So this past Friday, I find myself with a few hours to kill. The rain had just let up. I decided to head over to the local river and try some trout fishing. Let me say right off I am a true fly fishing beginner. I have been fishing twice with guides and a handful of times by myself…mostly last fall. I had fishied this river in the fall but only picked up a few scattered brookies. I bring my “new” elkhorn 8’ 4wt.
I get to the water’s edge and see some nymph casings on a few rocks. I tie on a pheasant tail nymph because a) it sort of looks like the casings b) I have a lot of confidence in this pattern and c) I tied it myself and wanted to try it out.
I wade into the stream and start fishing a stretch “pocket water”…I cast to the seams coming off boulders. I am using a palsa strike indicator and (4) #6 orvis non-toxic shots. I work the pools with a up and across technique. Forty minutes pass without a strike.
I move down stream to a slower section (a pool?). There are still boulders that break up the flow. I again start working the flow off the boulders. I work across the stream hitting all the likely spots…nothing…Then on the far bank I see a log lying in a downstream manner. It is close to the bank but there appear to be good water depth. After 6 casts one finally lands along side the log. It drifts about 5 ft and my indicator moves. I raise the rod and feel a nice resistence. The fish fights me for a few minutes as I bring it to the open water of the stream. I make (3) attempts to land it but without a net I have trouble…(this never hanppens with bass). The fish is a nice rainbow…probably a stocked fish. Needless to say it gets off. (Note to self…buy a net).
I work down the log to an area where the flwo is pinched between the log and a boudler. The nymph drifts just by the boulder and a trout aggressively strikes my indicator. Probing the spot two more times provides nothing.
Determined to work my way to the backside of the boulder, I move down stream and begin a down and across presentation to the “active” bank. As my fly swings I get a huge strike and I set the hook. The fish feels nice but it is off in 5 seconds…Future casts produce another strike at the indicator. I move into position to get to the boulder fish and “splash” I take a little swim in the drink.
At this point my time is up and I must return home, thoroughly excited for my next time out.
My question is how do I improve…how did I lose the second fish so quickly?..my guess is I put to much pressure and didn’t give enough line. How do I change my approach to get those aggressive fish?
Well… I’m sure everyone here will have different tips for you, but I recall one of the mistakes I used to make. When I first started fishing, I failed to cover enough water. I would find a likely-looking spot and stay there - changing flies, adjusting the depth. Now, I try to systematically cover all the likely lies and then move on. I hardly ever make more than three or four casts from the same place unless I am certain there is a fish.
As for fighting and landing fish, it’s just something that will come with time. It sounds like maybe you just didn’t get a good hook set on that guy, but you never really know - sometimes fish just come off the hook. For smaller fish, I tend to just strip them in immediately, unhook them them in the water and see them on their merry way. For medium and larger-sized fish, I usually let them run on the reel, then hold the rod in my upstream hand and scoop them up out of the water from behind, unhook, and release. Sometimes with longer rods, this is tough. How and when you land a fish is one of the things in fishing that is difficult to teach or explain - it depends on the tippet strength, the size of the fish, the location of the hook and, of course, the terrain of the stream. One thing to always keep in mind, though, is that no matter how you do it, it is traumatic for the fish, and you should land, unhook and release him in as little time as possible.
My advice would be to get out once a week and go fish. If the problem persists through the summer, then you may have an issue. I bet it’ll work itself out.
Consider replacing the strike indicator with something like a Royal Wulff. It floats very well, works as an indicator and also has a hook! It can serve two purposes.
I have caught a fish that hit my strike indicator. When I saw the fish try and take the indicator I tried to remove it from the water. The Fish missed the indicator but bit the line. I pulled the line through its mouth and hooked it on the outside of the mouth. I don’t know if it or I was more surprised.
First of all, I want to congratulate you for being so observant. You noticed the nymph cases, and you chose a pattern that you felt matched the evidence. These steps are often overlooked. Also, choosing a fly you have confidence in is very important. It’s hard to notice things if you are distracted by that worry of “Is it the right fly? Should I change now?” etc. Those initial steps you took will really help you with your fly tying, and I’m glad to see you are already having success with your own patterns. A strike on your fly means your flies are good, hook ups and landings are just the things that follow (sometimes).
Also, it sounds like you fished the right water. Pocket water, along seams, near structure, etc. Those are the places to try.
The dry fly as an indicator is a good tip, and (if allowed), worth trying.
As for the lack of hook up on the 2nd fish, well, hard to say really. However, one possibility is that when you are fishing down and across, when the fish grabs the fly down stream of you and you strike, remember you are now pulling the fly away from the fish! It’s very easy to pull the fly out of the fish’s mouth without getting a good solid hook up. Happens a lot when fishing wet flies in the down and across presentation, and since you were fishing the nymph in that manner, that could be what happened. With that style of fishing, rather than “strike”, just hold the line tight with your left hand and the fish is more likely to hook itself because it will put the pressure on the line for you. Of course, if the line just stops drifting and you don’t feel anything (as with your firsh fish), then you lift the rod to set the hook (as you did).
I’m not saying that was what happened, only that I know that happens a lot to me when I’m fishing down and across. I’ll sometimes get too eager, start striking too much, and suddenly I’m hooking fewer of the fish.
Some days your the windshield…some days your the bug. Your observation skills as noted puts you leagues ahead of most novice anglers that I’ve known. Every trip should leave you with questions on how to improve and that to me is the primary challenge and what keeps me addicted to the sport…
It’s good to have a confidence fly and your reason for selection of the nymph is great; however, never be afraid to change up.
Experience will help with most of your problems. You are well on your way to becoming a very good angler. Some tips that I use are:
If the water is warmer (over 45 degrees) I always use a dry fly instead of a strike indicator.
If I see good holding water, I try and fish it from above, across, and below before I move on. Even if I take a fish from up top, I still fish it the other 2 ways. I have taken fish with all 3 methods from the same spot.
I always finish out my cast, unless I know it will snag or my flyline will drift over the likely spot. Even if it isn’t on its mark I let it drift through and past the spot I am fishing. It will spook the fish less, and you might find a hidden sweet spot created by under currents.
If you get a strike with a down and across swing. STOP. Wait 5 minutes before you cast again. It will give the fish time to relax and move back to its lie and you may be able to pick it up again.
Hope this help out a bit. But otherwise, just get out there and fish. It’s the most fun form of learning anyway.