Problem Hooking Trout

[wm1]

I am looking for help. I am fishing nymphs and wooly buggers and having good success with high sticking, cross current stripping, and catching on the swing. However, once my line straightens following the swing, fishing straight down stream, I am not able to hook 80 to 90 percent of my strikes. This is becoming a frustrating pattern for me. Any ideas or suggestions will be appreciated. I know that we have some fly fishing experts on here.
Thanks,
William

[Travis C.]

From what I can tell you are pulling it right out of their mouths if you are fishing straight down stream. I don't fish the swing much but nymphs I do and you always want to try a set the hook downstream side. Since trout face the current, and if you are above them or even with you will pull it away more times than not unless you set the hook with the rod pointed downstream of the fish.

Just my 2 cents but the are far better fly guys than me on here.

-Travis

[MikeA]

On the down side of a swing the Trout have alot of time to inspect the fly so make sure it's a good tie for this application. A softer rod is also a plus for this kind of fishing. For example when swinging soft hackles I like a soft almost parabolic 3wt or if there is a shot at some big Trout a 5wt. The faster rods are bad at breaking tippet or pulling the fly loose from the fish's mouth. One other thing you might try is getting the hook to ride point up. This can be achieved without lots of weight by using bead chain eyes.

[Rockyraccoon]

While swinging light streamers (buggers and small clousers etc), or wet flies, I often instruct clients to keep their rods low to the water and pointed toward their fly. Track your rod tip with the flies throughout the drift. Often, strikes will come as it's straightened out, and in my opinion, the tight line without slack will produce more hookups than having the rod pointed out and away from your flies. This is because the fish hit hard and fast and any slack will likely allow the fish to spit it before your set.

[grumpy]

I would've said the same thing basically that Rocky just said
Mike has a good point to on the slower rods, just like golf clubs, you need more than one.

Grumpy

[jarrod white]

I like a softer rod for this type of fishing for sure, and I find that it doesn't even really require much of a hook set . I track the rod with the fly also, and hold a pretty firm grip on the line with my stripping hand, and when you get a take on a tight line, just lightly lift the rod. I don't lift it much , just enough that the fish does not have slack enough to spit it.
All this being said, it is still a tough game on 6x tippet .
I do love my parabolic 9 ft. 3 wt. , it will eat em up on a tight line.

                                JW

[toddro]

As mentioned above, you are probably pulling the fly out of their mouth.  One trick I learned while Steelheading, where most fishing is done on 'the swing', is when the fly gets down below you - or esp. when it is straight downstream - if you feel a strike, try thrustinng the rod toward the fish with your rod hand, let him take the fly, then set the hook with your stripping hand as you raise the rod upward to protect your tippet.  It is hard to do because it goes against every instinct you have, but it has improved my hook sets in similar situations you are describing...

ymmv,

[bd]

All this being said, it is still a tough game on 6x tippet .

Yup, for some reason I always feel compelled to rig mutiple soft hackles - that way I can break 'em off 3 at a time.

bd