Why Are Fish Swallowing the Hook?

Wetswinger

Wetswinger

Beneath the surface of the mud, there’s more mud.
Forum Supporter
I rarely have trout swallow the hook, but on my last outing it happened three times. I've been using floating flys off the bottom. I can feel every tiny tick on the line and get most of them in the jaw. Do certain fly patterns encourage this.? Any tips.?
 
Wetswinger said:
I rarely have trout swallow the hook, but on my last outing it happened three times. I've been using floating flys off the bottom. I can feel every tiny tick on the line and get most of them in the jaw. Do certain fly patterns encourage this.? Any tips.?
Click to expand...
Are you moving these floating flies along the bottom? A lot of folks complain about booby patterns being swallowed; I don't find this to be a common issue because I'm moving the booby, it isn't static. I think a floating pattern that's static might offer the trout the opportunity to swallow the bait, maybe?
 
If you fish boobies static then this can happen a lot. A theory I have is that somewhat oddly I see the same with blobs which are often deep in the fishes throat but I don't see it with chironomids, both are fished static. Maybe their bigger size allows the fish to 'suck' them in better and so deeper versus 'mids which are sparse and so less 'volume' to be sucked in? Could this be the same thing with static boobies?

Dave
 
I've heard that about boobies. I use floating leeches. I strip them.. My most productive strip is, 2 foot moderate strip, 2-5 sec. pause. Same action as my weighted leeches. These fish are freshly planted, 2 weeks ago. I wonder if I tied them jumbo size, these are micro leech, if that would help?
 
I have been fishing blobs a lot this fall, in fact it has been my most productive fly but I seldom let it stop in the water. A couple of weeks ago I was fishing one on a Type III line and stopped to tie a soft hackle on the other rod. I cast out the 2nd rod then picked up the Type III and had a fish on it. Upon landing it I noticed that the blob was so far down it's throat that I could barely see the bead head. I cut the fly off immediately, there was no way to get it back without killing the fish. That is the first time I have had a fish take the blob deep. I know some guys that fish them under an indicator and frequently have them taken deep.
 
I've had blobs taken deep a few times...and like Ive I just snip the tippet off. I think it occurs when I've had an extended pause in the retrieve.

I also think trout may feed on static blobs in the same manner they do eggs...quickly sucking them in. While I have a variety of blobs in different colors the only reliable color (for me at least) has been a hot pink. On one of my outings rainbows were hitting pink blobs like crazy, including a hen that blasted eggs all over my kayak when netted...eggs that resembled the blobs in color very closely. The similarity was quite striking.
 
The last larger size coastal cutts (14" plus) I've caught have taken my Sally X dry fly deep into their gills.
I was able to release all but one unharmed.
I explain this as the trout being aggressive feeders.
They want that big fat fly really bad.
I have also had large trout completely swallow an egg pattern. At least those are not in the gills so I can cut the tippet off and the trout lives on.
 
They don't swallow it, but I've had some gnarly foul hooks on foam hoppers. Last one was hooked right in the eyeball and had one before that right in the tail. Am I retrieving too fast, or too far with each strip or something? The one hooked in the eye slammed it while it was paused still between strips.
 
So....what the hell are blobs and boobies? I guess I haven't fished long enough.
 
bobduck said:
So....what the hell are blobs and boobies? I guess I haven't fished long enough.
Click to expand...
Boobies are a wet attractor streamer that floats. You use a big chunk of foam for the head, divided in two resembling boobs. Usually used flat on the bottom using a heavy sink line. They float above the weeds.

Blobs are wet flies that resemble salmon eggs but are loose, flowing material. Usually with a bead head to get it down. Either stripped in or suspended under an indicator.

Just do a search..
 
Thanks for the info, It was kind of a tongue in cheek question even though I wasn't familiar with the terms. Googling "boobies" got me into a lot of fun stuff that had nothing to do with fishing until I googled "boobies in fishing" and sure enough there it was just like you said.
 
Wetswinger said:
Boobies are a wet attractor streamer that floats. You use a big chunk of foam for the head, divided in two resembling boobs. Usually used flat on the bottom using a heavy sink line. They float above the weeds.

Blobs are wet flies that resemble salmon eggs but are loose, flowing material. Usually with a bead head to get it down. Either stripped in or suspended under an indicator.

Just do a search..
Click to expand...
So...i tried searching for "boobies" and HR just called, they want to talk about my internet usage....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top