Dropping Fish

[Bill Steudler]

Over the past 3 weeks I have been losing a ton of fish nymphing.  I don't normally have this problem.  But with Provincials coming up in a little over a month I would like to resolve this issue as quickly as possible.  I am using knapeks, skalkas, and the barbless line of Tiemco hooks.  I fished Spring Creek today with Kalvin.  I went 1 for 7 in a 20 minute span, dropping fish left and right.  I was hooking fish, but not landing them.  I try to set the hook up at a 45 degree angle to drive the hook into the corner of the mouth and pop the fish up into the current simultaneously.  Is there are better method to set the hook or am I just fishing poorly?  They weren't getting down stream on me and I was getting them up in the water column.  Any suggestions to cure this illness?


Logistics:
I am fishing a 10' 4w
20 Foot Leader with a straight sighter.

[Zach Bearden]

What was a basic size of the fish? My tendency is to drop smaller fish, I kinda think that is partially the fact that I use a Z-Axis but realize its partially me. I'm not too fond of some of the Tiemco hooks.  I lost bunches of fish on the TMC 100spbl. 2499s are pretty sweet though. I like the Knapek G, never seem to have a problem with them.
Also, try sharpening your hooks.

[Randy Hanner Sr.]

Hey Zach when do you leave for Worlds?

[Dejon Hamann]

Kdog was asking the same thing.  It's one of those things that's really hard to assess over the net. I've seen you land the majority of your fish in competition... but they were rather large fish, so my question would probably be Zach's: what size were they?

I think it's essential to be pretty forceful with small headshakers. If you're getting a decent hookset then you should be looking to aerilize them quickly.  Playing small fish in the water will usually result in drops.

I'm not a fan of the spbl100 either. 

[John Killinger]

Maybe you just had an off day, I was out today and did pretty good only lost a couple. All of my fish were small.  One thing I do notice, when I go to my 5wt, I lose more fish, using the 3wt streamflex I rarely lose fish. How many did you manage at spring today? Wish I could have joined you.

[Bill Steudler]

Zach and D,

I would say the standard size was 7-10 inches.  Standard Spring Creek Fish.  I just started using a 10 ft 40lb chameleon butt section on my leader, could this be too stiff for smaller fish?  They are flying out of the water as soon as I set the hook.  

Could distance be a factor as well?  With the low flows I have been staying further away from the fish.  I would imagine the further away I am the less leverage I have to set the hook.

John,

I am hoping I had an off day.  I fished lower spring from the mccoy dam parking lot upstream to the gas station.  We didn't do well at all.  We ended up at Stover's Tea Room for a Beer at 3 pm.  Had to beat the heat somehow.  Like I said we started off hot, Kalvin and I were both hooking fish but dropping them religiously.   I am going to fish that same stretch tomorrow morning early and hope to have better results.

Thanks for the responses fellas, see you on the water.

[Mark Hanes]

The fish in that section are a real pain to land.  It is a lot of smaller fish in swift water.  I need to fish there again soon.  Bill I am thinking we should meet up the weekend after next on this stretch either in the early morning or evening and see if we can fix this I know we both should be able to figure it out if we work together.

[Mark Hanes]

Any progress with this today Bill?

[Bill Steudler]

Any progress with this today Bill?

Yeah, I didn't drop any today.  The fish size today was better.  Not much bigger but most fish were 10"+.

[Zach Bearden]

Hmm, I've never heard of a leader being too stiff and losing fish due to it. But I guess anything's possible.

The team leaves very soon. As in less than a week.

[Dejon Hamann]

Good luck in Slovakia Zach!  We'll all be rooting for you guys.

[Zach Bearden]

Thanks Dejon! Didn't mean to post jack you here Bill. Please inform us of any updates here. I believe many of us can learn from this.

[Kalvin Kaloz]

I'll throw in my 2 cents... Hate to rehash it, pisses me off!!!

Bill and I hit the water and hit them hard for the first 30 minutes I went 2 for 8... so combined, I think we had like 3 landed for 15 hooked.

Where to start with how this was not good: inexcuseable in any comp, missed landing at least 1 really nice fish, turned out to be the only productive part of the day... the list goes on. Worst part was a 3hr drive to pittsburgh to think about how sucky loosing 75% of the fish I hooked!!! Ugggghhh!

Ill throw in I was using C49S and dohikus, with that said I think it is safe to say between the 2 of us hook selection was NOT the issue!!!

For me, after thinking about it for a while...I dont think I was setting the hook if that is possible!

Till next time! I will be spending a solid week Aug 15-20 in State College so I will make sure I have a solution by then!

[Chris Puchniak]

For me, after thinking about it for a while...I dont think I was setting the hook if that is possible!

As silly as that sounds, it seems to be the biggest thing we all forget to do on a consistent basis.  I'll credit Todd for reminding me of this, but I know I have to mentally tell myself when I go out to "set the hook".  Even when i think I'm paying attention and being focused, the hooksetting for me is often the small detail that gets lost in the process until I realize I'm missing/losing fish.

Of course, we always have to remember that there are two parties involved when trying to hook a fish - the angler and the fish.  And just like we may not be 100% on the ball, there will be times when fish are striking in a far less comitted fashion than at other times (with factors that may be beyond our control).  Less curious, less hungry, presentation not precisely what they are wanting (and perhaps something very unique)... all leading to a hook not getting set as well as we think.  And days when the fish seem on steriods, thrashing moreso than usual.  Then there are days when the fish make you look like you can do no wrong.  Naturally, the truth is somewhere in the middle of those two extremes.  

But the bad days can make you second guess everything you do.

I know sometimes fishing for coho we'll have times when you land more than 75% of the fish - a whole season may go where you land most of everything.  Then you may have some times, even as long as the whole season again, where it seems like every hook up is a lost fish (and you land under 30% all season).  Some runs of fish are just more aggressive than others and it shows in the landing percentages.  The only way I often know I'm not doing something wrong is when I can see other guys who I know are compentent experiencing the same thing.  That's speaking of salmon mind you, but I think it applies to all fish in one way or another.

I don't like to blame or give too much credit to the fish, but sometimes it IS the fish...

[Aaron Laing]

I think we all have days like this with the small guys.

On that first practice session we tried in June I was bouncing them off left and right until I got a grip on myself and softened my hookset. I was lucky because normally there's not a chance in hell I can change things up "mid-session".

I'm not suggesting that your problem was the hookset. It may have been the fish, the insect type they were targeting, water speed, etc., but it's the ability to change it up that's going to give you the edge with these wee bastards.

Aaron

[Chris Galvin]

Don't forget hook size (and gap size) as an issue.  I also find that while guiding, the hookset is overlooked.  Get the fish hooked in the soft "scissors" of the mouth and you'll lose fewer fish.

[Paul Bourcq]

I guide on the Nantahala alot.  Fish there hit and spit faster than any fish i have ever dealt with.  What i try to do espcially with clients is minimize slack.  Now I know most comp guys shouldnt have alot of slack but i see far too many people fishing way to far out.  I fish everything dry dropper included right under my rod tip if I can......less slack.....more take translation.....quicker hookset.

I always do a flat downstream J hookset.

I read the posts about dropping 12 out of 15 fish and i cant help but think that somehow you were late on your sets......may be wrong....not sure how you were fishing.  But maybe slack management was the issue not the hookset.  If you had slack anywhere in the system by the time you set you were already too late.

[Jason Hearle]

When I am euro nymphing, I try and do a sweeping hookset, as sometimes wrist hooksets allow a little slack line after the initial hookset which translates into bounced fish.  My 2 cents.

[Aaron Laing]

When I am euro nymphing, I try and do a sweeping hookset, as sometimes wrist hooksets allow a little slack line after the initial hookset which translates into bounced fish.  My 2 cents.

Nice tip. I'll have to concentrate on it a bit more. Quite apart from dropping fish, I've been noticing a few missed "late takers" on my last couple of outings and this might be the cure.

Aaron

[Allen Bole]

I am having a hard time keeping fish on the hook I went to a BL hook I am making contact with the fish but when the fish dives to the right or left I am losing it also I am losing the fish right at the net too. I was fishing in fast water the fish where about 12 to 14 inches.   I need help please…

[Jason Hearle]

I would guess that you aren't getting good hooksets or you are giving the fish a little slack after the hookset by allowing your wrist to move during the fight.  Next time you fish, pay complete attention to how you fight them, and you will likely diagnose the
Problem.  What kind of hooks you using?

[Allen Bole]

I would guess that you aren't getting good hooksets or you are giving the fish a little slack after the hookset by allowing your wrist to move during the fight.  Next time you fish, pay complete attention to how you fight them, and you will likely diagnose the
Problem.  What kind of hooks you using?

Partridge  sz 12

[Mark Hanes]

This one is tuff and I think every one struggles with it.  I know for me I really have to just fight the trout and not worry about it.  If I think "don't drop this fish" I end up dropping a lot more.  Everyone is different and hooks can make a huge difference. 

[John Killinger]

Don't horse the fish in, that will cause a dropped fish every time.

[Allen Bole]

Mark when you fight the fish do you let you rod go to the right and left in the fight or keep it straight up in the air.I feel that I am losing them when the fish go's left or right.  I keep my rod straight up like a flag pole. Some time I get in a hurry and horse them in and I lose them that way too.