Firstly let me explain where I'm at.

I'm 46, and used to fly fish with my father when in my teens. I then drifted out of it, picking it up again about ten years ago after my father died and I inherited his fishing gear.
I really enjoyed it, and found I could remember how to cast. Being married now, with two children, I only get to go out maybe twice a year, with my friend who never fished but got into it.
The gear I've fished with this last ten years is old and mismatched - there's an old carbon rod, and a couple of cane rods, all rated differently, and my casting, was always pretty haphazard. I was never sure if it was because I had the wrong line on the wrong rod, and was never entirely sure which flies I should use, and if the ones I was using were right for the conditions. But I talked to some guys, and read up, and used to do okay, mostly catching one fish at least when I went out, maybe two, sometimes even three. Once four.
But now I've decided to take it up a notch and get some new gear.
I bought a new rod and line, and took it out today, and, at first, it was a disaster. I couldn't cast a straight line to save my life.
The fish were turning under the surface, and there were plenty of them. I was fishing a zonker, as one of the guys at the reservoir I fish had got two beauties on it, but both me and my friend blanked.
I tried my father's old rods and found I could cast accurately with them, but still blanked. I tried everything, but not so much as a nibble.
By evening I decided to try again with my new rod. I figured that I'd have to relearn how to cast, guessing that I was used to casting with older rods. i stuck it out, and after a while got it to work. I ended the day casting the best I've ever done, and further than ever, which was the one good thing.
But as for fish, nothing.
No matter what fly both me and my friend tried, we got nothing. The water felt dead. We stuck it out, but with that sinking feeling that luck was just not on our side.
This is the third trip out now that I've caught nothing. But this time I didn't even get a nibble.
Anyone else had a run where they've got nothing, and if so what did you do to break it?

As a returning fly fisherman I have a similar story - I was lucky enough to catch on my very first outing after a thirty year break.

And the next five outings I couldn't buy a bite.

Tips.

1 - Go fishing - otherwise you will not catch anything.
2 - Learn to enjoy the surroundings - any day you see a Goshawk, Dipper or Kingfisher is a good day.
3 - Talk to the other guys who are fishing your water -the crack is always worthwhile and someone might have a handy suggestion.

The things that worked best for me were - Pheasant tail nymphs and 6X tippet material.

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Plusnet/Madasafish > Liars to the internet community

Both myself and my old man fished today from 9am to 4pm, we each got a touch but no fish. A very bad day.

Were both using top spec gear and both blanked, it happens. I'll catch next time (maybe) and if I though different I would never fish again.

Also my old mans 63 I am 37 so there's more to it than catching fish. I am enjoying time spent with him in his latter years and cherishing the time.

We all have bad days but you will have a good one soon enough, stick with it. At this time of year I am looking forward to next March/April.

Good luck Gotte on your next trip out.

worse when it plays on your mind, not catching, i used to feel under pressure after 3 outing with no catches, but i think what is important is that you just enjoy it. its all about changing things fly sizes depths and retrieves in my opinion, thats all you can do. positive thinking for me.......good luck for the next visit.........

Hi I've just had four trips out lately and blanked on each worst of all someone who I helped to correct his casting out fished me on the last trip so don't give up.

Don't get me wrong, I love fly fishing. I love just being out - the anticipation when you're setting up and make your first cast. It's a great way to spend the day. I don't even want it to be too easy. I heard tell of a reservoir close to me where there were reports of ten plus fish in a day, and that always turned me off. I like it with just a couple of fish. It keeps you on your toes, keeps you thinking, moving, trying new stuff, and then when the bite comes it's like nothing else. But it just gets frustrating when you know there are fish there, can even see them, but no matter what, nothing you do works.
Like I said, I usually get at least a nibble, maybe one on that I lose, and that's okay, because at least I know I'm doing something right. And fishing this late in the years is more difficult because the day is so much shorter.
I guess I just wish I knew more, which I know will only come from experience. But bizarrely, the more I learn, the harder it seems to become. When I knew nothing, the fish seemed to come easy.
The first time I took my friend, he got four (admittedly, the first day of the season). There was even a day when we just put something white on, not knowing what else, and on the second cast, both hooked something at the same time.
Now it seems like the fish are harder to catch, the more I know.
One other thing that bummed me out was that I tied some really nice flies - a gold ribbed hair's ear and a couple of Hoppers, the first I'd really tried with, and I was really proud of them, but lost them all on snags.
Still, if I look on the positive - it was good casting practice with my new rod, and I'm pleased with getting my casting to go where I want it to without aid of a wind over my shoulder.

It takes years to learn what works best, at what time and what place. A bad caster can still catch fish if using the right fly at the right time, and using the correct leader, line etc.
Ask advice from the fishery manager on depths, hotspots, fly choice etc and don't be shy in asking other fishermen, as most are only too willing to share their knowledge.
Look for the fish moving and you move accordingly.
Remember that every day is a school day..but most of all just enjoy it!
A blank day on the water is better than being in the house/work etc.

Cheers Diarmid.

I like to fish the "wilder" waters which are stocked less often.
When you've gone 10 or 12 trips in succession without a sniff then you can start to feel a tad dejected as I did.
The next outing I had was a beautiful spring day, trees coming into leaf and loads of wildlife to watch in between a steady flow of quality fish. Soon forgot about all the previous blanks

Just get out, enjoy the surroundings, the wildlife, fish at your leisure and you'll soon forget about all that's gone before.

Variety in your fishing may help.

Do something different instead if chasing what ain't coming!

Sea fishing, Coarse fishing, fishing for Coarse fish with the fly etc.

And

Then try your chosen field again.

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[COLOR="Blue"]"A fish seen is a fish nearly caught"[/COLOR]

Wow, 12 trips. That's rough. I love the idea of fishing wilder waters. The whole thing I love about fishing is being away from it all. That's why I choose the water I do - it's a fair sized reservoir about an hour's drive from, but it's often only got a few other fishermen, all just specks on the horizon. Sometimes there's no one at all. You have to clamber across streams, through trees to get to our favourite spot, and there it feels like it's miles from anywhere. My friend and I are planning a trip to Scotland next year, on one of the lochs in the highlands. If our lick carries on like it is, though, I suspaect we'll lose a lot of weight .