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Step 1
Position yourself with the wind crosswise or behind your casting arm. Trying to cast into the wind will be far too difficult when trying to float a dry fly.
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Step 2
Cast into a shallow or riffle approximately 10 feet away. Trying to cast too close to a rapid will result in a fly that quickly becomes saturated and unable to float.
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Step 3
Allow the fly to drift past on the natural current. Remember that the purpose of the dry fly is to mimic the natural behavior of an insect; tugging at the line or reeling in will disturb this illusion.
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Step 4
Retrieve the fly by gently retracting the line with your control hand prior to lifting it from the water with your casting hand. This action breaks the surface tension on the water and minimizes the disturbance when recasting the dry fly.
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Step 5
Apply dry fly coating to the fly if it begins to lose its ability to float due to saturation. This oil-based substance is available at nearly all fly fishing stores and outfitters.
