Short Strikes on Streamers

[JohnnyUtah]

I understand Gfens theory, i just found his explanations for it to be humorous. imo

 

[gfen]

That rug really tied the room together.

 

[JohnnyUtah]

gfen wrote:
That rug really tied the room together.

SHUT UP DONNY!

 

[Chaz]

Shorten the tail.

 

[midnightangler]

I don't think there is one thing you can do to solve this problem in all cases. However, it is extremely important to use the sharpest hooks you can find. The best advice I can give is this: don't ever tie a streamer with a mustad hook. They just aren't very sharp.

 

[Foxgap239]

Chaz, I was fishing with Don (one of the best streamer tyers and fishers I know) and he was having the same issue. I guess it just wasn't our day.

Thanks for all the advice and wit it was fun to wake up and read.

Fishidiot, thanks for the reminder about multi hooks in C&R water, I would have screwed that one up.

Shorter tails seems to be the common theme but i do like the idea of stunned bait.

Thanks again.

 

[afishinado]

ryguyfi wrote:
Try using very long hooks, but still tying your pattern the same size as the shorter hooks. So tie a wooly bugger and make the hook bend just barely inside the back of the marabou. I've been meaning to try this, but just haven't yet. The concept seems to be good to me though.

Trout are notorious for short strikes on streamer-type flies. A while back, I found some 7x long streamer hooks on sale and bought them tie my trout streamers and buggers with them. I tie the body of the fly using only 2/3 of the hook shank which keeps the point of the hook near the end of the tail. I've also had some success adding some bling by tying some flashy stuff on the back portion of the shank.

Yeah, yeah, the hook leverage thing....you must HOOK a fish before you worry about him shaking off the hook. I hook and land a lot more fish with short-tied streamers.

 

[midnightangler]

It seems a lot of guys like to cut the tails off of streamers, which baffles me. My experience has been that brown trout will hit streamers from almost any direction and I don't believe that there is one particular tying style that will work all of the time. To me, cutting the tail off or tying "longer" just seems like a way to trade one problem for another since you will miss more of the fish that eat the head (which they do a lot). Wouldn't it be better to carry a mix of streamer patterns with the hooks placed differently? If you come to the stream only prepared for trout to eat your streamer from one specific direction you are going to have days where you miss almost every fish that eats it.

 

[pete41]

If you are a stripper,ripper streamer fisherperson its logical to get some short strikes.
However if you present the fly naturally,then they smack it sideways[get hooked] and would release it if it was a baitfish and swallow it HEADFIRST,to avoid getting fins caught in their throat.
4x long, 2 stout in any length is a good streamer hook.

 

[shakey]

PACOFRANSICO wrote:
I learned this on spring creek. Sometime trout try to stun a streamer and not eat it right off. If ya can keep yourself composed enuff after it thumps it, throw a big mend and dead drift it. Sometimes they loop down stream to pic it up as it flutters down to 'em.

there is a very famous creek near philly with wild browns where this happens.those browns will smack a streamer sideways WITHOUT using their mouths,they slam it with their bodies, then circle back for the stunned fish.it is so hard to let that streamer drift!!but if you do,fish on!

 

[ryguyfi]

afishinado wrote:

ryguyfi wrote:
Try using very long hooks, but still tying your pattern the same size as the shorter hooks. So tie a wooly bugger and make the hook bend just barely inside the back of the marabou. I've been meaning to try this, but just haven't yet. The concept seems to be good to me though.

Trout are notorious for short strikes on streamer-type flies. A while back, I found some 7x long streamer hooks on sale and bought them tie my trout streamers and buggers with them. I tie the body of the fly using only 2/3 of the hook shank which keeps the point of the hook near the end of the tail. I've also had some success adding some bling by tying some flashy stuff on the back portion of the shank.

Yeah, yeah, the hook leverage thing....you must HOOK a fish before you worry about him shaking off the hook. I hook and land a lot more fish with short-tied streamers.

Thanks afish for that. That's exactly what I was going for, just have to put it into practice.


I also go smaller on my patterns when getting short strikes. I tie a wooly bugger on a size 14 streamer hook and have done well with that also. My thought is that if they're striking short on a sz6 or 8, then there's less to strike short on with a sz 14. Don't miss many strikes on the smaller buggers in the last few years since I started using them.

 

[melvinp]

Ive noticed short strikes on streamers fishing for smallies,Added trailer hook on mono with a loop for added wiggle ended up catching a lot of bluegills.Never hooked a smallie on second hook only bluegills.