Hook Setting Technique

[Wharfrat]

Just wondering how you guys set the hook. Do you strip with your free hand and raise the rod with your rod at the same time ?
Or do you just clamp down on the line with index finger and raise the rod ?

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[PennKev]

For trout most trout fishing you don't need to actually strip line while setting. This could lead to break offs with lighter tippets. Just hold the line in the free hand and raise the rod quickly or pinch the line against the grip with your rod hand and raise the rod. The former works well if you have slack line laying on the water between the rod tip and the fly, the later method works well when fishing a tight line. Do it a few times and it will become second nature. Don't over think it.

Kev

 

[gfen]

There's a whole thread on this, before it wanders off to why nymph fishing sucks, over here.

Hope that'll help, too.

 

[midnightangler]

A lot of people seem to emphasize setting the hook "quickly". I believe this is poor advice. It should be a smooth, firm motion. You don't want to jerk the fly to set the hook.

I think most hook-set issues arise from less than ideal line management. Hook-set technique will necessarily be different depending on tactics... obviously you would use a different motion when using a dry fly compared with czech /tight-line nymphing due to the disparate amounts of slack line. If you have a lot of slack line, you'll want to pull line with your opposite hand as you set the hook to pick it up.