Missing Strikes - Fly Fishing Tips
A recent question: I have noticed that I am missing a few strikes lately. Am i striking to hard???? Or maybe too slow??
And it sometimes goes like that and you can miss strikes for no apparent reason. Sometime the hook just doesn't connect, or doesn't connect with anything very solid and pull free. If you’re using an indicator strike as quickly as possible because it dips when the fish has the fly in it's mouth and any delay gives it time to reject the fly.
But an indicator isn't fool proof, for instance if a fish turns and follows the nymph downstream then takes it, the indicator won’t necessarily ‘indicate’ immediately because everything is traveling in the same direction downstream, likewise the nymph can land downstream of the indicator so in effect there’s slack in the tippet between nymph and indicator so there’s a delay before the indicator ‘indicates’ as the slack is taken up. In both situations it gives the fish time to reject the fly....
At other times the fish will just mouth/taste the fly, or just bump it with their nose...
Another time when the indicator will fail is in slow water, as there's no current pulling the indicator away from the fish. And conversely indicators work best in faster water where the current speeds the process up.
So the way to become more successful? Well I've said this often before; it's to watch the fish whenever you can, watch and react to what it does. If you see his mouth open and close 'STRIKE', if you see him move towards your nymph assume he's grabbed it and tighten up. Learn to anticipate the take, if you think he's grabbed it tighten up. I say tighten up as if you strike with full force and the fish hasn't got the nymph you'll spook it.
It’s good to learn to watch the fish whenever you can see it, and respond to what it does rather than rely totally on an indicator, you'll definitely catch more fish by doing so.
And can you strike too hard? well yes, but the most likely problem then will be broken tippet and I guess you can tear the fly from the fishes mouth.
And it sometimes goes like that and you can miss strikes for no apparent reason. Sometime the hook just doesn't connect, or doesn't connect with anything very solid and pull free. If you’re using an indicator strike as quickly as possible because it dips when the fish has the fly in it's mouth and any delay gives it time to reject the fly.
But an indicator isn't fool proof, for instance if a fish turns and follows the nymph downstream then takes it, the indicator won’t necessarily ‘indicate’ immediately because everything is traveling in the same direction downstream, likewise the nymph can land downstream of the indicator so in effect there’s slack in the tippet between nymph and indicator so there’s a delay before the indicator ‘indicates’ as the slack is taken up. In both situations it gives the fish time to reject the fly....
At other times the fish will just mouth/taste the fly, or just bump it with their nose...
Another time when the indicator will fail is in slow water, as there's no current pulling the indicator away from the fish. And conversely indicators work best in faster water where the current speeds the process up.
So the way to become more successful? Well I've said this often before; it's to watch the fish whenever you can, watch and react to what it does. If you see his mouth open and close 'STRIKE', if you see him move towards your nymph assume he's grabbed it and tighten up. Learn to anticipate the take, if you think he's grabbed it tighten up. I say tighten up as if you strike with full force and the fish hasn't got the nymph you'll spook it.
It’s good to learn to watch the fish whenever you can see it, and respond to what it does rather than rely totally on an indicator, you'll definitely catch more fish by doing so.
And can you strike too hard? well yes, but the most likely problem then will be broken tippet and I guess you can tear the fly from the fishes mouth.
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