How do you differentiate subtle takes from your weight simply dragging on the bottom? I fished the Creek yesterday with marginal success; one fish to hand, and several hard hits felt on the rod. Throughout the day I watched my indicator bounce and dive quite a bit, but I passed these movements off as the weight bouncing on the rocks. On the drive home, I couldn't quit wondering if some the indicator movements I saw were actually subtle takes.
i am by far the best on the creek but from experience you see a subtle movement, set the hook, trust me it doesnt hurt, cuz it could be the bottom, but i could also be a fish, i was also told by allen from american fly fishing the same thing, you will hook up more fish if you set the hook even on the most subtle of strikes or movements.
anybody else
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Fishing isnt about catching fish, its not about who caught the most, or who caught the biggest, its about the experience that you have on the water, and the life long bonds you make with others on the journey to becoming a better person inside.
thats what i was tryin to say, but damn i went out on a tangent, but thats exactly what i was tryin to get at, thanks packrat
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Fishing isnt about catching fish, its not about who caught the most, or who caught the biggest, its about the experience that you have on the water, and the life long bonds you make with others on the journey to becoming a better person inside.
that could be a wide open question for someone to answer.so I wont make it difficult and talk about leaders ,spilt shot and stuff..say your set up is correct and your drift is good.If the indicator twiches,stops,slows down ,gets pulled under,I set the hook...any movement or non movement other than a consintent drift I set...I also pop my wrist at the end of all drifts. you can pick up fish on a small swing and not even know...I credit 1/3 the fish I hook by not hesitating...
oh ya...if you see a flash in the water set, dont wait for the indicator to do something .the flash was your pre warning that its chomped on your fly..
I couldn't tell you how many times I've hooked fish on one of those strikes where I was thinking, "Was that really a strike or am I hitting the bottom?" If the indicator pulls under for any reason...set the hook. If the indicator pulls to the side...set the hook. If the indicator pulls downstream all of a sudden..set the hook. If your indicator slows down or stops...set the hook. Many times it won't be a fish, but many times it will. Any time your indicator moves unnaturally something is going on with your flies. Get in the habit of setting the hook. I've watched big fish drifting in the current for 5-6 feet after taking a subsurface insect. In that situation your indicator might only make a slight twitch. Just set the hook!
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"Nothing makes a fish bigger than almost being caught."
I'm a high sticker for the most part, and it's the same for me. I lift on every little movement...now anyway. It took me sometime to figure it out though. Funny thing is, since I started to lift on everything I'm hooking way more fish. Good Luck!
Thanks for the comments. I suspected I should be setting the hook more often. I have not been doing so because when its a false strike my nymph rig is usually flying back at my face, flies/weight are hanging in the tree behind me, or the weight and flies are tangled. It gets pretty frustrating having to constantly tie up again and again. Between bottom snags and tree jewelry, I must have lost about a dozen flies last Friday.
I caught a couple of fish yesterday pulling up on my rod when I thought i was snagged, but most of the time you will see your inidcator go back against the current, instead of just sinking when you're snagged. But no matter what set the hook.
Look at it this way. The TROUT sample everything that come their way, and spit out what does not seem like food. If you set the hook in the same manner you'll catch more fish and bigger fish by proxie as well.
The set does not have to be a complete out-of-water experience, just a short wrist tap up maybe three inches, then continue with the drift. Trout in a mid drift sometimes see that little jump and pounce on your numph on the down-low.
Yesterday, I thought one of my strikes was a snag. I pulled and pulled and finaly a saw a flash and realized a fish took my fly and very quickly went underneath a rock. I usually set the hook for any dip or change of my indicator.
I will have to work on the quick wrist flick. Most of the time when I think I have a strike I give the rod the ole' panic yank. Must be the bass fisherman in me! I can't wait to get back on the water and give it a try again. I was so frustrated on Friday since my drifts/line control have really improved (not to mention the lower flows have helped) and I was in some great looking water near #3, yet I wasn't producing any fish. In any event, I am going to be more attentive to setting the hook at every odd indicator movement. Hopefully, I can post an epic report sooner than later.
Nice pics. shark diver, Thats a bueatiful golden ! I'll agree 100 % it is not a full on bass type hook set, It's a slight flick of the wrist, It's something you develop a feel for, I'm still workin on it. otherwise your gonna spend alot of time in the trees, or may even see a small trout go flying by your head . It dosen't take much pressure to set that small sharp hook firmly. Lately I have not used an indicator, I preffere to high stick lately, wading to put myself into position so as not to have to cast and use an indicator. I also think the quality of rod used is a big part of detecting strikes, everyone always talks about a rods ability to cast, Well i dont find myself casting more then 20 or 30 feet very often and I feel most of the strikes I get. Of course indicators have there time and place but I just personally do not like to use em if I dont have to. One last thing, The largest fish I have hooked in any trout water in the last 2 years was at putah and I thought I was snagged, there i was standing there jerkin my rod up and down and all of a sudden a trout that was easily in the high 20's starts swimming towards me, He got in the fast water and I had no chance, That fish was spawned out to ! I could only imagine him in his prime, That dude would have been a freakin rocketship !
. It dosen't take much pressure to set that small sharp hook firmly. Lately I have not used an indicator, I preffere to high stick lately, wading to put myself into position so as not to have to cast and use an indicator. I also think the quality of rod used is a big part of detecting strikes, everyone always talks about a rods ability to cast, Well i dont find myself casting more then 20 or 30 feet very often and I feel most of the strikes I get. Of course indicators have there time and place but I just personally do not like to use em if I dont have to. One last thing, The largest fish I have hooked in any trout water in the last 2 years was at putah and I thought I was snagged, there i was standing there jerkin my rod up and down and all of a sudden a trout that was easily in the high 20's starts swimming towards me, He got in the fast water and I had no chance, That fish was spawned out to ! I could only imagine him in his prime, That dude would have been a freakin rocketship !
