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

[wildtrout2]

Yeah, I Googled it, Bam was right. It's been 21 years since alcohol touched my lips, so not an issue for me. At least not now.

 

[Bamboozle]

I have a PhD in alcoholic beverage consumption regulations...

 

[WWKimba]

Gee, I haven't had to worry about my age since I was 18!

Kim

 

[Hackle]

What do you guys do when absolutely NOTHING is catching fish? Yesterday I fished two different stocked streams in Maryland (stocked with trout in the last couple weeks) and in both, I could SEE the trout, many trout, and I drifted damn near every fly in my box over, near, and around these fish and they were just not interested. Not one bite, nibble, chase, nothing. I tried dries, nymphs, dry-dropper, woolly buggers, green weenies, everything I could think of.

The water was gin clear, so I thought maybe they could see me, but they weren't leaving, they were just holding, up to 15, 20 fish, but not one interested in what I was offering.

What do you guys do in this situation? Pack it up and have a beer somewhere?

I've been there, lots of fish, nothing hitting.. luckily for me there was an 80 year old fisherman watching our wasted casts.. he came over and handed us both a Pittsburg steelers salmon egg pattern in black and gold. A few split shot and sinking it to the bottom and boom. We probably caught 15 fish on that silly pattern.. cannot explain why other than those trout curiosity. I keep a few in the flybox just for those days..

 

[Prospector]

What do you guys do when absolutely NOTHING is catching fish? Yesterday I fished two different stocked streams in Maryland (stocked with trout in the last couple weeks) and in both, I could SEE the trout, many trout, and I drifted damn near every fly in my box over, near, and around these fish and they were just not interested. Not one bite, nibble, chase, nothing. I tried dries, nymphs, dry-dropper, woolly buggers, green weenies, everything I could think of.

The water was gin clear, so I thought maybe they could see me, but they weren't leaving, they were just holding, up to 15, 20 fish, but not one interested in what I was offering.

What do you guys do in this situation? Pack it up and have a beer somewhere?

If the water temperature was 49 degrees or less, especially if the water temp is falling, the trout won’t feed. Time to go home and spend some time with your significant other.

 

[MD_Gene]

What do you guys do when absolutely NOTHING is catching fish? Yesterday I fished two different stocked streams in Maryland (stocked with trout in the last couple weeks) and in both, I could SEE the trout, many trout, and I drifted damn near every fly in my box over, near, and around these fish and they were just not interested. Not one bite, nibble, chase, nothing. I tried dries, nymphs, dry-dropper, woolly buggers, green weenies, everything I could think of.

The water was gin clear, so I thought maybe they could see me, but they weren't leaving, they were just holding, up to 15, 20 fish, but not one interested in what I was offering.

What do you guys do in this situation? Pack it up and have a beer somewhere?

Stocked fish are not fed a few days prior to being transported to the stream. Seems that fish are subject to motion sickness. When the get to the stream the eat everything and anything: sticks, leaves, small rocks... They gorge themselves. a week or so later, after they expel all that they consumed and they figure out what is edible. I know guys who have arrived to a stream after the stocking truck is gone and catch and release 30 fish in a couple of hours. Also know a guy who fished the YB a few weeks ago soon after stocking and he had a banner day. He was so excited about it he went back a few days later- Zip. Maybe it was timing in your case?

 

[Peter Ross]

Great question and lots of great advice here.
Just because they don't spook doesn't mean they don't see us.
But first, confirm you're not watching a pod of suckers.

 

[Calico]

Try contact nymphing aka euro nymphing.

 

[moon1284]

I tie on a Michigan cricket.