Fast Tips

End of the Drift Whip?

The sudden, and violent, hook- set alerts fish and puts them off the bite

Timothy Kusherets

Some of the best hookups are taken at the end of the drift. Fly Fishermen and Drift Fishermen call it “the bend”. The Bend is where some of the most spectacular fish-fighting displays take place. If you want to see fish “dancing” on the end of your line above and below the surface, you’ll first need to know about the “End of the Drift Whip” and then avoid it at all costs.
There is a wide misconception to set the hook at the end of the drift, and many fishermen do it and then wonder why they don’t get fish. The sudden, and violent, hook-set alerts fish and puts them off the bite. Most of the time fishermen whip their lines in the water, fish will vacate the area entirely. If the “whipping” sound doesn't scare the heck out of them, then the line stroking the sides of their bodies will do it.
Dynamically, the Terminal Gear, Mainline, and Leader straighten out to form a single connected line, rather than two each time it reaches the end of the drift. This allows fishermen to feel the little nibble of trout and the hard take of salmon. The point of the bend of the drift is to utilize the current, which allows any line the opportunity for a natural presentation…this is what fish are waiting for and the takes (bites) are ALWAYS perceptible, which means there isn’t an angler alive who needs to whip the line in the hopes of snagging an arbitrary fish.
Take the time to consider the drift and that natural presentation it offers each leader, terminal gear, and mainline and you’ll keep fish on the bite wherever you fish.
Now and again, it really is appropriate to set the hook hard at the end of the drift, but done properly, fish will do most of the setting for you then the only thing you have to worry about is the fight and landing your catch. “Fish on!”

© Timothy Kusherets 2008