Thread: Having some luck...

This is my first season fly fishing - I've learned the basic skills such as tying knots, casting, stripping...etc., but am having a hell of a time setting hooks into fish that seem to take my flies. I see the fish surface, the fly disappears, I pull on the line and raise the rod...and usually hit myself in the face with fly line. I probably miss 6-8 fish for each one that I hook. Is this to be expected or is there something flawed in my technique?

Any advice would be great.

tight lines, slack in your line will cost you fish. but not so tight you ruin your drift.
hold your rod tip near the water and at an angle so you are pulling more back and to the side than up when setting the hook.
also when fishing drys, if you miss the set, turn it into a back cast and try to drop the fly right near where you missed the fish. no false casting, just immediately back where the fish struck. sometimes they will go for it again (this works best with cutthroats).

I've also been told to always try and set by pulling up and downstream with the current. The theory is that the fish are usually facing upstream into the flow so pulling downstream pulls the fly back against their jaws, instead of out the front of their mouth(which they may already have open in an attempt to spit back out the metal shit they just tried to swallow)

Don't set so hard, just lift the rod tip. Not having a tight line is your likely culprit, or the fly is a bit big for the fish.

just lift the rod while holding the line, and wait until you don't see the fly anymore before you set the hook otherwise hook will just pull right out of the fishes mouth.

Originally Posted by Joey Joe Joe Junior Shabadoo

I've also been told to always try and set by pulling up and downstream with the current. The theory is that the fish are usually facing upstream into the flow so pulling downstream pulls the fly back against their jaws, instead of out the front of their mouth(which they may already have open in an attempt to spit back out the metal shit they just tried to swallow)

I'm a firm believer when fishing for trout in a river this will help hook fish.
Hard to do from a boat.

Also as mentioned make sure the fly is in the fish's mouth before you set the hook. There is a delay between when you see the fish rise and when the fly is in a position to get hooked.

Patience Grasshopper. This is your first year, it takes some time for it all to come together. Heck, if I take a few weeks off, or first time out in the spring, it's a forgone conclusion that I'll miss a few. I find that when I first get out in the spring, I get a little too excited and the second a fish rises, or I see the fly disappear I move to set the hook. Count one, then set. And remember these aren't largemouth's so you don't have to rear back and holler "Oh Son". This is the quiet sport, just lift the rod and wait to feel that wonderfull thump, thump, thump. Oh I wish this heat would break so I could feel good about heading out, but with the temps we've been experiencing for the past two months, I feel too guilty pulling those pretty trout out of their cool water and into the blast furnace thus giving them little chance of survival even though I'm a catch and release fellow. Oh I hope for a cool Sept!

Good Luck,
Jay