flatzcrazy, I'm going to give a response to your question as a good question that I see some people ask, and for other people who are viewing this thread, including the OP and new people just getting into this sport of fly fishing. So I'm not necessarily directing this at you, but I've had to give this talk on countless occasions when the person is just not being able to get that fish to eat.
As far as accuracy goes, there are a lot of opinions on that topic. But let's just say, for this topic at hand, if someone can get it in within 2-3ft from your "fly placement target," then that is very fishable. If someone is hoping that accurate means getting the fly line laid in the direction you want it to go, no matter how the leader and fly unfurls out and lands somewhere in the general vicinity of the fish or your target, then you have to rely on conditions, the ability for the fish to sense there is something close enough for it to find and eat, or at least investigate, or, sheer luck! It's sort of like rolling the dice!
Let's talk about that "fly placement target" for a moment. A lot of people think that is at the nose of the fish. It could be, depending on the fish, the species and the conditions. But the fly placement target could and mostly be in front of the fish, in the direction it is facing, out beyond it's path and out far enough for you to get that fly setup and tracking straight, hopefully will all the slack out of your fly line and bumping and swimming in the locomotion in what will cause the fish to react when it get's within eyesight and "feel" of it. Most in the know will translate that to just one word.... "timing!"
I've fished with plenty of people over the year (including myself (all 3 of us (me, myself and I))
). And there were some that couldn't hit the broad side of a barn, but could have the fl stripped to and in place, acting alive and happy when the fish got there. While a few others could drop it into an upside down floating frisby 40-70ft out there, 2 out of 3 times (amazing!) but could never get the right "fly placement spot" down pat and would blow the shot up or end up spooking out the fish.
So the idea is to figure both of those situations out for the species you are fishing for and the conditions you are fishing in. What does that mean? It means, some fish in certain conditions need the fly plopped right on their nose in order to get it to eat. Even causing the fly (voluntary or involuntary) to crash and make a splash on the water, as an attractor to get it's attention, of the fish is either lazy or needs it on it's head or nose in order to see or find it. Those feerless LA reds or black drum come to mind in that example. While still others need the fly place far enough away from it and extend the target high enough off the water, to where when the fly unrolls out at the end of your casting shoot, it is 3-4ft up off the water with your rod tip still stationary up at 10:00 (for example) and then by dropping your rod tip to the water, it allows the fly to gently lay down on the water without alerting the fish and spooking it (we call that a "presentation shot"). Then with the line, leader and fly is moved in a way that puts the fly into position where the fish notices it from a distance (again, depending on conditions), and it get's in that mode where it "thinks" it hasn't been seen yet my the prey, it converts into that predator mode, moves in to investigate, decides if it's going to try to eat it or not and if so, takes the kill shot (or in this case, the "eat" shot). That is the point where the fish feels safe and comfortable and then by turning into that predator mode, it can almost be so focused, that it doesn't sense anything else that is going on and can focus on eating that thing that it wants.
So what am I saying? I'm saying some fish in some conditions, may need a fly to wack it on the head in order to cause it to eat, while others need that fly to go somewhere else in order for the fly to be setup and ready, according to where the fish is, how it's forecasted to move, the speed in which it's moving and the conditions it's in (i.e. water clarity, currents, temps, how many fish are present (competition and such), etc.) in order for the fish to feel safe and cause it to be "their" idea to eat and not your idea that you can whip it in the head and cause it to eat.
Yeah..... so....... Wow, that was a lot of "pontification" to describe the hows and whys of fly placement when referring to the term "accuracy."
My therapy office is now close for the day.
Ted Haas
