What do fish see that they are wary of? Tag end of mono? How about the hook?

I have long pondered. In another post it was raised would the weeless tag end of mono scare fish off the fly? Well....how about the hook itself? I believe they can be like Pavlov's repeated training. Soon they can become aware of hooks......? I have seen it too too many times a trout is 6' away and rushes to my fly when it hits the water. Then when it gets six inches close to it....or uh....when it gets within six inches of the fly....it turns and swims away. I have been told the fly did not look natural, did not have a natural drift, or was not a good "presentation". I have fished with the little round self sticking hot pink strike indicator. Have had several fish stike the indicator on the surface. I put a hook on the indicator and nary another fish hits the indicator again. Is there such a thing as an extremely hard nylon translucent hook? I tried to put a bead head on the tippet and then tie on the fly. Planning on sliding the bead head down to cover the eye and knot. The beadhead was not big enough to go over the hook eye. Probably can try again with the proper hook and bead. Anywhooooo......I have very experienced fly fishing friends that SWEAR that fish do not see the hook.......

I've asked fish but they just will not tell me ... (I know, very funny!)

You ask a question that has the likes of us have been asking, pondering, talking about, writing about, for years. and In my experience I've experimented with hiding the hook, size, color, shape and have ended right back at the same place. I don't really know, except that when fish are biting, they are biting. I've even caught a fish or two along the way with just a plain hook! When they are only marginally biting is when I've done most of my "experimenting" - no need to when they hitting just about anything. But I can say that I have been skunked at those times when they were not biting, and I tossed about the entire collection at them ... on the surface, under the surface, down deep, nothing ... even in places that were previously productive.

They see drag and unnatural drift.

Read Myth #3 in this excellent article by Ralph Cutter. Pretty powerful evidence that it's drag and not the hook or the tippet: http://www.flyline.com/tips_trivia/myths_legends_lies/

White:
I am convinced they look for positives, rather than negatives. So, if the fly has enough positives, they will take the fly even though there is a hook protruding......they do it all the time.

As to a drag free float (presentation): of course this is extremely important....maybe even most important. However, the level of presentation is a given. It is what the fisherman's best is. Then, we get to your question about the flly - not the fly's presentation.

I think the 1st "positive" you're talking about is the natural drift.

I think tippet is seen more often than not. I've seen leader make a 180deg difference. But don't feel they see the hook at all.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by NJTroutbum

I think the 1st "positive" you're talking about is the natural drift.

I think tippet is seen more often than not. I've seen leader make a 180deg difference. But don't feel they see the hook at all.

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No, actually not.
Look at it this way: Assume the fisher has perfect presentation. Now, what will determine whether the fly is taken as a natural? It is no longer the presentation. It now depends on the fly.
Is it the right size for the naturals being imitated? Correct shape? Color? Does it provide a footprint on the water similar to the natural? Have the characteristics which might trigger a strike: perhaps a trailing shuck to appear to be a cripple and therefore easy prey? Etc, etc.

I think LaFontaine said it best, fish look for positives otherwise they would never eat with that hook sticking out the bend of the fly.

Exactly, Gene!

But you're discarding the presentation as if its a given. if that were the case, we would all get strikes on more than 50% of our casts. :)

Even a perfectly designed pattern, if presented wrong will be ignored more often than not. Even when considering tippet...more often than not it a result of too heavy of tippet distorting the drift of the fly that makes it a negative attribute. Which is again....presentation. Presentation is the most difficult and important factor to achieve in determining what will trigger a strike. It will always remain the "1st positive". All you have to do is be close on color shape and size once that is accomplished.

When a fishes rises from the bottom to inspect a fly, then turns in refusal. I guarantee you it wasn't because it inspected your tailing. It saw what appeared to be a natural drifting insect....then on closer inspection, saw micro drag or an unnatural footprint.

But then again....I could be all wrong. Since my casts catch no more than most. :)