Setting the hook on small streams...

pabrookie94

pabrookie94

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Mar 13, 2014
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Question for you all,

When fishing brookie streams that are heavily overgrown to the point that your only option is a bow and arrow cast and even that is tight, is there a sure fire way to set the hook?

Typically I don't fish tiny tiny streams but myself and a cousin enjoyed a beautiful day, an 8 inch native, and my near heart attack from a water snake; all in a stream I could raise by dumping a gallon jug in.

Any tips are appreciated, I thought about strip setting possibly? But then even fighting the fish is tough. Thanks again!

Jordan
 
When you can't raise your rod tip, you really have no choice but to strip set the fly. A lot of the time on real tight streams "dapping" is the only route, a cast just isn't possible.
 
I mean don't get me wrong I fish a ton of streams but most times I am able to raise my rod tip because the stream isn't overgrown. Yesterday was rough though and I was thinking that was my only option. Thanks for confirming that. Gives me all the more reason to get that 7'6'' 3 weight ;)
 
Are you worried about missing the fish and putting your fly in the tree behind you?

It happens, my only advice is to not get so excited. I wish I could follow my own advice...
 
Haul back and set the hook like Bill Dance does on a largemouth. You may launch a gemmie or two into the mountain laurel behind you but so be it.
 
Slow things down- don't do anything until you see that fly get dragged completely under and the fish start to dart back to cover. Brookies in the infertile creeks will hang on to a fly pretty long, they dont want to give up a meal. Then a short strip or very slight raise of the rod tip should do it. Easier said than done when you see that splash of a brookie clobbering the fly...
 
Would greasing your leader and then firmly twitching the rod tip to the side get it done? Surface tension would sink the barb when the leader slides along the water surface. Of course you need to ensure the hook point being super sharp. And barbless.

Especially when ffishing midges, BWOs and Tricos, I don't feel the need to bend the rod to effect the hookup.
 
McSneek wrote:
Haul back and set the hook like Bill Dance does on a largemouth. You may launch a gemmie or two into the mountain laurel behind you but so be it.
Click to expand...

I'm renaming my 9'0 6wt from "Fallfish Candy" to "Gemmie Cannon" and redeploying it as my small stream rig.

Sometimes they'll hit rhodo or multiflora rose too.
 
Rod. I don't fish those kinds of places anymore because it's too much work, but I think you are on the right track with the short 3 weight if hookset improvement is what you want.

The idea of the lighter weight rod is precisely to be able to get a hookset on a light fish without streambanking it. That plus transmitting the feel of the struggle. This is typically a tradeoff for being able to do "punchy" presentations in tight cover that you would want a 5 weight to do. Depending on what 3 weight you get, you may not find a bow and arrow cast all that doable (how many anglers shopping for a rod test the bow and arrow cast? I never have, but in this niche, that seems like a good idea).

In the situation you describe, I am not sure a lighter rod would have made much difference since you didn't seem to be able to move the rod very much in the first place. You are depending on the fish to move against the tension available. If they come back at you, you are depending on the hook itself, and perhaps as lestrout said just some surface tension of the floating tippet which isn't much but maybe just enough.

Fly hook and Style. The barbless competition style hooks with the curved point could help alot. Try some in a few sizes to find the one in that line that is the "stickiest." Fly style is also relevant. Some styles have tails too long, downwings too long, general bulk, or even upwings too stiff and any of these could detract from a hookset.
 
Folks, I don't think the problem hereis related to the power of the set. It's not being able to lift the rod tip at all. It happens in thick spots, and yes, it's pretty much a bow and arrow cast thing as any sort of real cast wouldn't allow you to get the rod tip there to begin with.

Action is meaningless. You have to strip set and the rod is pointed at the fish and unable to move in any direction except straight back.
 
pcray1231 wrote:
Folks, I don't think the problem hereis related to the power of the set. It's not being able to lift the rod tip at all. It happens in thick spots, and yes, it's pretty much a bow and arrow cast thing as any sort of real cast wouldn't allow you to get the rod tip there to begin with.

Action is meaningless. You have to strip set and the rod is pointed at the fish and unable to move in any direction except straight back.
Click to expand...

That's precisely what I'm asking about pcray. And I have been able to bow and arrow cast with a couple of friends 3 weights that's why I'm looking to get one. And lastly DGC I'll look into those hooks and see if that helps. Do you have a particular brand or make you like?
 
Yeah, in those extremely thick spots it's simply impossible to set the hook. As said, strip setting is pretty much your only option if you can do it. Then try to handline the fish in. I land very few fish in situations like this but it's always worth it to toss a fly in any fishy looking spot!!
 
If the fly hits the water and drifts even a little bit, you have to be stripping in the slack immediately otherwise when you try to set the hook all you'll do is take the slack off the water and catch air. Many time though the fish will hit the fly as soon as it hits the water, these fish usually hook themselves, but in order to land them you have to strip line quickly to get the slack in and a tight line.
Size maters, if you just want to catch a bunch of brookies, use a small fly, you'll catch plenty, but if you are looking to catch some 8 to 10 inch fish, use flies like a # 12 stimulator, you'll catch bigger fish and the little guys won't get the hook in their mouth. Pinch the barbs down. It makes it easy to release the fish.
Also a sideways hooks works sometimes when you can't lift the rod up, but again you've got to keep the slack off the water as much as you can.
It has nothing to do with the rod weight but the length probably does matter. I use a 7'6" 4 weight for all my small stream fishing. Sometimes I simply skip over water that is just too tight to make a good cast, the fish need a break too. Dabbing is a good way to avoid casting at all and where you can dab you also have space to set the hook. When dabbing you have to conceal yourself.
 
Thanks Chaz! I am going back tonight so I will let you all know how it goes...
 
As for the bow and arrow, I haven't pinpointed what rod action/weight works best. I think it has more to do with a smooth progressive taper than whether it's a 3 or 5 wt and tip or butt flex.

As for length, yeah, that matters. A long rod bow and arrow casts better. That's weighed against that a short rod is better for traditional casts in tight places, and easier to walk through thick areas with. I've kinda settled on 7'6" for most small stream work.

As a rule of thumb, on all of my rods I've tried it on, I can bow and arrow about 2 rod lengths of FLY line, off the end of the rod tip. Now think that through. You got your arm out, then a rod pointed at the fish, then 2 rod lengths of fly line, then close to another rod length of leader.

So a 6' ft rod means I can fish about 24 ft away. And a 9' rod I could fish in the mid 30's range. That's with no backcast and an incredibly tight loop.

The real advantage of the bow cast, though, isn't distance, or even the lack of a backcast (a roll or snap cast gets you just as far without a backcast, and it's easier and quicker to set up). It's that incredibly tight loop, which allows you to throw decent distances through very tight windows with accuracy. It really opens up a lot of otherwise "unfishable" water, where there is brush between you and the pool or over the pool itself. The downfall is that it puts you in situations like the OP's issue. You casted 25 ft forward with your rod in a bush. Now the fish takes, but your rod's in a bush. Now what? Strip line and hope for the best......
 
twitching the rod downwards will set the hook if you don't have a lot of slack.
 
pete41 wrote:
twitching the rod downwards will set the hook if you don't have a lot of slack.
Click to expand...

True.

If you a right handed caster, just bring the rod tip sharply down and a bit to the left.

You can do that even with very little room along the sides because of brush.

And you can also pull on the line (slip strike) at the same time. I think I do that just by reflex, without even thinking about it.

On small streams this is often a better way to strike than bringing the rod tip up. Because that will put you into the trees a lot, when you strike and miss a fish.



 
Yup, setting downward works. It's a hard concept for ones brain to get. I think the natural reaction is to lift up when a fish hits. But all you need to do is get the line moving a little bit to set the hook.
 
Interesting, I never thought of setting downwards. I'll have to try that. I hate getting stuck in the trees.
 
Am I the only one that carries fingernail clippers and brance clippers?
 
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