Thoughts on stripping. And Hooking up. June 16 2024, 0 Comments

Believe it or not, first impressions count. First looks are everything. In fly fishing, that is. Fly fishing often has a large visual component to it. Watching your fly as it drifts down the river. Watching your indicator as it bobs in the wind chop. Watching the speed and direction of flow in the river to find holding areas. Looking for sub-surface structure that might hold fish. Looking for birds that might indicate the presence of fish.

All of this looking is often forgotten about at the moment the fish takes, or attempts to take the fly. Many anglers believe the hard work is done after taking in all variables to find and fool the fish, only to miss out on hooking up. Likely chalking it up to bad luck or the fish not feeding properly. Have you ever seen one angler that continues to miss hooksets, while the person fishing next to them doesn't have the same problem?

I'm here to tell you, this part of the process requires you to use your eyes even more. Look what the fish is doing and it will tell you when and how to set the hook. Does the fish normally turn after feeding? Watch it and wait for it to turn before setting the hook. Are you fishing on a downstream swing? Pulling directly back will likely do little with a fish that is facing you. Watch the water and the point of your swing to guage the angle of your fly and strike sideways. Try it and see. You're welcome.

I'm not going to cover off all the scenarios here, but if you pay a little attention to how a particular fish feeds and what is happening with respect to water flow, you'll consistently hook up more. You heard me, stripping at the right time can lead to hooking up....

Tight lines, and keep your eyes open!