Understanding Drag-Free-Drift: A Vertical Profile of Stream Velocity

“Drag-free-drift” was repeated to me like a mantra in my early years fly fishing. The goal when fishing with a fly (other than catching lunker trout!) is to present your pattern in such a way that it imitates an insect suspended in drift and traveling the speed of the water. The challenge with this is keeping your fly-line from catching the current and skating your fly through the water. This challenge is multiplied when fishing wet patterns as the stream velocity changes from the surface down to the substrate.

As a rule, the closer the water gets to the side of the channel, the slower its velocity.

At the surface of the stream we find the greatest velocities. There is minimal friction between the air and water so your fly and fly-line will always travel the fastest on the surface. As we move down within the water column we will reach a point of average velocity at 60% the total stream depth. At this pivotal depth we are beginning to experience the dampening effect of the turbulence and friction created by the channel bottom. Above this depth is the Zone of Greatest Velocity Gain, while below it is the Zone of Greatest Velocity Loss.

As we move towards the bottom of the channel the water expends energy against the substrate due to friction. Cobbles and boulders on the channel bottom reach up into the water column obstructing the flow and further reducing the stream velocity. The effect of friction reduces stream velocities down to 0 meters per second at the substrate-water interface (the boundary layer). This sheltered, low velocity layer is where we find the majority of aquatic invertebrates sheltering.


Here are a bunch of Simuliidae (black fly) larvae clinging to a rock and filtering food out of the slow moving boundary layer.


These Baetidae mayfly nymphs (Blue-Winged Olive) are able to maneuver through the boundary layer on this boulder due to their flattened bodies.

Fish also take of this zone of decreased velocity to conserve energy and make forays into faster water to grab insects that come off the bottom and into the drift.


Note how this Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) is sheltering in the low velocities next to the substrate.

To achieve drag-free-drift, specifically when fishing wet patterns, we need to compensate for the greater surface velocities so that we don’t skate our fly through depths of lower velocity. This calls for constant mending of your line against the prevalent current to maintain a vertical profile of your fly-line over your fly.

I hope helps you get down to where the lunkers and holding and catch more fish. So until later, keep you r fly on the water and I hope to see you on the river!

Invertebrate and fish photos taken from troutnut.com

Fishing the River Continuum Concept - Insight in the Fly Box - Part 2 of 2

So how do stream order and invertebrate functional feeding groups help you catch more fish? Let me break it down for you here.


The RCC assumes that aquatic insects will adjust in their abundance, distribution, and position in the river to best utilize all of the organic matter. Fluctuations in the abundance of different groups can also be expected with the season (increases in shredders following large inputs of leaves in the fall, or increased numbers of scrapers following algae blooms in the spring and late summer).

We will also generally see a shift in the type of organic matter as one moves from 1st order streams down the river into higher order reaches. Imagine if me if you will a small mountain creek originating below a glacier or a winter snow pack in the Rocky Mountains. This first order stream is shallow, narrow enough that you can step across, and is winding itself through a forest dominated by lodge pole pines. Be it in the Rockies, the Smokies, or the Cascades, the organic matter in first order stream is going to be dominated by leaves, needles, and other large pieces of terrestrial organic matter. There will also be limited small pieces of organic matter washing into the stream as well as plant and algae growth in the stream. The insect community in these reaches is going to be predominately made up of Shredders and Collectors. Interestingly, we see an almost constant proportion of predators throughout the river though the species composition shifts.

As we move into mid-order reaches the stream is beginning to get wider, deeper, while the slope is getting smaller. We are still receiving some large organic material in the form of leaves and wood from the land, but are also seeing an increase in aquatic plants and algae. There is a marked increase of fine organic particle washing in from upstream. It is in mid-order streams that you will find the greatest diversity, number, and abundance of invertebrates. In this reach collectors make up the majority of the species and biomass, with grazers accounting for the second largest group. You may also find local concentrations of shredders where tributaries or flooding bring in quantities of unprocessed leaves and wood.

As we finally move to the higher order reaches (the Platte, Rogue, Illinois, Snake, and Mississippi rivers) the rivers increase in width, depth, and temperature, while the slope is greatly reduced. There may be trees and grass along the shores, but the organic matter they contribute to the system is minute compared to that grown in the system. Put your head under the water for a minute and picture the bottom of the river. You will see sand, silt, and organic muck bottom with a few cobbles (softball sized stones) or submerged logs. Minute plankton are the main food source in this stretch of the river and the invertebrate community again shifts to exploit it. These reaches are inhabited almost exclusively by Collector-Gathers and Collector-Filters (assorted true fly larva, chromonids, some caddis larva, and a few mayfly nymphs).

Using the RCC to Pick Your Pattern:

It’s time to take the RCC down to your river and help you pull the right patterns out of your fly box. You don’t need a hatch to be going off to pick a pattern that is likely to produce.

The RCC tells you which feeding types and families of invertebrate inhabit each stream order and therefore which invertebrates the fish are feeding on.

Whether you’re on a new stream or are fishing an old favorite, take a minute to look around. What order stream are you on? What is growing on the banks and in the water? Put your hand in the water and feel around – is it fine sediment, gravel, cobbles or boulders? How clear is the water (increased clarity will promote plant and algae growth in the stream)? What season is it (Did the system just receive a large influx of leaves during the fall or a spring flood?)? Finally, are there any tributaries in the vicinity where you are fishing that would be a source of larger organic matter?

Match your pattern to the prominent food type in the stream.

If you are in a reach receiving quantities of large, course organic material, tying on a caddis larva or a stonefly nymph would be a good bet. If you are in a reach with a soft sediment bottom and full of fine organic matter, prospect the pools and eddies with a chromonid, larva, or worm pattern. Are you in a mid-order stream with a boulder-cobble substrate covered with a fine film of algae (you might not see it but it is there!), drop your mayfly patterns.

I hope this will help you hook more fish and enhance you time on the water. Take some time to read your riv, and leave the sweet corn on the shelf.

Vannote R.L., Minshall G.W., Cummins K.W., Sedell J.R. & Cushing C.E. 1980. The river continuum concept. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 37: 130–137.

Special acknowledgement and thanks to Professor Stan Gregory from Oregon State University from whom I borrowed some graphics.

Fishing the River Continuum Concept – The Building Blocks – Part 1 of 2

Despite what I thought as a kid fishing at trout farms outside of Knoxville Tennessee or farm ponds in Nebraska, sweet corn is not a nature staple for most fishes. While some larger game fish will eat other fishes, almost all fish, for at least during some phase of their lives, rely heavily on aquatic invertebrates and zooplankton. My goal in this entry is to help arm you with the knowledge to be able to choose the best fly patterns for your stretch of river based on the season, and the river reaches position within the whole network river. To do this I’ll be breaking down the River Continuum Concept, but first I need to flesh out a few vital bones upon which the RCC is built.

First you need to understand stream order. The smallest creeks that start up in the top of the watershed are considered first order streams. When two first order streams come together they form a second order stream, two second order streams combining forms a 3rd order stream and so on. When a lower order stream flows into a higher order stream, the number of the higher order is retained (ex. When a 2nd order stream flows into a 3rd order stream; the stream below that point will continue to be 3rd order stream).

Secondly, the RCC assumes a knowledge invertebrate (aquatic insects) Functional Feeding Groups – dividing insects into groups based on how they eat. There are 5 function feeding groups - Scrapers, Shredders, Collectors-Gathers, Collector-Filters, and Predators. The prevalence of any group in a given stretch of river depends on the predominant types of food.

The Scrapers (or Grazers) eat the fine layer of algae, bacteria, and microbes that grow on every submerged surface. This group contains snails, scuds, shrimps, some caddis larva, a few stone fly nymphs, and most mayfly nymphs.

The Shredders are the first invertebrates to attack large organic matter in the stream (leaves, grass, aquatic plants, etc.). Whether it is leaves falling into the stream or algae and plants growing within the stream. They take the large pieces and break them down into bite sized bits. This group consists largely of caddis larva, stonefly nymphs, and some beetles.

The Collector-Gathers and Collector-Filters pick up the pieces left over from the shredders, feces, and other small bits of organic matter. This group is made up of some caddis larva, and the majority of the true fly larva and chronomids.

The final group is the predators. The predators include the dragonfly and damselfly nymphs, some mayfly and stonefly nymphs, hellgrammites, and the majority of the aquatic beetles and true bugs. They prey upon zooplankton and other aquatic invertebrates.
Now that we have the skeleton of the RCC we’ll flesh it out tie it into how to read your river and choose the best pattern in the next installment.

Vannote R.L., Minshall G.W., Cummins K.W., Sedell J.R. & Cushing C.E. 1980. The river continuum concept. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 37: 130–137.

Special recognition and thanks to Professor Stan Gregory from Oregon State University from whom I borrowed some graphics.

The Heart of the Matter...

(Moraine Park - Rocky Mountain National Park -Taken By Jessica Stitcher)

There are millions of blogs out there where individuals share their opinions about every topic under the sun, and this blog is not intended to be one. The focus of this blog is to explore and simplify the science and research around stream dynamics, aquatic food webs, fish feeding habits, to increase understanding and appreciation of the natural world, and to use this knowledge for increase your fishing success. I did want to take a moment at the inception of this blog however to digress from the form and encourage my fellow fishermen and women with a couple words. Our lakes and rivers are being degraded at an unprecedented rate. Stories of fishing holes and abundant salmon runs told by our elders are drifting into fond memory and looked upon as the unattainable past. This is not the case! Those of us that find solace in nature, healing in the water, and life at the end of a fly must protect that which we love. The rivers can run clear again, the runs can return, and our children can yet thank us for the foresight and stand we took in our generation. So I leave you now with the words of Edward Abbey (1927-1989)

"Do not burn yourself out. Be as I am-a reluctant enthusiast... a part time crusader, a half-hearted fanatic. Save the other half of yourselves and your lives for pleasure and adventure. It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it is still there. So get out there and mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests, encounter the grizz, climb the mountains. Run the rivers, breathe deep of that yet sweet and lucid air, sit quietly for a while and contemplate the precious stillness, that lovely, mysterious and awesome space. Enjoy yourselves, keep your brain in your head and your head firmly attached to your body, the body active and alive, and I promise you this much: I promise you this one sweet victory over our enemies, over those deskbound people with their hearts in a safe deposit box and their eyes hypnotized by desk calculators. I promise you this: you will outlive the bastards."