This ever happen to you?

[michaeln]

This has happened to me enough times that I no longer consider it to be just a coincidence.

You're out on a lake in a floating device (tube, 'toon, boat) and you've either been casting and stripping or trolling slowly with fins or oars. It's been a long time and no hits, so you start reeling in to change the fly, or go to a different line, or just to change SOMETHING.

So you're reeling in and the fly gets to be about 10 feet or less from you and CHOMP CHOMP CHOMP you get a strike, but maybe don't hook up because you aren't ready... remember, you've given up on this fly and...

Does this ever happen to you? I wonder if it is the reeling motion... rod tip is wiggling and the progress of the fly toward you is like one long very smooth strip, except for whatever motion is being imparted by the rod tip wiggling around....

[Scott V]

More than likely you were bringing in your fly alot faster than you noramlly do and that caused the strike. I have heard many times that "you need to slow down on your retrieve" from alot of "experts". But yet I catch alot of fish on a fast retrieve. Yes there are days that the fish want a super slow retrieve, but I prefer to get an aggresive bite. If I wanted to fish slow I would use a indicator.

Just my 2 cents.

[SHigSpeed]

Happens all the time. I think the warp speed just triggers the strike instinct sometimes.

_SHig

[michaeln]

I do tend to do very slow retrieves most of the time... either slow hand-twist or little short 1" to 3" strips with lots of pauses. It could well be the long relatively fast and smooth retrieve triggers the strikes.

Maybe I should just cast out and reel in like a spin fisherman? ;-)

[DFrink]

Funny you mention this happening. I was fishing a lake from the bank a couple weeks back using an indi setup (with two nymphs). Decided to switch locations, striped it in and fish on (10" brown). I decided to throw the nymph rig with indicator out and strip it back in again and caught a few more. I always read to let nymph set ups basically just drift since the fly's don't naturally swim around? Any thought on this?

[michaeln]

I think the fish don't read any of the same stuff we read, so they don't know any of this wisdom.

[B Kane]

The wiggle tip strip is an old technique first shown to me by Jay Fair a long time ago. It is deadly at times using certain bugs,lines and flies. Once you figure it out it will increase your catch rate dramatically. Fish your flies all the way into the leader then slowly lift, just like Pyramid, you'll be surprised. I'm sure Jay was using it long before Andy Mill started using it for tarpon. When I could only catch a couple and Jay was slaughtering them I didn't question his numbers I asked him for help. Fortunately, Jay is one of the most unselfish guides around and would help a newbie, even if I wasn't paying him.

[Rick J]

Gary Borger talks about this in his Damsels and Dragons video

[michaeln]

Gary Borger talks about this in his Damsels and Dragons video

What's he say? I don't have that video and I doubt the fish have seen it either.

[Rick J]

he mentioned hooking up when reeling in and thought that the back and forth tip action was responsible as it imparts a more realistic damsel movement. Based on this he would wiggle his rod tip back and forth while doing a slow retrieve. A damsel really wiggles alot but his forward progress is pretty slow!!

I am not convinced as I am not sure wiggling a rod tip back and forth will impart much action to the fly with a long line out in front of you - though this would impart more action on shorter casts

[michaeln]

I am not convinced as I am not sure wiggling a rod tip back and forth will impart much action to the fly with a long line out in front of you - though this would impart more action on shorter casts

Well, in my experience the strike happens when the line is pretty short, even if I have had the entire 90 feet of fly line out (trolling, for instance), plus a 12 foot leader.... the strike usually happens just as the fly line is about to or has just left the water... that close!

Also, when there is a lot of line out, the side to side or up and down motion of the rod tip is more likely to produce a jerkiness in the forward motion of the fly than it is to produce a side to side wiggle. The side to side wiggle would be more likely the shorter the line gets.

I think.

[joshfish]

not on a lake but more than once an the lower sac i would be drifting nymphs under an indicator. decided to move up stream and didnt want to reel in my line so i just drug it up stream and hooked up with fish.

[DFrink]

I hate / love it when that happens! I have a fish on... but it was an accident? I guess it's still a fish right? Michael, make sure those trout don't hear about any of our readings or we're in big trouble!

Dan


not on a lake but more than once an the lower sac i would be drifting nymphs under an indicator. decided to move up stream and didnt want to reel in my line so i just drug it up stream and hooked up with fish.

[Hairstacker]

Also not on a lake but I was dead-drifting a rockworm imitation in a stream several years ago with no success. Book said rockworms have no means of propelling themselves and trout only expect them to tumble with the current. Didn't start catching trout until I twitched it along like a swimmer nymph. Thank goodness trout don't read.

[thepeacockspecial]

That has somewhat happened to me at hot creek. when the dries were goin insane, these guys would hit right before i recast for my drift...





have you ever snapped the tip of your rod, right when you are about to net a big LHC (LCT).. and it makes a hard run for it? :/