Wonder if anyone can help please. I have just restarted fly fishing again after a 15 year break (bringing up family) and today's fishing trip on my local loch has sent me bananas. I usually fish dry flies and 2nd cast today I got a rise but missed it. This set the scene for the entire day. I must have missed a dozen rises to my hopper. I tried smaller, larger, different colours, twitched back, static, but I missed them all. It seemed to me that the fish were very wary and not really having a go at the fly. Does anyone have any ideas why this happens? Or what to fish when the trout are doing this? Many thanks.

Hi Jetta, and welcome to the forum.

It may have been the case the fish were trying to sink your fly before taking it, I find this often happens with hoppers. Next time it happens allow the fish to rise wait a few seconds then tighten up and see if that makes a difference!

Good luck and tight lines.

Gary

Hi Gary,
Thanks for your reply. I will try that. It was really sending me loopy today. The air was blue!!
I'm looking forward to being part of the forum.

Totally agree with the drowning the fly situation...Id grab the smallest cdc you gan get your hands on and give that a whirl next time

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PawPrinT
"I'd rather be fishing"

Yep agree too. I find that can happen on the bigger leggier flies. Sometimes in fact they'll nose & then not take at all. When it happens, immediately after try making it sink with a few quick twitches, keeping in touch thereafter with a fingered FO8. It has worked for me. Also going smaller can help. Perhaps a 14 or so. Me, right now, I'd advise you try a smaller hawthorn fly imitation which will attract in the same way but for me results in more positive takes. Get your confidence up again. Failing that try a nice dark parachute emerger in 14 or even 16. And remember...when the take somes and your fly disappears, say "Jesus Take!' (like I do) before lifting in. I'm sure you're just outta practice...good luck.

Hello,

Had this myself too. Definately try CDC Parachute/Shuttlecock Buzzers. One of my favourite dry flies!

cheers,

Nick.

Dont expect to hook ever trout you rise on dries. No matter what you do you wont get it right every time.
I think a ratio of 1:3 or 1:4 is not to bad.
not to sure about the drowning theory
Why would a fish do that, it is more than capable of taking a fly directly from the surface?

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It is in truth not glory,nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting,but for freedom - for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with his life.(Declaration of Arbroath, 1320)

No comfort I know, but you're not alone.

It's kinda driving me crazy, especially as the rises I'm missing on the water I fish are becoming far and few between since the hot weather.

Yesterday evening, after an hour or so of no action at all, I was watching my dry floating next to a real live fly trapped in the surface layer, when I saw a trout coming up through the water towards them.

When it ignored the real fly and went for my imitation I was stunned for a moment or so (it all seemed to occur in super slow-motion), and still the delayed pull failed to connect (as it did for the other two rises to my dry).

I swear I heard the trout laughing as it disappeared back down into the depths!

A general question - This drowning thing

does it only happen on lakes or have you seen it on rivers as well

I see so many people missing fish on dries, and 90% of the time it is because they strike to quickly!. When you see a fish at your fly you should wait around seconds, but it does depend on how the fish rises. If the fish rises and just sips the fly in then you strike after 1 full second but if it head and tails over it you have to wait around 4 because the fish actually take the fly on the way down. But as you say some times they just miss the fly if this is the case change patter to small and different type sometimes and go down a size in leader.

I hope this helps

James