So many bites

the_grube

the_grube

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and so few hookups (get your minds out of the gutter right now). Seriously, I've had more bites this summer that didn't produce a fish than I've had in the last 5 years combined. Pretty sure they were almost all trout, but several of them had that 'YES, it's on...' feeling. But of course it wasn't on. There are worse problems to have, but I'd sure like to know what's going on. Here are my theories
  • I'm casting and managing line better so I'm feeling bites that I used to miss
  • My flies are tied better and are attracting more fish
  • I suck at this sport and should take-up golf. I understand that pastime is pure pleasure without any frustration or challenges.
I really want to believe that either or both of the first 2 are the reason, but suspect that the last bullet is spot on (except for the golf part). But I'll probably start tying shorter wings on my flies in case the problem is short-striking.
 
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the_grube said:
and so few hookups (get your minds out of the gutter right now). Seriously, I've had more bites this summer that didn't produce a fish than I've had in the last 5 years combined. Pretty sure they were almost all trout, but several of them had that 'YES, it's on...' feeling. But of course it wasn't on. There are worse problems to have, but I'd sure like to know what's going on. Here are my theories
  • I'm casting and managing line better so I'm feeling bites that I used to miss
  • My flies are tied better and are attracting more fish
  • I suck at this sport and should take golf. I understand that pastime is pure pleasure without any frustration or challenges.
I really want to believe that either or both of the first 2 are the reason, but suspect that the last bullet is spot on (except for the golf part). But I'll probably start tying shorter tails on my hair wings in case the problem is short-striking.
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Golf is the earliest signs of dementia.;)
 
There are a lot of tiddlers and dinks in the river, so getting a lot of nips and light bites is pretty normal. And having steelhead hit and not get hooked solid is normal too - I had a lot of that going for me this spring. Overall our personal sample sizes are small, and statistics tell us that almost anything going on that we think is unusual generally isn't. Whenever I find myself falling into that rut, I think back to the time where I hooked and lost 11 consecutive steelhead, followed by hooking and landing 12 consecutive steelhead. Just about anything that happens falls within the sideboards of "normal." Just the other day I had a grab that would be my first steelhead of the summer. Only it wasn't. Imagine being disappointed at catching a 13" sea run cutthroat. WTF is the matter with me?
 
Salmo_g said:
There are a lot of tiddlers and dinks in the river, so getting a lot of nips and light bites is pretty normal. And having steelhead hit and not get hooked solid is normal too - I had a lot of that going for me this spring. Overall our personal sample sizes are small, and statistics tell us that almost anything going on that we think is unusual generally isn't. Whenever I find myself falling into that rut, I think back to the time where I hooked and lost 11 consecutive steelhead, followed by hooking and landing 12 consecutive steelhead. Just about anything that happens falls within the sideboards of "normal." Just the other day I had a grab that would be my first steelhead of the summer. Only it wasn't. Imagine being disappointed at catching a 13" sea run cutthroat. WTF is the matter with me?
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so your saying that steelheading is like baseball and I've been playing for the Mariners (in June).
I hear you on the trout making you think you caught a Steelie. Cutties are like NFL linebackers, they go all right from the whistle and leave nothing on the field, or stream as it were.
 
the_grube said:
  • I suck at this sport and should take-up golf. I understand that pastime is pure pleasure without any frustration or challenges.
.
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sure, because there are no challenges or frustrations with golf.
 
_WW_ said:
Thinking about golf.
You need to start writing this shit down.
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Well I am writing it here and I like to think that my musings in this forum will live into perpetuity or at least a couple years; whichever comes first.
 
I do take comfort in the mathematical explanation for my fumblings around landing a steelhead on a fly. The steelhead is the fish of a thousand casts so FishPerCast = .001. Factor out dirtbag side-drifting, plugging, spoons and bait fishing, and your talking more like the fish of 5000 casts; FPC = .0002, Now factor in the fact that I haunt a 'fly fishing only' area almost that disallows weighted flies, multiple flies, barbed hooks and bobbers. Things are more like 1 in 10000 so FPC = .0001. I might get that made up into a cool logo and put it on my fishing hat.
 
the_grube said:
and so few hookups (get your minds out of the gutter right now). Seriously, I've had more bites this summer that didn't produce a fish than I've had in the last 5 years combined. Pretty sure they were almost all trout, but several of them had that 'YES, it's on...'
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possible too big a hook? too quick a strip set? lifting rod up? every try an intruder pattern?
 
fatbillybob said:
every try an intruder pattern?
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I really hate that name 'intruder'. It's fraught with all sorts of overtones I'm not comfortable with; so I avoid them. I'm more of a 'pardon me' person or maybe 'sorry for the inconvenience' on my worst day.

I did fish tube flies in the foxee/temple dog style with stinger hooks as far back into the pattern as I felt comfortable with early in the season when the flows were still generous. Some nice bumps but no pay-dirt.
 
If you were swinging and got bumps bites sometimes they just don't connect. It is not under your control. On the swing you just got to be patient and let them eat. Stripping is a different story. I'd go to a smaller fly.
 
the_grube said:
and so few hookups (get your minds out of the gutter right now). Seriously, I've had more bites this summer that didn't produce a fish than I've had in the last 5 years combined. Pretty sure they were almost all trout, but several of them had that 'YES, it's on...' feeling. But of course it wasn't on. There are worse problems to have, but I'd sure like to know what's going on. Here are my theories
  • I'm casting and managing line better so I'm feeling bites that I used to miss
  • My flies are tied better and are attracting more fish
  • I suck at this sport and should take-up golf. I understand that pastime is pure pleasure without any frustration or challenges.
I really want to believe that either or both of the first 2 are the reason, but suspect that the last bullet is spot on (except for the golf part). But I'll probably start tying shorter wings on my flies in case the problem is short-striking.
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If you fly fish, you are into self-abuse. Therefore, golf will suit you just fine. There is a reason they call it "a good walk spoiled."

The good news is that both pastimes can easily include beer.
 
the_grube said:
I really hate that name 'intruder'. It's fraught with all sorts of overtones I'm not comfortable with; so I avoid them. I'm more of a 'pardon me' person or maybe 'sorry for the inconvenience' on my worst day.

I did fish tube flies in the foxee/temple dog style with stinger hooks as far back into the pattern as I felt comfortable with early in the season when the flows were still generous. Some nice bumps but no pay-dirt.
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Maybe try knitting. It has tangible results that you can measure.
 
Sometimes getting bites isn’t enough. Fish don’t have hands and do a lot of things with their mouths besides eat. I have had plenty of times where they were biting but couldn’t get a hook in them and then same setup next weekend landed everything. Sometimes we get a lot of “bites” but no “eats”.
 
HauntedByWaters said:
Sometimes getting bites isn’t enough. Fish don’t have hands and do a lot of things with their mouths besides eat.
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This.

If I had a dollar for every time I've said this to a guest, or used the "they're like kids in the five n dime, but they don't have hands to look at all the stuff, they have sensitive mouths" analogy, I'd have...well, a lot of dollars.

If yer gettin' love taps, it means you're on the right path. You might want to try experimenting with how your fly crosses the lie - in my summer run experience, the un-mended "fast fly" rarely gets tapped, but it DOES get smashed.
 
I'm wondering about this bites vs grabs idea. Might the difference not be the fish, but the way our line is oriented in the water that turns taps into tugs. In @G_Smolt example with the fast swinging fly, might the speed keep a fish from introducing enough slack to spit the hook vs a slower swing? I've often experienced shifting angles turning interest into hookups, and assigned that change in success to an increased aggressiveness in the fish because of the angle. I think that might not be the case now, or maybe only part of the equation.
 
As I (and a few others) have pointed out over the years on this and other fora, I believe if you give fish a chance to think, natural wariness takes over. If you take choice out if it and make it a "eat or you'll never know what that was" issue, they tend to respond accordingly.
This applies across a range of fish, but (like most things) is a short and grossly simplified synopsis about something a fella could write a book about.
 
Golf is like chess.

Fishing is like checkers.

If you suck or are somewhat decent at fishing...... just stick with fishing.
You won't have the mental game to be any good at golf.
 
_WW_ said:
Maybe try knitting. It has tangible results that you can measure.
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I like this, knit one perl two.. next thing you know you've got a new dish rag. My mom was an avid knitter. She'd watch re-runs of shows like Baretta or Kojak and make those needles sound like a hay-bailer.

Peyton00 said:
Golf is like chess.

Fishing is like checkers.

If you suck or are somewhat decent at fishing...... just stick with fishing.
You won't have the mental game to be any good at golf.
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I like to think that I suck at being better than decent at fly fishing. If I were to start a new hobby at this point I'd probably need something that's more akin to 'Chutes and Ladders' or 'Go Fish'.

Some good tips on this thread. 'preciate the input. To be clear: I'm not that upset about this and I realize that golf is really, really hard. I've had some great hours on the river this summer; caught some really nice trout, and I've raised and touched some metal. That next steelhead brought to hand will come
 
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