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Any insights into my frustration?

6K views 60 replies 25 participants last post by  Big E 
#1 ·
A month ago I could throw just about anything within 20 feet of a jumping resident and I would get a strike. Not on just one outing, but consistently. All I needed to do was find some working fish and I could get into them.

The last two outings I have again found fish, I have cast everything in my box in and around them, I continue to get many follows, but the strikes have fallen off the table. Yesterday in 3.5 hours of fishing (in and near active pods of fish) I only brought 5 fish to hand.

Was I just spoiled last month or am I losing my mojo? Like I said, I have tried several patterns (just plain forget about poppers--they won't even look at them), and I have also been varying my retrieves.

Any insights would be appreciated.
 
#29 ·
Ah, I thought krill was a general term that covered amphipods, euphasids, and all the "little shrimpy critters" out there. Thanks much for straightening me out, Preston, 'preciate it. I'll have to search around for some euphasid photos so I can do my rendition of that critter as well.

So, here's a question for ya Preston. When the sound is calm I sometimes observe fish nosing the surface, or shoulder-tail rises. I get that they are feeding just under the surface. Question is this: do both amphipods and euphasids run just below the surface film, or do they behave differently enough that there is a notable difference in feeding behavior that can be observed by riseform (or lack thereof)?

Thanks again for the clarification. I'm such a noob to the salt, trying to "take it all in" right now.
 
#34 ·
Boy, I sure seem to be having problems today getting the things that I want to download to do so.

I'd try them both. I suspect that when you see that kind of activity it's probably amphipods. Just a guess, but I think that euphausiids tend to be better swimmers than amphipods and are more comfortable at greater depths. Most of the amphipods I've seen have been only a few inches benath the surface. I do love it when you can see the resident coho rolling and finning, taking euphausiids/amphipods just under the surface like trout taking emergers. Once I even hooked a good sized blackmouth and was so surprised that I really whacked him, with the to-be-expected immediate breakoff.
 
#35 ·
Cool, thanks. Wasn't sure if it was just as likely to be one or the other.

Agreed. It's really exciting and cool to see their noses pop up like that. :) The other day I was fishing a brackish outflow to some risers (not happy jumpers) but I'd just get em to whack my shock n awe, didn't even try to match the hatch which feels like chucking a #2 Bunny Leech into a Callibaetis hatch to me, kinda dirty but awesome when they're opportunistic.

Next time I fish that spot at that tide I'm taking my 5 wt along with me to throw gurglers and poppers quartering that flow, which is just like perfect mousing flow so I figure it will be great for noisy surface flies.
 
#37 ·
Yeah, Quad, looks like that already got worked out. It happens man. A lot of people have put in a ton of time, effort and thought to figure this stuff out. Sometimes it just flares up slightly. IMO there is a happy medium, people (esp. low post count) get just enough shit to realize they should do a little searching first, learn something, and the posts become more fruitful through the information sharing that occurs. Did you read the thread all the way thru or post when you saw that one? Just curious, I've made that mistake before...
 
#39 ·
Hey Quad,

Thanks for the input. I was actually quite surprised by the lack of "figure it out yourself" attitude that my post received. I have seen a lot of that on here, and would not have been surprised to see it on my post. But I also suspected that there were plenty of guys on here that probably have had close to the same experience and would not have any trouble sharing some of their thoughts and ideas.

Don't let the thought of being shot down keep you from joining in here. IMHO this is simply a forum for people to read about and share their opinions on a thing that they love. And if you experience any pomposity (not that I have seen that on this post), let it roll off. Just because one guy has more posts than another, that does not make his opinion more valid.

Hear my call: NEWBIES UNITE!
 
#41 ·
This board has been really mellow lately by historical standards, especially now that everyone with a pulse is catching resident silvers. Just wait until the week before the July 16th north sound salmon opener, that's when the gloves come off and the anxieties are vented all at once (too funny).
I think it's great that so many new folks are getting started with Puget Sound saltwater fishing. This site has had some great discussions about tactics, flies, etc. and I'm sure it's helped a lot of folks get started. Tommorrow I'm going to hit the beach and try out some new amphipod patterns I just tied up (based on this thread), and hopefully I'll find a pod or two of silvers.
By the way, make sure to bonk a rezzie for dinner each time you fish (they are almost entirely hatchery fish). It will help to improve the average size when summer rolls around, and they taste very good.
 
#50 ·
black mono eyes
light pink cactus chenille trimmed sides
pearl backed 1/8 foam first tied on a hook shank and transfered on to the fly
it floats in the sink but travels under the surface with a ten foot leader

we had euphausids in thick last year about mid feb
thanks to Les's pacific salmon 2 for the pick of the critter
 
#52 ·
I can't vouch for the efficacy of glow in the dark materials as the usually wind up tangled around something or myself before the make it to the water. As you may surmise, I don't cast well when i cannot see the line. However, on the rare occaision the fly does find the water cleanly, my catch rate did not improve. This is more likely due to my ability and location rather than the GITD nature of the fly, as I have seen one work quite well during the night.
 
#53 ·
Glow in the dark seems nifty, and I bet a few people swear by it (I even have a couple in my box with some glow strands in it...) I doubt it makes much difference though, considering how many trout I've caught in the dead of night with a #2 black bunny leech. I believe a nice dark profile is the key to allowing fish to see it at night, so it's stark against the lighter background of the sky.
 
#54 ·
There's a lot more bio luminescence in the ocean than in freshwater and fish do key in on it. That's probably why all Saltwater Krystal Flash is GITD, and the fibers are stiff enough to prevent the tangles. I use at least a few fibers in nearly everything I tie for the salt. It defines a lateral line, makes good antennae and gills, and comes in a number of colors. Pearl is the most versatile.

I can't prove it makes for more hook ups, but I believe it does, and it sure doesn't scare 'em off.
 
#55 ·
"belief" is everything baby

testing some variations of the south sound euphie this weekend
will try a glow pattern @night

now i want a gitd fly line so i can see what the hell im doing
i need a new ear ring anyway

dead calm out there right now
see you all on the water
 
#56 ·
IMO glow in the dark does make a difference. Can't speak for salt water fly fishing but my days on the hardwater with glo jigs and a strobe light to charge them attracted many more fish. It would be interesting to sit and watch the perch come in to the glo jig and pass right by the same type of jig that wasn't a glow in the dark or charged.

Its pretty much proven that salmonids key in on UV and glow in the dark is right down that alley.
 
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