Recently I found a catch and release stream with 20 to 30" and larger fish. Mostly rainbows with a few browns mixed in.
I fished this stream for 5hrs for the first time and got really frustrated.
I had one look and one take (on a pheasent tail wet) with that fish (a monster)shaking the hook immediately.
I used every fly in my box from size 22 to size 8. pheasent tails to wooley buggers and any number of drys in various sizes. Tippets down to 6X ..........Nadda.
Now a little background on this stream. It's a limestoner. The stream does not lend itself well to flyfishing both sides are lined with trees and brush. It is basically open to the public , but is taken care of privately. The fish are being feed twice a day with pellets by its care taker. while there I observed no hatches, with maybe 3 rises in 5hrs for someting unseeable.
Any suggestions on how to catch a fish in this place, short of making a fly that looks like a pellet ( which really dosent set well with me) ?? This has got to be the most frustrating 5 hrs I have ever spent with huge fish in great numbers swimming all around and their not even looking at offerings. Any suggestions short of stop torturing yourself........LOL