Refusals

[Takem]

Trout were rising today. Tried a few things and a caddis emerger seemed to get their attention. Only problem is they came up to grab it and turned away last second. From what I've heard and read this is probably from drag. My presentation was off. I was mending my line and trying to keep as little line on the water as possible. I'll work on that but what else could help? I was using 5x leader and 5x tippet. In a situation like that could 6x help or fluorocarbon?

 

[JerryC]

It could help to drop your tippet down to 6X or 7X. I've been in situations where all I was getting were refusals. Tried different flies, nothing changed. Went back to the original fly I was using but dropped my tippet from 5X down to 7X and started catching fish. It's worth trying.

 

[shortrod2]

Takem wrote:
... From what I've heard and read this is probably from drag.

Could be, but could have been some other aspect such as size, shape, color, lack of movement ...

what else could help?

Try a different fly. Try to attack from a different angle.

I was using 5x leader and 5x tippet. In a situation like that could 6x help

I would try a longer tippet before going to 6x.

or fluorocarbon?

Fluorocarbon is generally stiffer than co-polymer which would increase the chance of drag.

 

[Takem]

Thanks for the advice. I'll give it a shot. Headed to tulpehocken Friday.

 

[Fishidiot]

Takem wrote:
From what I've heard and read this is probably from drag.... what else could help?

Yes, likely drag. I'll second those who have suggested going to a longer leader before a thinner one.

Oftentimes trout that appear to be rising during a heavy hatch are in fact taking nymph emergers just under the surface. When I get refusals like this, if the other ticks don't work, I like to serve them an emerger pattern or a soft hackle wet fly greased to stay on or near the surface. Sometimes it can also help to take your clippers and thin out your dry fly pattern so that it has a sparser profile and floats lower on the surface.

 

[redietz]

Another possibility is the complete opposite problem, especially when it comes to caddis: lack of motion.

If the above doesn't work, try fishing downstream and deliberately allow you fly to drag a short distance when it's near a rising fish. Or try swinging a caddis imitation like a wet fly.

Warning: only try this after you've tried the drag-free approach. The latter won't scare fish if it doesn't work; this method might.

 

[Takem]

Lack of movement angle is interesting. I actually caught one on the emerger when I lifted my rod tip to re cast. Brown grabbed it.

 

[Letort]

I was fishing a caddis on a native brook trout stream and made a couple of long casts across several water channels. The current caught the line almost immediately and began dragging the caddis across the current. Had two trout chase and miss the fly being drug.

Of course, when I intentionally tried to create movement - no luck.

 

[Chaz]

I would tie on the same pattern in a different color, then if that doesn't help, try a smaller fly same pattern.

 

[AkDan76]

I would go to a lighter tippet...6 or even 7 along with adding length.

It could be drag, it could be line size. It don't put a lot of emphasis on color though I might catch a fish or two more. If you're in the ball park its usually close enough. Though there are times...

lastly it could be size of fly as well. The 3 adjust ments I'd make is smaller fly, lighter line and add some length. Try not to mend too much if you can help it. Some guys mend more than need just as much as some never mend.

Adding motion with caddis works, from nymphs to drys.

Swap to a parachute or as fishidiot was saying some form of sub surface emerger if you decide to make a fly change.

imho most caddis are hit subsurface. You can generally tell by the rise. Fast splashy rise I immedatly assume moving fast emerging caddis. Slurpy slow sippy rises on caddis are either hung emergers (some are slow to emerge) or adults sitting on the surface, again some are slower to take off than others.

 

[Oregon_Owl]

Not too sure if your question was stream specific or not, but the Tully used to be a pretty heavily fished stream. Could be the trout are a bit more educated. Given that, I go for the wet fly/emerger advice.

Sometimes out here in Oregon, the fish do not take until there is a hesitation or movement in the fly, often at the end of the drift. Slight movement in the fly can elicit a strike.

 

[Chaz]

Oregon_Owl wrote:
Not too sure if your question was stream specific or not, but the Tully used to be a pretty heavily fished stream. Could be the trout are a bit more educated. Given that, I go for the wet fly/emerger advice.

Sometimes out here in Oregon, the fish do not take until there is a hesitation or movement in the fly, often at the end of the drift. Slight movement in the fly can elicit a strike.

Hey Lou, Where's the trout school, I want to go learn what they learn so I may catch more trout. :-D

 

[Van_Cleaver]

If there were a lot of fish working I would have tried a small soft hackle (if caddis, or nymph if may flies) tied on 6x off the hook bend of your dry. Dead drift first then skittered if on caddis.

 

[ryansheehan]

+1 on switching to the same fly but smaller. Sometimes that causes me to go to a smaller tippet as well.

 

[barbless]

I've had a lot of success recently with EHC and Stimulators fished downstream with twitches. The key is to use a small beadhead dropper about 12" below, something to give the dry fly some ballast. Otherwise, it's very difficult to give action to a dry fly.
With big stonefly sized Stimulators, I like to leave the tag end long on a clinch knot so the dropper fly hangs below the eye of the hook. Smaller flies #10-#16, I tie the dropper at the bend. You'll get fish on both flies.