The Emperor's new beadhead

[pittendrigh]

... on Charlie Brooks' ideas refers to "in-the-round". My recollection is that his thought was if fish see a fly that looks like how they see a nymph from any one direction, it will represent a food item. Tying flies "in-the-round" presents one view of the nymph from any direction.....Yes, Charlie was onto this a long time ago.
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A corrollary question is how fish actually get hooked. Not something I've studied or plan to study, but have been curious about time to time. It does seem to me that fish are often actually hooked as part of the process of spitting out something they have "decided" is not a food item. If that is true, will be the hook up rate be the same with a hook that rides point up as it will be with a hook that rides point down ??
John

Three things:

0) Yes. Charlie Brooks was onto this a long time ago.

1) In my experience upward pointing hooks seem to hook more reliably. That's my non-scientific hunch from experience. But I do believe it strongly.

2) There is evidence, in the fisheries biology literature, that fish bite minnows hard and then immediately let go. That behavior doesn't necessarily translate to nymphs. But in the minnow case there is evidence they swirl and attack from the side. Bite down hard, in order to disable the minnow. And then let go and grab the disabled minnow a second time, so it can be swallowed head first (Headfirst Prey Manipulation in Piscivores, by T.E. Reimchen).

That has interesting implications for streamer fishermen. That's why streamer fishing results in so many more missed strikes than any other technique. That's why soft streamers (that they bite down on a second time) take streamer fishing to another level. I'm digressing badly here. But you did get me going on another interesting topic.