Riffling hitch

[Deleted User]

Heres one for my fellow fly fishers. How many of you use the riffling hitch? Do you use it with a specific pattern? How about the method you use it with? Greased line,wet fly? Please explain also what it is for those who may not be familiar with it.
Thanks,
Stew

[Pete]

Stew,
I use a riffle hitch fishing greased line. I like it best with a pattern like a Steelhead Muddler, Moose Turd or a Bomber. The idea is to make as much fuss on the surface as possible. I tie my Steelie flies to the line with a Turle knot which keeps the knot behind the eye of the fly. The riffle hitch is then just a half hitch, left or right handed depending on which side of the river you're fishing, so that the line comes off the fly on the side towards the bank you're standing nearest. If you're tying flies to the leader with a standard blood knot, the riffle hitch tends to be hard to get seated right.

Let me try to describe the Turle knot. It's really easy to demonstrate, but not so easy to describe. It's a great knot because it doesn't slip when using larger diameter leaders or larger flies. It's also really quick to tie and can be done easily with numb/cold fingers.

Slide the leader through the eye of the fly and let the fly slide up the line. Grip the line above the fly with the palm of your left hand. Grip the tip of the leader with your left finger and thumb. Stick your index and middle finger from your right hand through the loop. Turn your right hand over twice, twisting the loop twice. Now reach through the loop, grab the line at your left palm and pull it through the loop, creating a new, second loop. Now, pulling on the free tag end and the second loop, tighten up the first loop ... it will slide like a lasso. Before you tighten up the second loop, pull the fly through. Now tighten up the lasso around the throat of the fly, trim the tag end of the leader and go catch fish.

Honestly, it takes 4 seconds to tie this knot. Have me show you if my description doesn't work.

[Deleted User]

I don't know if many flyfishers tow boats Stew. But I will explain the riffling hitch anyway images/icons/rolleyes.gif . This is when your trailer hitch has too much play in the coupler, or you try to put a 2" hitch/coupler onto a 1 3/4" ball. In either case the the hitch is going to bump and shudder back and forth and also a lot of up and down movement, especially over road bumps with a heavy outboard on the back of the boat. That annoying verticle play vibration is what 'riffling' is. Just use the correct size ball and have the coupler set right, and you won't have the problem. images/icons/grin.gif ...

Or, it could be when you put a half-hitch with your flyline leader around the head of certain steelhead fly patterns to make them flutter and wobble as they wake across the river in the surface film on the swing. The half-hitch puts a pivot point just a bit behind the fly's head so as to have the effect of a mini-plug in fly's clothing images/icons/wink.gif . This is a good thing to try on seemingly lethargic steelies that have refused other fly presentations; particularly when laying in tailout shallows around boulders. It's a good trick. ...

So, was my first or second paragraph the right answer? Do I get a 'ready set go' prize? images/icons/smile.gif

Edit: Ah crap! Pete beat me to it by three minutes images/icons/mad.gif . What was the prize? ... Moose Turd images/icons/confused.gif

RT

[ 08-16-2001: Message edited by: RT ]

[Pete]

Too bad Steve, the prize was a rebuilt 350!

[Deleted User]

images/icons/mad.gif images/icons/mad.gif images/icons/mad.gif images/icons/frown.gif

[SSPey]

I also use this with dries for steelies - bombers and muddlers - and by the method described above. However, I prefer a knot known as the Figure 8 Turle - it locks behind the eye, is 100%, and is fast.

By hitching the fly behind the head, the fly is essentially pulled at an angler that leans sideways across the surface, causing it to wobble and make a commotion on the surface.

I also occasionally use this submerged for normal steelhead flies, such as when fishing a hairwing in slower water. It causes the fly to wiggle and spurt underwater, much in the same way that a spoon does.