Last year was my first year at river fly fishing.
I had cr*p gear and knew nothing-but I had a few fish.
This year I have good gear and have read and watched videos on how it
should be done.
So I now have the right tackle,a far bigger selection of flies and more
general knowledge in the art of fly fishing.
So far this year I have caught nothing.
Whats gone wrong?
Maybe I am complicating things?
Maybe I am thinking too much. ?
What should I do?
Should I forget about the rivers and just do as a lot of others do and fish
heavily stocked ponds.
Help!

I went back to fishing a wee local river recently after many years
on Lochs and stocked fisheries.

Found it hard to adjust to the rivers again, lighter tackle and mostly
dry flies or weighted nymphs.

Can't say other than bad luck if you were catching last year? I keep it simple with lighter leader etc. If you are watching vids on it am at a loss.

Do the sneak up thing, it helps along with polorised glasses.

The weather has been a bit haywire where I live and the water is now very low.

Hope it goes better soon!!!

Hey MorrisDancer;

First thing is to mellow a bit. If you're having fun then that's what counts and from what I've seen of your posts you do seem to enjoy the fishing for its own sake.

There really is no clear answer to your question of what can you do to start catching again unless you tie a hand grenade to the end of your leader and cast it into a deep pool after pulling the pin. (A word to the wise, keep another grenade handy to take care of any fishing warden or police who may be attracted by the noise).

All kidding aside though, maybe water conditions are worse than they were last year which is stressing the fish or affecting the insect life on the rivers you're fishing. Are you seeing fish? If not then perhaps the harsh conditions of this past winter resulted in a higher level of winter kill on your waters and you're now having to deal with the results. You could also be going through a stretch of bad luck like all of us do at some point where the Gods of Fishing just seem to hate us and everything we do. Is there a possibility that you could go fishing with someone who has more experience of your local waters and could give you some advice? Sometimes all you need is the assistance of someone who can help you read the local waters to break out of a funk.

The main thing is to persevere and pretty soon you'll be holding and admiring a nice wild brown trout!

Take care

Terry

__________________
"He either fears his fate too much,
Or his desserts are small,
Who dares not put it to the touch,
To win or lose it all!"

You know it works both ways. I am predominately a river fisherman and freestone rivers at that. However I often find it difficult on the stillwaters and it takes a bit of time to get back in to the swing of things as I only fish them on occasion. I more often than not find I catch a brown troutdd when all I want to do is catch a rainbow or a derivation of that species and somtimes I catch nothing at all.

I feel part of the pleasure we get from fishing is overcoming the failures and being able to learn somthing new from the mistakes we all experience. Embrace your bad luck because it will make your victories seem all the sweeter and they will come, they surely will. Stick with it, its all part of the game.

Morrisdancer, conditions on Scottish rivers have been very, very tough this season mostly due to a severe drought since the beginning of April. I can assure you that seasoned anglers are all struggling. High water always helps and bare bones with bright sunshine is for top competition guys only!

Join me praying for rain, sacrifice a goat to cover all bets. Faster runs in the gloaming and into darkness.

The lesson I've learnt this season from some of the more experienced fishermen I've fished with is: keep it simple. Also, don't always rely on one techique.

I tended to fish and awful lot using weighted bomb nymph and dropper off the hook of the bend.

I've been given a few lessons in spider fishing (in return for tying up a few flies for everyone), whichI've put to use this season, and its a welcome change.

The best advice I can think of is - going fishing with someone who really knows the river you are fishing on - and ask lots of questions - see how they are fishing and follow what they do. Particularly on fly selection - if you live out of town, finding someone local to tell you what's catching can help , or at least has in my case.

Funny thing about fishing is that it is so unpredictable. You go one day, one week, one season and you do well and think you have it cracked; the next day, week, season you haven't a clue. That's what keeps it interesting I suppose but. as you know it gets frustrating. Last season I had some fantastic success fishing spiders on a long leader, free-drifting downstream. This season I have yet to catch a fish using the method. Well, I'm sure I haven't forgotten how to do it and, thankfully I am catching fish on upstream nymph and the occasional dry but things change, especially on spate rivers where the bottom gets shifted around over the winter and you have to work at it and through it till the next time you 'think' you have it cracked. But for all the frustration, you will not find a better or more rewarding branch of our sport, so my advice is to stick at it, keep your leader as short as you can get away with and with a bit of fluorescent at the junction of your fly line to make sure you are not missing takes, or not too many at least. ATB, Alan

This is something that I've done, I nail knot some 'Amnesia' red mono at the end of my fly line, about 8 inches, to help as a take indicator, if you get the right breaking strain it acts as a decent sacrifical leader butt, that you may cut back once or twice at most in a season..

Try fishing the deeper faster water. Most of the fish will drop back to feed in deeper pools with water being so low and the faster water will cover your presence. Cast tight into the banks, or anywhere there is overhead cover for them to feed in security. Failing that you are going to have to get up very early or stay as late as poss on the banks, which is a nice excuse to stay out longer. On another note if you are fishing dries remember that a trouts field of view is reduced the shallower the water it is lying in so you might have to do some pretty accurate casting.

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Definately don't give up. I'm no expert on rivers, kinda new myself. I think you have probably over-complicated it. With your new kit and knowlege do you still fish the same way you did with the lesser set up?

Obviously not, so revert back to your initial simple tactics and improve on them later when you can see a reason to do so.

You had a system that worked for you, perhaps not as often as you would like-but it worked! Re-wind.

We all read, watch videos, some buy the best kit, all make mental plans. But it all goes out of the window when on the first cast you (me ) end up with the fly in the nearest tree, bush, reed, ear, grass, hedge, dog, or disappeared completely.

That's rivers, simplicity is the key. You are only trying to catch a wild fish and they are fiesty enough, always looking for a barny.

Go back to your roots maan.