FS Digest

Since I'm stuck home from college I've been spending more time getting into fly fishing. Have no problem with pond fish, but I can never get a hook set on trout. Is there a secret that I dont know? I get bites, just cant land one for the life of me..

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by twoLeggedCatt

FS Digest

There could be about 1,000 different things you’re doing wrong, or only one, but without any of us being able to watch you fish it’s impossible to know.

My advice is to watch every single YouTube video you can and pay attention to what they’re doing and try and see how it differs from what you’re doing. Watch every detail, then get back on the water.

2 key parts of the hook set are reaction time followed by tension. Once you see the strike, lift the rod tip, keep the line tight, and get the fish on the reel.

Are you sure you’re setting on fish takes? Maybe your flies are bouncing on the bottom too much and causing you to think they are takes and that’s why there isn’t anything there when you set.

You may want to consider hiring a guide or going out with someone more experienced who might be able to watch you and identify your issue.

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by Flyfish22

FS Digest

Most of time I'll see the fish strike the fly and feel it in the rod, I am wondering if me being used to bass fishing is messing me up? Too aggressive of a hook set? Thank you for the advice!

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by twoLeggedCatt

FS Digest

Just lift the rod tip and strip enough line to keep tension. Don’t have to fully bass master it. For dries, a quick 3 count after the fish takes the fly, then set the hook. I constantly blow this, and pull the fly from the fish’s mouth. For nymphs, strike every time your line or indi does something weird. As they say, hook sets are free.

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by PhilR_wf

FS Digest

God save the queen. Say it before you set the hook. Most people lose fish because they try to set too early

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by massivetypo

FS Digest

Hmm, I like this, easy to remember I'll give it a try, thanks!

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by twoLeggedCatt

flyguy Loc: Lake Onalaska, Sunfish Capitol of the World!

Welcome to the Forum, 2LC, please put your location on the location, city, and state, on the profile page above, thank you. When you "set" the hook on a trout, just lift the rod, the trout will do the rest. Too many people will jerk the fly out of the trout's mouth whether they are fishing with a dry or a nymph.

JMWilson

Watch Lance Evan’s “ Modern Nymphing” great advice.

Cubsfan Loc: Destin Florida

You have have a fly trap . Then when you hook them
Behind the ears you can’t go too deep or you kill them and they don’t work . Because after they die they put out a scent that only trout can smell . Hope this helps .

bggent204 Loc: On Lake Meade in East Berlin PA

try explosives

Kidding. oooops can hear Fish and Game now

Cubsfan Loc: Destin Florida

Old school

Tanglefoot Loc: Brevard, North Carolina

It just takes time and experience to get it right. If you say “god save the queen” before setting the hook on every take when trout fishing you will likely never catch a trout while nymphing. Observing a trout in a pond, I watched a trout grab a slow retrieved nymph, detect a fraud and eject it in less than a second.

dsonoqua

The most common reason not to hook up or have the fish throw the hook is slack in the line. This is seen as bends in the floating line which come from imperfect casting, accidentally twiching the tip, wind across the surface, currents within the water, or failure to take up slack from the guides. Adjust the line often as needed to keep it straight or "tight" in flyfishing parlence. Work on "mending" skills to straighten the line. When that doesn't work recast. When the fish detects the fly is a fake it will exhale it in a fraction of a second, faster than the flyfisher can take up any slack. With a tight line trout commonly hook themselves before the flysisher can react because they grab the fly and immediately turn away causing the fly to catch in the corner of the mouth. At the take you have to retrieve line at a rate to prevent slack as the fish struggles and commonly runs toward you. Likewise, allow the line to slip, with control, when it runs away.

Anytime you suspect a take just raise the tip of the rod with a small flick of the wrist. To be effective the tip has to be close to the water pointing directly along the straight line with the arms relaxed at the sides.

Roger Lahti

Some good advice has been offered. I’ll add that there is a fine line between too tight a line in moving water and too much slack. Too tight a line with a dry and you risk un natural movement as the fly is dragged across the surface. Too much slack and you miss the take. Practice and adjust with that in mo
Ind. a bit different with nymphs. Key need to be not only in the feeding zone, even on the bottom but traveling with the current, not dragged through as the normally don’t swim well but tumble along with whatever current flow they are in. High and the current is fast. Low and the flow is slower. Whether fishing up stream or from the side, drift speed has to be with the current. Barring the use of streamers or traditional wet flys on tge swing. And finally hooks are never sharp enough. An inside V to the sharpening helps sink the hook. Sharp enough to hang on the thumb nail is close to sharp enough. Opening a closed too much hook can help with hookups. And as has been said, this ain’t bass fishing. Just lift the rod tip to take up slack at a strick is enough to get a hookup. So slack control is paramount. I like barbless sharp hooks as they seem to hook up better without the barb and constant tension during the play rarely results in a lost fish. It works for anything from trout to multi pound steelhead. Barbs really aren’t nevcessary. Tight lines.

War Eagle Loc: Sioux city

Put a 🛎 bell on the tip that way you know for sure that you got the fish hooked