The McKenzie Angler

If you are great at dead drifting, stack mending, and you can get get the longest flawless uninterupted dead drifts, then I try and use the lightest weight possible (meaning flies only and no split shots)

—— or ——–

If you are great at dead drifting, stack mending, and you can get get the longest flawless uninterupted dead drifts, then I try and use the shortest tippet length possible from the bobber to the first fly (the tool fly). I use like a casual arms spread (like 3′ish).

—— or ———

If you are poor at dead drifting, have trouble getting your flies down, and you are a sloppy mender that cannot do it without making your bobber drag, then you can use heavier flies (and it is easier if you tie or buy really heavy flies vs adding split shots – they just add another lame hinging point on your cast) If you have to add split shots, then realize it makes the cast even harder than it is already if you are a poor caster.

———— or ———————-

If you are poor at dead drifting, have trouble getting your flies down, and you are a sloppy mender that cannot do it without making your bobber drag, then you can use longer tippet to the first fly (the tool fly). The extra length will factor out the slop that you are doing while mending and feeding line with drag, and so your flies will stay down longer.

Now you can play with the variables by adding some more weight and tippet or just tippet or just weight. You can take off weight or shorten up too. The art is having your optimal set up for what your personal ability is. The rod wt is one thing, but the set up for the flies is the most important part. Also the flies mentioned below are awesome for southern Willamette Valley streams, but I would not go to the Bighorn in Montana with that set up, or many delicate presentation streams.

The possie and mega are the top contenders for the south Valley without a doubt though, and the fish are 3x to the first fly and 4x to the second fly kind of fish.

1)Basically if you go out on the Mac with a 3x tippet going to your first fly which should be a #8 possie, #6-8 mega prince, #6-8 golden stone variety of some sort, a #6 black stone with 30″ – 4.5′ deep.
2)Then right off of the bend of the hook of the first fly (the tool fly) you tie on 4x tippet and put on 12″-14″ and then tie on a fly like a #8-12 possie bugger, #8-10 mega prince, #16-20 pheasant tail, #8-16 hare’s ear, #10-12 bh zug bug, etc etc..
3)All off of a med-lg thingamabobber ……you will catch fish…..
As long as you are fishing the right water………..