Short Strikes on Dry Fly

[Letort]

Spent two days on native brookie water. About 2 hrs on first eve and brought 12 to hand and about 1.5 hours second night with 8 in hand.

Something I noticed that was different from past trips - the fish took a rise at the fly, but either missed it or spit it out so quickly that there was no tension when I lifted the rod tip. I have a lot of experience on the stream and usually do not miss this many - probably missed as many as I landed.

I dropped down from the 12 caddis to 14 and 16, thinking that might help with the takes, but no difference.

Any thoughts? While this is native water, it does see some pressure.

 

[dryflyguy]

Did you fish the exact same stretch of stream 2 days in a row?

If so, you're always going to catch less fish the second time around - especially on small streams. Just the way it is.
Trout don't seem to enjoy getting caught in my experience. And aren't real eager to hit again the 2nd time around.

I usually only fish brookie streams once a year.
And if for some reason I would go back for a 2nd crack, it would be at least a few weeks - or more likely - a month later

 

[redietz]

A few thoughts:

1) Are you sure you were seeing takes and not last second refusals?

2) Are you caddis patterns Elk Hairs with a full palmered body? I often find that when I fish a palmered dry such as a Renegade, a Bivisible or and EHC that has especially stiff hackles, I'll miss the first ten or so fish on it until the hackle gets crushed a bit. It can act as good hook guard to keep you from accidentally hooking a fish.

3) You mention it being a brookie stream. Sometimes the fish are just too small to take even a size 16, especially when #2 above applies.

4) Some days your timing is just off. It happens.

 

[troutbert]

Fish water that isn't pressured much.

Try terrestrial patterns that make a plop when they hit. Beetles, big ants, inchworms, small crickets.

Try parachute patterns or comparaduns. In my experience these outfish elk hair caddis on brookie streams.

Mayflies are more common than caddis on brookie streams.

 

[afishinado]

troutbert wrote:
Fish water that isn't pressured much.

Try terrestrial patterns that make a plop when they hit. Beetles, big ants, inchworms, small crickets.

Try parachute patterns or comparaduns. In my experience these outfish elk hair caddis on brookie streams.

Mayflies are more common than caddis on brookie streams.

All good advice > check > check > check > all the way down to more mayflies than caddis on brookie streams.

I don't fish small Central PA brookie streams that much, but never really noticed or even thought about it everywhere else.

Interesting observation.

 

[Letort]

Fished two different areas.

Could be some dinks in there.

Interesting thought on palmered hackle, as it was a palmered body.

I will try a parachute next time - if for no other reason than with the light the way it was, I could use the white wing to track it better.

 

[dryflyguy]

Letort wrote:
No, two different areas.

As others have suggested, maybe it is fishing pressure

Fishing different patterns might help. I use mostly beetles for my brookie fishing. Unless the water is up. Then I'll use larger attractors

 

[D-nymph]

Sometimes trout just miss too.

 

[sarce]

Check the water temp. This happens often to me when the temps get above 65. In this heat it is possible for tiny brookie streams to get that warm. It's like their instinct tells them to go after the fly but then they realize last second that they are a bit stressed and not in a feeding mood. Happens occasionally in cooler water too, and if I see it more than once I change to a totally different style of fly. For example if they are just "bumping" a caddis I'll switch to an ant or stimulator rather than a caddis in a different size. I take it as they are keyed to something different for some unknown reason - rare on most brookie outings but it definitely does happen from time to time. If it continues...green weenie time.

Also agree that fishing pressure does make them a little more shy.

 

[Letort]

I have got to go with more terrestrials. I rarely fish them.

 

[midgeman]

They get hesitant sometimes.

Are you bending your hooks?

If not, bend them outwards.

 

[dc410]

Small beetles and ants are great patterns for late summer brookies. As far as caddis patterns go, over the years I found the CDC and elk to be a much more effective pattern for me on hook up ratio than the traditionally tied elk hair caddis.

 

[CRB]

Hooks bent outwards and stiff hackle. I don't palmer my hackle just leave off on my caddis flies.

 

[MKern]

The tippet gets in the way most of the time with small brookies.

When I fish dries for brookies I almost always use an emerging pattern. Something that puts the hook point below the surface.

I also like 2x fine hooks for this. Most of the time I just bend a 2x fine dry fly hook.

Many times I omit any form of a tail too. I don't want that getting in the way of the hook point.

Or I use a foam ant.