learning not to strike

Yesterdy at the lake - quite cold and a stiff breeze but trout were jumping
clean out of the water. Put on a dry sedge and twitched it across the waves.
Three casts, three rises - struck at them all but did not connect with any.
After years and years of trying to strike instantly - most of my fishing is
sub-surface - why is it that a trout rises just when your mind has drifted
enough for you to forget that you MUST NOT STRIKE INSTANTLY. In the end -
another big, swirling rise. I managed to half abort the strike and the fly
moved only about a foot. The fish took immediately. If I am fishing normal
dry fly I often leave a loop of line hanging between my hand and the bottom
ring, or even do not hold the line at all, but when retreiving you have to
have a tight line. Ah well - only two fish but great fun.

Gordon

In article , Gordon
MacPherson writes
Yesterdy at the lake - quite cold and a stiff breeze but trout were jumping
clean out of the water. Put on a dry sedge and twitched it across the waves.
Three casts, three rises - struck at them all but did not connect with any.
After years and years of trying to strike instantly - most of my fishing is
sub-surface - why is it that a trout rises just when your mind has drifted
enough for you to forget that you MUST NOT STRIKE INSTANTLY. In the end -
another big, swirling rise. I managed to half abort the strike and the fly
moved only about a foot. The fish took immediately. If I am fishing normal
dry fly I often leave a loop of line hanging between my hand and the bottom
ring, or even do not hold the line at all, but when retreiving you have to
have a tight line. Ah well - only two fish but great fun.

Gordon



Hi Gordon,

Quite often a fish that rises totally out of the water is not taking a
fly but smashing it down to drown it for later consumption.

I'd leave the strike for a very brief moment and just tighten up on the
line.
--
Bill Grey