Starting to get a little discouraged

[Pontus]

So I've been fishing a little under a year. Around the end of last year, I could pretty much reliably catch 1-3 fish every time I went out, although it did take multiple trips to see the panfish to keep my spirits up. Now, I've been out probably 10 times already this year, and I've caught 1 fish. I've tried wild fish and stockies, nymphs and buggers. Yesterday I fished the gunpowder for about 3 hours and had a good time out on the water (saw a 20+ inch brown under a fallen tree. Scared the crap out of me), but got my 5th or so skunk in a row. I've adjusted my fly choice, weight, and nymphing style. And I've swung buggers with no success.

Since I think I'm getting good drifts with my nymphs, I think strike detection is a major issue. I was thinking that nymphing for more cooperative red-breasted sunfish and redeyes on the small warm water creek next to my house. Is this a realistic option right now, or do I need to wait until it gets warmer?

I'm not expecting to have banner days after fly fishing for less than a year, but I don't think it's unreasonable to want to catch a trout every once and a while. I'm just treading water though and don't really know what to do.

P.S. Since I went to the gunpowder, I obviously want to prevent the spread of didymo. I wore felts because my new rubbers hadn't come in yet (ordered online). How worried do I need to be? If I soak the boots for 40 minutes in hot, soapy water will that be enough? And then maybe just don't use any of the flies I used for a couple of days?

 

[Acristickid]

Hang in.

I have had dozens of what appeared to be unsuccessful outings- flyfishing can be hard. This is can be a tough time of year as it is still cold and waters tend to run high. The Gunpowder from what I hear is no pushover either.

Dont know anything about the Gunpowder, somebody can give you fly ideas I am sure. My advice is to settle on "recommended flies" and just fish them. Most inportant is getting a good drift and as you mentioned strike detection. That is what I focused on and helped me get better. Pick a good run and work on the drift. For nymphin try to actually lead the flies- takes practice and lots of leader and weight adjustments.

If you have confidence in your flies and you know there's fish in that run- it comes down to your presentation.

Good luck.

 

[Pontus]

I'm sorry if I didn't make this clear, but I normally fish the Patuxent. The gunpowder is about 45 minutes away with no traffic, 1:15 with.

And thanks, but I also don't really have confidence that there is a fish wherever I'm fishing. Is it safe to assume that a fishy spot is definitely holding a fish? And how long before I move on to another fishy spot?

 

[PSUFishMenace]

This time of year I catch almost all of my browns from undercut bank areas. I usually dead drift a bugger or if I'm casting downstream let the current take it under the bank and then swing it out where I think a fish may be. This is just my experience and I've only been fly fishing a year more than you have, so take it fwiw.

With the water as cold as it is, fishing buggers takes more patience than normal, my first brown this year took only after I drifted one through his lie 6 casts in a row- on a ten-foot wide stream. They dont want to move far.


Dont worry that you're getting skunked, I had 5 skunks in a row when going for browns until I got two nice ones in the last fifteen minutes of a four-hour trip last friday. Once the water warms up some you'll be fine.

 

[gfen]

If there's fish in the stream, and it looks like a spot should hold the fish, then I bet it holds a fish.

However, he might be skittish, lined, heard you coming, vacated when someone downstream when rocketing past him, caught recently and sulking, not interested in what you've got, having a beer, or whatever.

Try it a time or two, then move on. As long as you're enjoying yourself, catching is incidental. Don't get hung up on numbers, sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't.

Just enjoy it.

As to technique, maybe you need more depth, finer tippet, or better flies. Or, maybe you don't. Try varying it out a bit, and learn to take solace in fun casts, tricky drifts, and all of the stuff that happens between fish. You may also be better suited by an indicator if you're opting not to use at this point.

My thought is pick a fly you have confidence in, and just spend a few hours working your way through a stream.

And, FWIW, I had days in winter that eithe rbanged 'em or were dead, this early spring thing has been far more difficult for me than the deep winter was. Its fishing.

 

[MKern]

While stocked fish are usually easier to catch especially early season, they often school together and don't hang-out in fishy water.

Wild fish are usually pickier when it comes to presentation, but hold in typical fishy lies.

I don't think strike detection is a huge issue if you aren't catching any fish because the fish hook themselves more often than the angler does the hooking.

My guess would be presentation and/or finding actual holding water.
These simply take experience (ie reading the water and a true drag-free drift).

Don't be discouraged because many people are poor at both of these skills and not just beginners. If you truely want to be better, you will get better with time and practice.

 

[buffalo7]

The Sunday before Thanksgiving I went out and the action was realy great, on Thanksgiving day I went out in front of my house and caught a native and a Brown trout just to show my Son that was visiting that day. I mostly fish a stream that has native Brook and wild brown, both are fall spawners. After that they turned off, the winter was a cold one. I caught a nice native around new years day (before or after) and Brown that I posted on first fish of 2011. The next trout I caught was a few days ago a Brown and a Brook. A lot of times out this year I didn't even get a hit. But thats the way it is. things will pick up soon.
I don't worry about numbers, I hike up into the mountains, take pictures, I'm not one of those fisherman that always catches fish.

 

[pcray1231]

Always take a lesson from success or lack of success. Doesn't matter how experienced or good you get, that is always true. Don't get down on yourself, think of it as this sport giving you something else to figure out. It never stops doing that, which, is what makes it a great sport!

Here the lesson is: You learned to catch fish at a certain time of the year, but those same tactics may not be successful at other times of the year.

I do not know the streams in that area, so I can't really help you out too much. But while we all talk about tactics, flies, presentation, etc., WHEN AND WHERE are a huge part of being a good fisherman. If you don't get that right, then you're gonna struggle even if you're great at everything else.

That said, assuming there are fish in the spots you're fishing, then the tactics and presentation change too. Generally I think of it as trying to match the fish's mood. Often, in cold water like this time of the year, the trout spend much of their time sulking on the bottom. Thus, fish nymphs deep, rolling the bottom, and do it slowly. Slowly has many meanings.

1. The nymphs should move slow. The water at the bottom is fairly slow even if the mid and upper areas look like they have heavy current. Your nymphs should roll slowly along the bottom, much slower than the top currents.

2. You should move slow. In a place where you'd normally give 3 or 4 casts and move on, give 8 or 10 at this time of the year. Fish won't be agressive and go after it right away.

Another point, the current is much heavier this time of the year than it was in the summer/fall when you started catching yourself some fish. That definitely means more weight is needed. If you ain't on bottom, you ain't fishin.

That is, unless a hatch brings em up, then forget everything I said.

 

[pete41]

minor league skunking-we all have them -
A big league skunking is when you move to blue ribbon trout country,brag to the relatives back home,they come out in prime time,and you all blank for a week-[we caught a few but nothing to drive 2000 miles for].That hurts your pride-lol

 

[FiveWeight]

pcray1231 wrote:
Always take a lesson from success or lack of success. Doesn't matter how experienced or good you get, that is always true. Don't get down on yourself, think of it as this sport giving you something else to figure out. It never stops doing that, which, is what makes it a great sport!

Here the lesson is: You learned to catch fish at a certain time of the year, but those same tactics may not be successful at other times of the year.

I do not know the streams in that area, so I can't really help you out too much. But while we all talk about tactics, flies, presentation, etc., WHEN AND WHERE are a huge part of being a good fisherman. If you don't get that right, then you're gonna struggle even if you're great at everything else.

That said, assuming there are fish in the spots you're fishing, then the tactics and presentation change too. Generally I think of it as trying to match the fish's mood. Often, in cold water like this time of the year, the trout spend much of their time sulking on the bottom. Thus, fish nymphs deep, rolling the bottom, and do it slowly. Slowly has many meanings.

1. The nymphs should move slow. The water at the bottom is fairly slow even if the mid and upper areas look like they have heavy current. Your nymphs should roll slowly along the bottom, much slower than the top currents.

2. You should move slow. In a place where you'd normally give 3 or 4 casts and move on, give 8 or 10 at this time of the year. Fish won't be agressive and go after it right away.

Another point, the current is much heavier this time of the year than it was in the summer/fall when you started catching yourself some fish. That definitely means more weight is needed. If you ain't on bottom, you ain't fishin.

That is, unless a hatch brings em up, then forget everything I said.

pcray:

This was about the perfect answer to a guy have'n trouble catching fish. I tip my cap to you for really helping a guy out. It is tuff this time of year I don't care how good you are or think you are. Prime time is soon here. If I had my way I'd take from just about the end of this month off till say, 3rd week of June or so. Then fish like I usually do. Ya done good pc!

 

[nymphingmaniac]

I'll answer the most important question didymo

http://www.fish.state.pa.us/water/habitat/ans/didymo/faq_didymo.htm

Flies and backing should dry 1 week if in a basement or during the summer. Shorter if in a dry place.
I have a pair of boots and a reel spool fro when I fish out of my home waters and let them dry forever.

I disagree with 5wt. Waiting until the 3rd week of june is not a good idea. As soon as waters are regularly 50 degrees +, game on. #rd week of June, things will wind down, especially around MD.

I don't recommend the advice you see on the internet and elsewhere about fishing the slow deep pools in the winter. it is true more fish are there, but these tend to be dormant and not feeding. I snagged more fish there than catch legit. Fish will feed in cold weather in just about the same places they do in warmer water, may not the fastest runs though. Focus on the heads of pools and tails of pools. Also the banks adjacent to runs. Finally, you can get active fish in moderate riffles. Just another opinion on the matter.

 

[buffalo7]

The trout fishing will pick up soon, but the problem is the Goblers will be out strut'n and the Shad and stripers will be running. Thats a real dilemma for me.

 

[pete41]

I don't recommend the advice you see on the internet and elsewhere about fishing the slow deep pools in the winter. it is true more fish are there, but these tend to be dormant and not feeding.

When they suggest these deep pools they are talking
about the ones that have springs emitting water into them-often the reason they are deep pools.
This will warm the river water for a short distance below the entry point of the spring-
This can in fact result in some of the very best trout fishing of a lifetime.
Don't mean to be critical but -

 

[FiveWeight]

nymphingmaniac wrote:
I'll answer the most important question didymo

http://www.fish.state.pa.us/water/habitat/ans/didymo/faq_didymo.htm

Flies and backing should dry 1 week if in a basement or during the summer. Shorter if in a dry place.
I have a pair of boots and a reel spool fro when I fish out of my home waters and let them dry forever.

I disagree with 5wt. Waiting until the 3rd week of june is not a good idea. As soon as waters are regularly 50 degrees +, game on. #rd week of June, things will wind down, especially around MD.


I'd have to reread my post but, Your June reference of my post I believe has been interpreted incorrectly.

"If I had my way I'd take from just about the end of this month off till say, 3rd week of June or so. Then fish like I usually do."

What I'm trying to get across here is that if had my way I would fish hard between the two dates and after that fish like I usually do. I don't think I had the word "waiting" in the post. Now that very well may have been your interpretation.....? But that's not how it was meant. And as far as fishing later in the summer, well depending of where one fishes it can be the better time with terrestrials and such. Here again, there is great fishing just around the corner. Lotsa hatches from right bout now and for a while. Tis the season, get out there.

 

[Fishidiot]

Pontus,
The Gunpowder is a tough stream. Hit some streams with stocked trout in the next couple months and you'll get your groove back (and I'll second Pcray's advice)

Regarding the snot (Didymo) - follow the instructions from the link posted above. The smaller stuff you can just pop in the freezer overnight. While I rarely fish snot streams, I do keep a container of bleach in a plastic tub and can mix the bleach with stream water to soak felts in the plastic tub.

 

[wildbrooky]

Pontus-

Just a reminder but felt is now banned in Maryland.

Here is the article..

http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20110321/NEWS01/110321023


Tight Lines

 

[Pontus]

Thanks for the reminder, but I knew already. I ordered new waders, and they're on their way. I talked to a DNR official, and he said they probably wouldn't ticket for it until next year. Besides, for me its about the intent of the law.

 

[Fredrick]

I seen a video on the TPO site were they use saltwater to kill the Didymo at a wash station on the stream

 

[Fredrick]

Here it is

 

[nymphingmaniac]

I would have liked to see him roll up those gravel guards and hit underneath, which was probably the dampest from the day before.

Kudos to MD for having these stations. Salt is an interesting idea, does anyone know if it has been proven to kill it, it should, but I wonder how long the gear needs to be in contact with the salt water.