ERGGG ..... Shunked

[HorseFly]

Well .... at least it was a nice day. I was up on a little stream that feeds the Toccoa yesterday afternoon (Sunday) having lots of luck getting them to strike, but that was about it. Very frustrating, zero, zilch, no hookups. (Maybe I should have listened to my Grandmother, she had a definite thing against fishing on Sundays). They seemed to go for a parachute adams with no problems, just wouldn't take it enough so that I could set the hook. I'm talking something like trout 24, me 0. I expect to miss a few, but this is very humbling. I'm almost embarrassed to ask for help. Any ideas on what to do when this happens.

[Windknot]

It's amazing what you can find when you search on "God save the queen"!

Check this thread. http://www.georgia-outdoors.com/ubbngto/Forum1/HTML/003123.html

Don

[GonetoSeed]

Was having a very similiar experience. Tried my won little saying that uses the word jerk twice. Helped but then used another techique that has helped me in the past. Switched to a dark hare's ear softhackle with just the knot and 1/4 of tippet with floatant (basically an emerger). Not sure why, but the fish seem to "hit" this with more intent and I get more hook-ups. In fact, they slam it pretty hard and I think set the hook themselves when their head turns down.

[HorseFly]

Windknot, Thanks for the link. I did try pausing a little longer. In fact, a couple of times I didn't even try to set the hook and just watched to see if they would hook themselves (didn't happen). The thread you provided did mention a study of hookups relative to fly size. I was using a size 18 most of the day. I think I'll try using the larger fly thing.

Gonetoseed; Thanks for the suggestion. The stream I was fishing was very small and I thought about using a nymph of some type, but never tried it. I like your idea of greasing the hares ear and leader. I'm thinking that if I do it right it should still ride fairly high in the water. Is this what you have in mind?

[Lee Dawg]

You guys should also try some floating nymph patters. Works very much the same. Hare's ear for example. Only difference is a small sac ( most people use old panty hose: how you aquire it is up to you! LOL ) filled with little styrofoam balls inside. If you use an old cofee cup or piece of packing, look real close and you'll see it consists of mant little round pellets of foam. Just poke out some, wrap a small piece of hose around it and tie it in where the wingcase would go. They work awesome some days. I have just tried PT's and Hare's Ears. Hope this helps.
LD

[GonetoSeed]

I try to get it "stuck" right in the film with a little of the body slightly below the surface. I fish it in very small streams by letting it float straight down stream by feeding out line, particularly in faster water, trying to "swim" it under cover that I can not cast to (also use the same technique with reverse tied EHC). For most of the float, I keep the leader slack and the rod tip pointed at the fly. When the leader does tighten, I let the fly "struggle" a little upstream and then extend my arm to let it float a little farther again. If I can get this to happen near some structure, its when I get a lot of hits.

Not picture perfect casting, but works pretty good.

[GonetoSeed]

Gee thanks Lee Dawg. Was tying last night and the wife came down to my gear room to give me my "instructions" for today and saw the panty hose.

Started an inquiry that would have gotten the truth out of Gary Condit. Fortunately, was able to prove that they were her's that I got out of the trash can. Now she knows that there are no interns helping me tie, not sure though that she doesn't think that my addiction has turned perverted.

Will try the flies up in Rabun next weekend. Based on bathroom sink test (just reinforces the wife's perceptions), I think they will work great.

[Lee Dawg]

I got the same when I was caught with my wife's old bra after one of my "buddies" told me those tiny rubber legs on his patterms were elastic from his girlfriends old bra's. Tiny rubber legs. Good Luck with that mission.
LD

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Life is too short to fish bait chunkin holes!!!