Hi.
I went fishing last Saturday, not a big thing but I recall getting a tug on the fly line and then another one half a second or one fourth of a second later.
I have often had those two tugs when fishing and started thinking of what it could be.
I was using a nymph.
Is it the fish getting cought f.ex in the left sissors, he then turning to the right and immediately releasing him self…???
Just wandering,
Thorarinn.
I generally write that off to low reflexes on my part.
Hi Thorarinn,
A friend, that is quite a walleye fisherman, has told me that the first thing a big walleye does when hooked is swing it’s head back and forth a few times. Perhaps what happened was something like that, but perhaps not.
For me, however, any time I get any kind of a tug on my fly line it is good news, but seldom experienced.
Regards,
Gandolf
I tend to think that the first bump is the take…and the 2nd is when they turn their heads.
Just a possibility…
Not knowing how deep the water was or how much current or if the nymph was weighted…could it be that the nymph snagged bottom twice and worked free both times??
My guess would be the first bump is the take, the second is the fish (or the rock if you’re Warren 
) feeling the hook point and getting rid of it without quite actually getting hooked. Could also be a short strike where the fish takes part of the fly in his mouth but doesn’t get the part with the hook. In that case the first bump is still the take, but the second bump is the fly being pulled from his mouth by the tightening of the line as he turns. The last one happens a lot when I encounter smaller fish with streamers, which happens to me an awful lot.
Hi guys
It’s a stillwater, it’s not deep, less than a 6 feet.
The nymph was a PT tied with copper wire instead of thread as the auther did it 
One of my favurite, but I have experienced this with other nymphs, maybe many of them with goldheads.
I’m quite shure it was not the bottom, it’s a different feel when you snag the weeds.
All your answers sound right and yes my reflexes are not that fast 
Bluegil222 sums it up real good and also interesting if the fish takes the nymph “between the lips” and then turns, hense the second tug.
This happens to me mostly when using fly with some sort of tail. I have had a chance to see what happens in the water at least cople of times. First tug is the take but the fish strikes short grabbing only the tail - second when you pull the tail out of its mouth - with some flies you can cut the tail off: I’ve done this with buggers and PTN’s and cauth the fish.
Second explanation is the you feel little tugs bacuse the fish is shaking out of controll from laughing at you…
Sorry, but I just thought of something else that might be the “tugs” you are feeling. There are times that I feel “tugs” that turn out to be small river chubs/minnows attacking the fly and they can drive you nuts!
Just a suggestion, instead of raising the rod tip, try line striking the fish. Hold your rod steady and just slip a little line in with your line hand…you’ll get the feel very quickly. Something to remember, when you strike with the rod the tip actually goes down before it goes up and gives the fish a chance to get away. Using the line strike prevents that.
Hugs,
LF
there’s no way to know, it’s all conjecture until someone is underwater with the fish.
Funny this should come up. Last week I was fishing on the Au Sable. I had reached a certain frustration level of my own, feeling just what you did…the take, I lifted the rod (LIFT the whole rod…don’t do the bass angler STRIKE)… and I would get a couple of head shakes and off they would go. I lost a lot more fish than I’m willing to admit…and some hogs at that. I know I often try to set the hook too soon. I get exited! lol As the season progresses, I loose less fish and I think it’s because I eventually work out the timing factor. You can also let fish set the hook themself. This works well with steelhead, salmon and other large powerful fish in particular. When you feel the weight of the fish on the line, drop the rod tip into the water as the fish takes a run. The weight of the line will provide enough drag to set the hook and it’s a good way to avoid loosing that hog from applying too much pressure.
One thing I’ve tried with some success is to slightly offset the hook. (carefully bend it sideways just a little). It helps some but it does not eliminate all of those frustrating losses. Ladyfisher’s suggestion of a line strip set is another good one…also SIDE sets. Instead of raising the rod up, set to one side or the other depending on your position to the current. The boys down on Arkansas’s White River know about this one. Last but certianly not least…make sure your hook is sharp. Check it often, especially if you are nymph fishing. Hooks bouncing off the bottom, rocks, logs etc… loose their hook points…and dull up. I got into the habit of checking my hook very often. I carry a hook sharpener and sharpen my hooks when ever they need it…which can be often. Dry fly anglers…check your hooks after every snag up with bushes, trees or a ping off your own rod. Dry fly hooks bend out or break off quite easily.
Hi guys and gal.
Nothing to be sorry about
Interesting about the tail.
I always thought that it was better to raise the rod, otherwise it would be more of a chance to take the nymph out of the mouth of the fish.
But come to think of it there is not much change of an angle when you have 10-20 meters of line out in respect to pulling or raising the rod.
And I’m faster pulling with the hand instead of raising the rod.
I really don’t know if I could say what I was thinking above
Thorarinn.
I can speak to this while fishing for bluegill and bass. I’ve watched streamers I’m stripping through the water in lakes and ponds be slammed by bass and bluegill. I’ve felt the “2 thump” thing while watching what the fish was doing. The first bump is the fish taking the fly. In the ones I’ve watched, the second bump is the fish spitting it back out. I have played around with this some and have watched a fish take the fly, spit out, and come back and take it again. I’ve even had one or two foul hook themselves by inhaling the fly, spitting it out and turning to swim off and have the hook embed in their body or tail somewhere all without me moving the line, raising the rod tip or anything out of the ordinary to set the hook.
When the water is fairly clear and you’re in the right angle, it’s fascinating to watch fish take the fly and see what they do with it. Some will hit it and start to swim off, some will take it and spit it out so fast there’s no way you could react fast enough to hook up. Some will just follow it all the way in. I’ve found with a follower, if I stop the retrieve for a second or two, the falling streamers will sometimes result in a vicious strike.
Jeff
well im a novice but one day when i wasnt catchin anything i went and started just dead driftin a streamer in a pull i got that and set the hook and figured if its somethin thats not a fish i will only lose another fly. i set the hook and caught a nice rainbow. sometimes i think the fish are lazy to. :o