I have only been out twice so far this season and on both occasions i have had a lot of takes that i have been unable to convert. This has been particularly the case when i have been fishing static buzzers and just letting them drift round on the wind. I appreciate that not every take is going to stick but the other morning i had 7 good pulls and not one stuck! Any tips to help me convert more pulls into fish will be gtatefully recieved.
Thanks in advance!

try striking?

HI ,I should think you know this and i dont know much , but if your line is in an arc due to the drift make sure you strike side ways so as to pull on the line as well as possible , ie . if line is like ---> C , drifting to your left , then make sure you pull to the right on strike . Sorry if i am stating the obivous

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Cheers Danny

Co-Founder of S.S.F.D 2010

Try to clear your mind and expect a take every cast, if you are waiting for it, it should work. That`s what I do,still miss takes,but not so many.

Hi mate.....

there are no 100% foolproof answers, and nothing works every time...but

Always try and keep in direct contact with your line and flies...basically take up all the slack even when fishing static...so your instantly into the fish.

Strike with the arc...as mentioned above..

If it's windy...drop your rod tip 2" under the water...(just like when your course fishing) so the wind or waves doesn't create a big loop that absorbs the take, again allowing you to be in direct contact.

Watch the line for any movement and strike at the slightest resistance....easy on a floater, but on sinkers you watch for any movement in the loop of fly line between the rod tip and the water....again just like a swing -tip....you'll see a take a split second before you feel it and the extra advantage will help you hook more.

If pulling lures or boobies....just keep going untill it all locks up rather than striking at every little tap ..(sorry this may contradict the above)

If fishing deep or at range......you really should use a low stretch line ie Airflo 6th Sense that is made on a braided core.....you'll set the hook better.

Finally use smaller patterns if fishing lures...they may be too big

or if fishing nymphs go for something very drab...avoid the hot spots & fluro heads they may have had a lot of pressure and have become finicky ..

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Fishing static nymphs if you feel the pull it is quite often too late to hook up.

Focus on the line between the rod tip held not too far above the water and where the line enters the water.You will usually see the take here.From a high bank or similar point the rod at the water.If you are not retrieving the nymphs on the swing with some mends or changing rod position during the swing the line will normally lift when a fish takes the nymph.Not always but majority of the time.Some times the line will drop back so be ready.On the retrieve it will be more or less the same and try to see the take as opposed to feeling it.Ahhhhhhh Grasshopper..............You might well not be old enough for this one lol.

If conditions allow you can watch the tip of the fly line in the same way for any change in the natural movement which may signal a take.

I know easy to say and not so easy to do and we all miss takes due to the very nature of the method some we do not even see anyway.

Another tip which may help is to smoothly draw(not a snatch) the line with your reel hand as you lift into the fish.This will help eliminate any unwanted stretch factor.You should not need to do a Zorro to set the hook on a trout.Smooth tightening is the name of the game nymph fishing because if you feel nothing then leave the fly in the zone and it may well be taken again by his mother.

If conditions are pretty calm you could try using an indicator/bung which will help.

Keep at it and you will no doubt crack it and begin to gain more confidence and at one with your gear turning enquiries into solid hook sets.Not all the time I must add but maybe an improvement of the current ratio

Good hunting JP

Thanks everyone for your help, it doesnt sound like i am doing a lot wrong but there are definitely a few things i want to try from the above. Being a coarse angler i think i might be a bit over zealouss on the strike for one!
Thanks again.

It might be worth putting an indicator on to see if that helps you. I don't like using them but I find it focuses the mind better than following the end of the fly line. It can also be amazing to see how many takes you actually get that you never even feel on the line

I think if you follow the advice above you should see an improvement. Four other options to try if you are missing lots when fishing buzzers as you describe:

You could change to a "cortland blue" type intermediate (very, very slow sinker) so that not such a large arc develops in a cross-wind. You can "strip strike" or strike parallel to the water to the side that is opposite the direction of drift.

You could fish a lighter line rating (i.e. change down to an AFTM 5 or 6 if you are using a #7 or 8). This reduces the amount of drag that a taking fish feels and may help it to keep hold long enough for you to pull into the fish.

Third option - using a leader material like 5 or 6lb rio powerflex or Sightfree G3 in 6lb can be a real help.

Fourth option - doing a figure of eight retrieve at precisely the speed that limits the size of the curve. Faster in a stronger cross wind (you can change the angle of the cast and also the weight of your point fly to get them to fish at the desired depth even if your retrieve is quicker).

Or a combination of all of the above.......(and check your hooks are sharp! - use a hook-hone)

Thanks for that, out of interest does the type of fluorocarbon used make a big difference? The reason i ask is i currently use the flulling mill stuff and have done so for quite sometime. I know its probably the cheapest on the market so just wondered if i would see any improvement by paying a little bit more?