behind the boat.

The boat speed might be such that there isn’t time for the fly to sink sufficiently; it is normal when drift fishing to use a faster sinking line than would be necessary if fishing from a fixed position. Alternatively, a more heavily weighted fly reaches the strike zone before the boat overruns it.

Both aspects will see more fish in the net.

	This article is reproduced with permission of New Zealand Fishing News 2009 - by John Murphy Re-publishing elsewhere is prohibited