Dead Driftfly fishing glossary
A presentation where the fly floats naturally with the current, without drag from the line.
A dead drift is the gold standard for most nymph and dry fly presentations. The goal is to make your fly move at exactly the same speed as the current, as if no line were attached.
How to Achieve It
- Mend upstream after the cast to remove belly from the line
- High-stick in close quarters to keep line off the water
- Feed slack on longer drifts to extend drag-free float
Any unnatural movement (drag) will alert wary fish and result in refusals.