What Your Small Stream Hook-Up Rate?

[JeffK]

This is something that is bugging me as well. I guess my hook up rate overall is something over 50% but varies wildly depending on conditions and if I am rusty. Some days it seems to take forever, like 10 fish before I get the rhythm right and if less than 10 fish strike then that is the old skunk. Other days I can't miss.

There is a distance mid range of around 30' more or less where hooking up is easier. To long a cast and line management becomes an issue for me. For example, on the Delaware if I haven't been fishing there for a while it is hard for me to get the right slack. Too little, fly drags; too much, can't set the hook. Too close is always a problem for me. Those risers a rod length away are tough to get a good presentation and have the rod and slack in a configuration that works. Often resort to dapping on close waters. Many smaller waters one has to fish too close more often than not.

Finally, some small wild fish strike really fast and are hard to hook. When the wild browns in the Monocacy are on olives they seem to take and spit out a fly in a heartbeat. My hook up rate can go way down when the fish strike quickly and are gone and I'm not on my game.

 

[Silent Ocelot]

I think the reason why nymph hook-setting rates are better than dry fly hook-setting rates is due to the fact that when you feel or see a nymph take via indicator/sighter the fish has already consumed your fly where as in the dry fly game with it being more visually oriented one can often rush the hook-set and lose the fish.

 

[Silent Ocelot]

Finally, some small wild fish strike really fast and are hard to hook. When the wild browns in the Monocacy are on olives they seem to take and spit out a fly in a heartbeat. My hook up rate can go way down when the fish strike quickly and are gone and I'm not on my game.

The wilds in the Saucon have some pretty stupid fast reaction times. They can hit and spit nymphs with nary a budge in one's indicator, truly astounding!

 

[jeffroey]

I like using a wet fly for my dropper when fishing caddis on top. Swinging the caddis and wet fly gets a crazy amounts strikes at the end of the drift.

I like Adams and hates ear wets

I can't explain why but wets for me are the thing I need to have with me at all times but never ever tie them on. As a result of your post I'm making a commitment to 'force' myself to tie one on next time out and see what happens.

 

[jeffroey]

The wilds in the Saucon have some pretty stupid fast reaction times. They can hit and spit nymphs with nary a budge in one's indicator, truly astounding!

I was out Wednesday fishing two no-named tribs. I landed a para perfectly soft in exactly the spot I was aiming for (a rare occurrence) and in an instant two brookies aggressively charged the fly, collided with each other above the water, and left the fly sitting pretty much exactly where I put it.

Even though they combined forces to cancel out my best cast of the day, it was hard to be upset over that unexpected and fun-to-watch result.

 

[Bamboozle]

The fastest fish I ever encountered was many, many years ago during a Trico hatch on Falling Springs just below S. Edwards Road.

The stream twisted around slightly different downstream of the road back then but there was a pool of water just below the pipe that was FULL of small wild rainbow trout that were literally rising up, grabbing a fly and rolling back down in a millisecond only to repeat a half second later.

I had driven down to Chambersburg around 2:00 am from Ryan Township in the Skook after a wild time at an Irish Festival on two hour's sleep which I'll offer an an excuse for my lousy reaction time... 🙄

Bottom line, I caught about three of those little rainbows and missed about 726...

 

[Silent Ocelot]

I was out Wednesday fishing two no-named tribs. I landed a para perfectly soft in exactly the spot I was aiming for (a rare occurrence) and in an instant two brookies aggressively charged the fly, collided with each other above the water, and left the fly sitting pretty much exactly where I put it.

Even though they combined forces to cancel out my best cast of the day, it was hard to be upset over that unexpected and fun-to-watch result.

Well we can't control what happens when the cast is made. Sounds like you made a brilliant cast, a cast so good that multiple trout wanted to consume the fly. I think the lack of getting a take more than makes up for having two trout colliding like that. Can't say I've ever experienced something like that but I have had fallfish flip over my dry, completely missing it.

Native/wild brook trout just seem to be ultra-competitive little psychos. Sometimes I don't think they want to eat the fly so much as they want to completely annihilate it just for the sake of mayhem. (Que the Doom soundtrack).

 

[CLSports]

If you hooked every fish would it even be fun anymore? Well, maybe for numbers counters, but the fun for me is the challenge. It is why I started fly fishing in the 1st place. It is also what keeps you coming back for more and making you change flies, tie new flies, try new tactics, learn to read water, understand hatches, etc. Have fun and enjoy it!

If you think trout are tough, try carp or musky. Hook rates will make you insane!!

 

[Mikey2006]

It happens . Not snapping your rod was a good move. Anger and frustration are emotions that can really slow learning. Take a deep breathe and flip some rocks when you get frustrated.
For the OP, 50 for dries sounds better than I do.

I’ve had bad days before but it was ridiculous how many fish I missed. What made it worse was that I was taking my older brother fishing with me and it was his first time fly fishing, so I was counting on the natives being easy catches. At least he got a couple chubs and got some bites from brookies