[Kaut Nuttin]

I've just started fly fishing. Today I fished the Snoqualmie Forks, using dry flies. Over 30 times I had fish rise to my fly, but I only managed to hook one. Any ideas what I might be doing wrong? I tried setting the hook quickly, slowly, and in between, but nothing seemed to work.

Help!

 

[514]

Wait. let the fish take the fly, pause, set the hook. Usually, you can see the fishes head shake just a he takes the fly under, at that moment, set the hook. Sometimes, theres nothing you can do, a fish will just miss the the fly. By setting the hook, just pull up, no hard jerk, you'll pull the fly out. And get a good pait of polarized glasses. my .o2 rofessor YT:smokin

 

[Steve Buckner]

Water temperature will play a big role in when to set the hook for rising fish. Needless to say, the strike in the winter will be exagerattedly slow while during the warmer summer months, the fish may strike very quickly. In my opinion, the best time to set the hook is when the fish has just taken the fly and started to submerge itself. It is at this time that the fly is squarely in the fishes mouth.

Another trick is to take the hook, and right at the bend, offset the point of the hook buy about 20 degrees or so. This offset will provide a better angle to hook into the fishes mouth. (Gomakatsu octopus hooks are a prime example.)

Sometimes, very small fish will come and crash your fly and may make you believe that some larger fish is actually in pursuit. These small fish simply may not have mouths large enough to grab the fly.

Last but not least, make sure that the hooks have been sharpened. Dull hooks lose many fish. Take time every few minutes to make sure that the hooks are sharp enough to stick to the back of the thumbnail when dragged along. If they don't bite in, they are not sharp enough. This is critical.

Best of luck,
Skinny

 

[BOBLAWLESS]

All of the above is sound advice. One more thing: if you try to take summer-runs on a dry fly (the best way to do it in my opinion), the hook set is extremely critical. As you watch the fly cross the river, tell yourself over and over again that you will NOT set the hook on the rise. If you do, you risk losing the fish immediately because it takes just a bit for a big fish to turn and to grasp the fly firmly. A quick set and he is gone. Sometimes I try to not look so I'll be slow on the uptake. But then, one of the most thrilling things that exists on this planet is to see a big steelhead rise and engulf your little tuff of fur and feathers. Not a sight to be missed!
Bab :thumb

 

[worldanglr]

The old adage for time measurement when setting the hook on a rising trout in slower water is from the time you see the fish is to say to yourself, "God Save The Queen" and set the hook. However, I think this was invented on the chalk streams of England where the water is slow, and when I'm fishing a dry fly on faster pocket water, I set the hook immediately upon seeing the fish. Normally, when I'm a bit rusty on my dry fly fishing, it will take two to five misses before I get it "dialed in" for the day and start hooking fish. Practice makes perfect! Keep experimenting...

worldanglr
http://www.worldanglr.com/

Calling Fly Fishing a hobby is like calling Brain Surgery a job.
-Paul Schullery

 

[Old Man]

I forgot what I was supposed to remember.

When I'm fishing and get a hit it is like an automatic reaction. After you've been fly fishing a while you will pick up on that. If I was to do all what you all say I would never catch anything. What you need to really do is make sure your line to the fly is fairly straight. A line with a lot of squiggles in it,you won't feel the strike,you'll only see it and because of all the curves you'll miss setting the hook. Now that's my opinion.

Jim

I would like to know how this thread started out on fishing the Snoqualmie forks for trout and ended up fishing for Steelhead. I know that they are in the same family but one is a whole lot smaller and a little eaisier to catch,and not a scarce as the bigger one. Besides learning how to fly fish for trout is eaisier than fishing for Steelhead. rofessor

 

[KerryS]

A friend, who is an entertainer, would say of dry fly fishing for summer steelhead, bow to the fish as if it were the audience when it takes the fly. I am sure this would work for mere trout also.