Fly Fishing with Chris Dore

Plonking is a technique gaining popularity in competition circles and gives the angler another productive option on those calmer days, when the lake is like glass. Often in such conditions fish will shy away from a retrieved fly, and so we must do something other to grab their attention.

A calm day often means tough fishing

As with many nymph-based Stillwater techniques, plonking is most effective over the warmer months when insect activity is at its peak. However, being inquisitive creatures, plonking a heavy nymph around the deeper drop offs on those calmer days of winter will often interest a feisty fish.

Look for flats and weed beds supporting decent depth (2 - 4m), as well as deeper channels, drop offs and holes amongst the weeds.

Plonking essentially consists of dropping a heavy, tungsten fly or two beneath a buoyant dry, or indicator of sorts. The audible disturbance this rig creates as it enters the water draws fish from afar (more pronounced in calm waters) and a suitable fly sporting lots of movement will often take the fish as it sinks through the water column.

Above. 'Littles Plonkers' as sold by Manic Tackle Project

Bloodworms and damsel nymphs with long, marabou tails and oversized tungsten beads are my usual as a point fly providing fish-catching movement galore, and a lightly weighted midge or soft hackle on a dropper above provides a more subtle option for the more wary fish. Keeping the weighted fly on point will keep everything tight throughout the drop and indicate the strike at the earliest instance.

You will need a buoyant indicator or well hackled dry fly to hold up your heavy plonking nymph, and I tend to favour those Mill Stream stick on foam jobbies for both buoyancy and convenience.

Most takes will come as the flies sink through the water column so maintaining contact the instant your nymphs touchdown is a must. A couple of quick, immediate strips will remove any slack line and hit any fish that close in on the splash, and a slow figure 8 retrieve just to keep in touch ensures no slack line enters your system during the drop. Too many fish are missed due to slack line in Stillwater situations so by using low stretch lines and following the aforementioned advice even the most subtle of takes will register.

 Plonking also produces well on smaller stillwaters

Keep your line short and keep a close eye on your indicator as your flies sink. Tighten on any movement or suspicious actions of the Indi as not every strike will be obvious. After 30 seconds or so, slowly raise your nymphs towards the surface before ‘hanging’ them briefly, and recast to a different position – one cast, one location; if you don’t hit a fish on your first cast, move along to the next position.

So give plonking a shot the next time you are out on a dead calm lake, or in a gentle wind riffle. It can draw in fish and provide action on what could very easily be a slow day.

Also check out Loch Style and A Question of Retrieve also by Chris