What do you guys do when absolutely NOTHING is catching fish?

Sit down and watch what is going on. Sometimes trying to hard makes it worse. Take a brake, watch a chipmunk play , then go back at it.
 
Go for a ride. Go back to the shack and drink bourbon.
 
Check the Solunar Tables. Are the birds? cows? chickens? active or laying around? If they are active so are the trout. https://solunarforecast.com/ GG
 
There is no good single answer to the question because there could be a whole host of reasons why you are not catching fish.

In early spring, if you are fishing in the morning and it's cold, the answer is fish in the afternoon, after things warm up.

Around late May early June, if you are fishing in the middle of a bright sunny warm day, stick around for the "evening rise."

If you are fishing a mountain stream when it's low and clear, come back there after rains have brought up the water level.

Sometimes changing flies makes a huge difference.
 
A very fish educated member of PPTU (where I was a member before I moved) knew about stocked fish. Fish get "car sick". To that end they do not feed them for a few days before going onto the truck. They get to the stream, get their bearings, and eat anything and everything. They gorge themselves. It then takes a week or 2 before they and disgorge what they consumed. That might be what you experienced.
 
Yes, a friend of mine ran a private hatchery and you are correct, he didn't feed them for 3 days as they would vomit in the tank acidifying the water and thus the gut bacteria eating up the oxygen,together causing the fish to overly stress or die outright.

In addition, because the tanks were packed with fish, he would sparge oxygen through the water, which made them feisty as hell.

When they would come off their O2 high, they would be ravenous.
Thus the dumb stockie moniker.
 
As per the thread question, believe it or not, I've only had that situation happen a few times. When nothing at all worked, I just left and took it on the chin.
 
If nothing is rising I will lay down on the bank. I often fall asleep. I have had many great naps along many beautiful trout streams in PA and NY.
 
Going back to the OP: I generally go to another stream or stream section, hoping for better results.

(A well-known fisherman has said I took this idea from him without giving him credit, so I am giving him credit here again, 2nd time on this website. I do not think I dare mention his name: I think he would be upset with me if I did.)

Anyhow, if the switch of streams or stream sections does not work, I then generally go home and pout.
 
rrt said:
Going back to the OP: I generally go to another stream or stream section, hoping for better results.

(A well-known fisherman has said I took this idea from him without giving him credit, so I am giving him credit here again, 2nd time on this website. I do not think I dare mention his name: I think he would be upset with me if I did.)

Anyhow, if the switch of streams or stream sections does not work, I then generally go home and pout.
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Of course this is assuming you have more than one fishable stream in the area. I'll just keep beating the water and experiment in the hope making a discovery.
 
Living near multiple NY wine trails, I'll give you ONE guess!

Kim

BTW, Happy Holidays to you and yours and a hearty toast to the New Year. May she be a damn site better than the last one!
 
wildtrout2 said:
I stand corrected on that. Prohibited on SGL and in State Parks though.
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Only illegal if you get caught. Guppy cops are pretty lazy, I’ve never had any issues taking a flask pull or rockin a beer on special regs water
 
Bamboozle said:
Alcohol is not prohibited in SF's unless you are under 21... 🍸
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I was under the impression it was on SF’s too. Mind citing your source on that? Not doubting you or trying to start trouble, just would like to know where to point in the event I’m ever stopped on a BPing trip on SF land. Be nice to take a beer or two along, but I was always of the belief, possibly mistakenly it seems, that was out of bounds.
 
Swattie87 said:
I was under the impression it was on SF’s too. Mind citing your source on that? Not doubting you or trying to start trouble, just would like to know where to point in the event I’m ever stopped on a BPing trip on SF land. Be nice to take a beer or two along, but I was always of the belief, possibly mistakenly it seems, that was out of bounds.
Click to expand...

§ 21.122. Other prohibitions

(b) The following activities are prohibited:​
​
(5) Possessing or consuming alcoholic beverages by persons​
under 21 years of age.​

 
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