Here is a question I want to throw out to the group.
When I’m fishing and not catching, I’m in the process of trying to figure out what’s on the menu for today. I know from previous experience in my waters what bugs are there and I’m always checking to see if there’s anything different or present with any great abundance.
After I make my choice, I fish it for about 15 minutes at the most - then if I have no strikes on it I’ll change to something else. My reasoning is that if I know that there are fish holding in an area, and they haven’t found my presentation to be a reasonable representation of what they are currently dining on, then I want to change and try something else that might work.
So…how long do YOU fish a fly with no takers before you swap out and try something else?
Sometimes too soon. Specially with a client. As a rule I give it 5 to 10 casts, then I move up a little and switch flies. If I am on familiar waters and nothing on the 3rd cast, then I switch.
Jim, I just scored some PURPLE pheasant tail and I have purple peacock, so I was going for the Purple Nurple Pheasant tail. I have been playing with Yellow, Orange and Red Phesant tail (thanks to a good sole here on FAOL) Just a plain old flashback bead head Phesant tail. But the Orange and the Yellow plus Orange/yellow have been deadly on Brookies. The Red is a one cast fly. I told you about Purple working so well. you shoot me an PM with your address and I will send you some Crayola PT’s to try out. 8)
My Grandfather always said that if you didn’t get a strike after 15 minutes, change flies. This would be when fishing blind through a stretch of water. I don’t wear a watch, and often lose track of time when fishing though. Some days, I’ll fish the same team of flies for a few hours, before realising that I should probably switch at least one of them. I’ve had occasions where, just when I’m thinking it’s about time to switch, I start getting strikes! This makes me wonder if it’s not so much changing to the right fly that makes the difference, but rather the fish have changed their attitude and have gone on the feed. Mind you, one of the benefits of changing fairly often is that it can make you slow down, observe what’s happening on the water, and stops you from whipping the surface into a froth.
If I’m fishing to a sighted fish, if I don’t get a strike or at least a look after a few presentations that I think should have “worked”, I’ll switch if the fish is still there.
It depends on several factors; am I feeling lazy or active, is it a stream I’m familar with or not, am I fishing drys or nymphing, and have I seen a refusal. After 2 refusals I’ll change immediately. Oh…and if I’ve caught one fish, I’ll go a long time before giving up on the pattern.
Bottom line is anywhere between 5 minutes and 45 minutes.
I will not argue the point that presentation may often cause refusals. However, too many times after changing flies and on the first well placed cast did I get a strike. I find it hard to believe that my changing flies has somehow made me a better fisherman to now all of a sudden produce a drag free float. If it did I would change flies all the time
No, I do believe that fish refuse for reasons other than detecting drag. I believe that besides presentation selective trout are looking for size, colour and silhouette and you have to have a good approximation of these.
Are you talking rivers, streams, or lakes. I fish mostly lakes and when a fly does not work, it means I am not using the right retrieve or not the right depth. Trout in lakes are oppurtunistic and when a fly is presented correctly, they will take it. There are different situations where these fish get just as picky as spring creek fish, but I will fish a fly way longer than its time. In rivers and streams, I put on what the fly shop says is working and never take it off and then blame them later for a bad day of fishing. :lol: :lol:
“Changing the fly after 2 refusals” That would be fine, but getting to that point might be tough. Fish showing themselves is a big plus, but without a refusal it’s more complicated.
Doug
Personally, I have the attention span of a 2 year old. If I fish for a while and no strikes, I change to something else.
Sometimes if I’m catching fish, I may even change to a different fly just to see if I can catch them on something else. Example, if I’ve caught a few on a nymph, I’ll change to a dry to see if I can catch something that way and if I’m catching them on a dry, I"ll change to a nymph or streamer to see.
Sometimes if they’re hitting, it does not matter much what yo throw at them and other times, they are very selective. I’m a hopeless tinkerer and just cannot leave well enough alone.
Well, it depends really.
Mostly 10 minutes and the fly is changed.
But if i have caught fish on a fly already that day and on nothing else, i will make my way around the lake to find pods of fish.
I’m from the east and often times I’m fishing small streams and while fishing the pools you can often see the fish and their reaction (or lack thereof) to your fly.
Speaking of refusals, I have almost no expierence fishing lakes, but while fishing in Colorado several weeks ago I fished a lake every morning and did so with hoppers up until tha last day when I started goofing around with other flies. The hoppers were very productive and the fish never came close to refusing. But on the last day ( it was calm winds and the water was like glass)one of the flies I tied on was a #10 Adams irresistable. Several times I could see the fish approach my fly, come within inches and dive away from the fly only to immediately turn around and take my fly…it was the darnest thing. I’d never seen that before…Is that a western fish thing?
Scott
Scott
Jeff,
This was my bad problem for yrs. I didn’t fish a pattern long enough, didn’t know what I was doing, blamed my bad luck on the moon, no hatch, the weather. Learning how to be patient didn’t mean I couldn’t still be excited about the prospects.
It is like plugging yourself into the atmosphere of the water your fishing and sometimes there’s just a faint signal!
Doug
Since i’m a week away from moving to Colorado i’ve been talking to some locals on what flies I should be stocking up on. I was surprised at the small flies they recommended. Your #10 might have been too big.
edit Oops! I missed the part about the fish turning around and taking it.
I’m from the presentation over type of fly crowd. Unless i’m specifically seeing trout actively feeding on something that i am not imitating i don’t change my flies very often. I will change presentation and location usually first. BTW i am mostly a stillwater fisherman
