Strike Indicator

[BelAirSteve]

Some really interesting points. I don't consider someone who primarily fishes dries a "dry fly snob." It's a matter of preference. Like others have said, on my home water, the Gunpowder, if I want to consistently catch fish, I need to nymph. It's where the bigger fish hold. I can catch dinks making splashy rises, but if I want to target bigger fish, nymphing is what I need to do.

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to fish a pool where fish were rising to caddis in the morning. It was the first time I had really had the opportunity to watch the fish all the way. I took two fish in 3 casts and watched them climb through the water column, I could see their mouths open, and watched them sip in the fly....totally awesome.

 

[wetnet]

Re: Strike Indicator

Quote:

JasonS wrote:
Quote:

wetnet wrote:
I don't brag much about my fishing ability but you watch a line stop in a current and set on a fish that weighs less than a ounce of fish on your line and tell me it's some random luck.


Not to rain on your parade but it was most likely random luck that you caught that dace. Don't want to get into a long discussion of how the mind works/psychology/etc but most likely you are not taking into account all the times you've thought you've seen your line twitch and when you set there was nothing on the end. This time there just happened to be a dace. I'm not saying this to diminish your fishing skills, but i see this type of thinking on a daily basis. Selective memory I think is the term for it.

Jason,

I can see the point that you are trying to make. Like I've said I'm no top level fly fisherman, but I will say kindly don't underestimate me or any other one with a psychology-mind work study project. Believe I spend allot of time in trees or stuck on rocks. Most of the times when I first started nymphing it was knee jerk reaction to a line stop. I kept fishing and trying to learn more and it is at the point that I wished happened more often than not that the world justs shuts down around me except for the stream, the current and my line.

When things are quiet and I see the line twirl and sink and grab the bottom but there is a spark that says "set" fish.

It doesn't start out that way. First you have to set on everything. You have to to get over the fact that you know the difference between fish or a rock or subsurface branch and "Yes" I still set on them sometimes too. What I will say it there are a few moments that happen that you just feel everything fall all together. And "yes" you can set on a wisp of a fish on purpose and that is where I am.

I would say most often than not, deep heavy brown water would be the biggest challenge. So I agree as far as nymphing the tiny fish would not equate to much success worth boasting. To be someone who can focus thru torrents would be a better topic for the whole how a mind can focus, why some swim and bob like Thingamibobbers in their waders and cross strong currents, when the rest of head to our cars. I'm a head to my car sort of girl, so I'll be happy with my tiny fish. Very good point though. I definitely started out that way. I have poor launched creek chubs to prove it.

I don't know the depths to each persons passions on this site but I have a huge respect for those that branch out from the one way to fish policy. I'd love to learn them all and some aspects are just harder for me but that's OK. I do not consider any of them boring.

 

[osprey]

Wetnet.........That "Spark" you refer to that happens that tells you fish! set! has been referred to in print in a variety of manners but a good one is that "little brown wink" i don't remember who wrote that but i always remember that phrase , it might have been Chauncy Lively. Another writer whose name i also can't remember , duh , in the book "Halcyon days" refers to the act of knowing when to strike on a sunken fly as akin to ESP and he even goes so far as saying the mind can kind of put the fish there when you strike , like telekonesis , he even talks about being "in the zone" and talks about LSD trip like awareness of when to strike the sunken fly , and it goes on and on with all fishers pretty much coming to agreement in the end that it's like your "SPARK" , my "Little brown wink" , a feel and just a feeling of when. One of these times soon you'll get the feeling and strike and it's not gonna be a dace on the other end believe me.

 

[wetnet]

The Dace was not my first spark, it was the first one that I knew was true, after 2nd guessing myself a bunch of times before. But I'm not consistent, You just can't hit the stream to fish like that if your me. I'm lucky to fall into that place and I'm a bit moody..No one would ever have guessed it? I know the brown wink and when it's good it makes me want to learn more. but not as much as I do when I just plan stink. So I'll keep going at.

A Little Brown Wink to you. Thanks! There isn't a smiley face that fits.

 

[osprey]

There was once what i thought was a "spark/wink" and i struck only to realize i was stuck , there was a submerged log there and dang i was sure i snagged it and would probably have to break the fly off..........then the log started thumping and slowly moving upstream , the log turned out to be a 19" rainbow , which from around here isn't too bad , i really did think i was stuck and i actually tugged a few times in different directions to see if i could get loose before the log started thumping and moving lol....thanks for lettin me remember that one.