When fishing the Mad River with dry flies in the summer it's usually only at dawn or dusk. However, you can fish terrestrials all day long. EVEN AT NOON! When fishing a terrestrial cast to the bank. This is because terrestrials are dropping into the water alongside the bank.

Polarized sunglasses are a MUST! One morning I stood in a slow stretch of water and watched several browns feeding on BWO's for over thirty minutes. Without the glasses I would have walked right by these feeding fish.

SLOW DOWN! Too often in the rush to get on the water we jump into the stream and begin to thrash the water with the fly we tied on back at the car. Take some time to view what is happening on the river. Are there insects actively hatching? What is the temperature of the water? If you are going to cast, where is your first cast going to be? Often your first cast is the most important cast. SLOW DOWN and enjoy the moment.

The Birds of the Mad River. A good friend of mine is a bird watcher. He can identify hundreds of different species in Ohio. He enjoys identifying their colors, indexing the types of birds he has viewed, and taking in their natural beauty. I on the other hand am also a bird watcher, but for different reasons. If I see birds flying over the river it tells me there is a hatch on the river.

When fishing the Mad what is more important fly selection or presentation? I would agree with Lefty Kreh that all things being equal presentation is always the most important item when fly fishing. According to Lefty "At the moment you begin to fish the fly, right through when you get your hook-up, you should have you line under complete control". Concentration and presentation is paramount in importance!