First, I'd like to thank this forum for being so great. I've been at this fly fishing lark for a couple of months and have had five fish , so it's been good.

However . . . fishing my small river this evening my dry flies kept getting hit but no fish got hooked. Some big splashy stuff and some subtle swirls, all clearly trout on the rise and taking the fly but rejecting it moments later.

I saw the take, the fly went under and . . . slack line. No fishy on the end of it.

I tried quick strikes, slow strikes - even no strikes. All the same!

So - what to do? Does this happen a lot? Is it just one of those things?

Are there ways to avoid it or at least reduce it?

Thanks (again)

Could you feel the fish take the fly through the line? You may not be in close enough contact with the fly and therefore all your strikes are not quick enough as you are having to lift too much line with the strike.

Keep your rod tip 2 inches above the water and keep the line as straight as possible without allowing any drag of the fly. Also, if not already doing so, use barbless hooks as they are sharper and tend to self hook readily.

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Just My Tuppenceworth!!

Thanks, I'll try that.

Are you certain they were actually taking the fly? Sounds more like they were coming short or drowning it before turning and taking. On a stillwater I have found that when they do this (swirl at the fly causing it to go under) if I wait a moment then give one long pull I usually get a really positive take. I am not an upstream dry fly expert by any stretch, so not sure how this would translate to the river, no doubt Stonepark will enlighten me, his advice seems eminently sensible.

It certainly pays to watch the way they are taking the fly,last night fishing a size 16 light olive parachute i had plenty of rises but no hook ups,till a wee lull in the wind,and i could see the trout come up and try to drown the fly,then turned an took it right away,i hooked evey fish after thatBut that was on a stillwater,im sure the river guys will be able to come to your aid a wee bit better

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Silversedge
LETS TACKLE CANCER SUPPORTER
"MON THE HILL CLIMBERS!!"