Posted by Jim E (24.116.99.140) on October 30, 2003 at 14:24:13:
Hook sets
What’s the difference ? Should there be a difference ? Each fishing method requires a different hook set. You may not realize that you are using different ones. If you’re not, your hook up ratios would improve if you did so.
As I have mentioned other times, I spent a lot of time nymphing in my early years of fly fishing. Out of necessity, I developed a very fast hook set, as nymphing requires. A big problem arose though when I switched to fishing a dry fly. I could get a good drift, didn’t line or spook the fish and most importantly I would get strikes. The real problem came when I set the hook. I would see the take, set the hook missing them every time. Eventually I realized that I wasn’t really missing these strikes. I was ripping the fly away from the fish even before he was able to close his mouth on the fly. My fast nymphing hook set didn’t work for this type of fishing. I tried waiting for a little bit after the take before setting the hook but still I would rip the fly away from the fish. Frustrated, I would cut off the dry and return to nymphing, knowing I could catch fish that way and would just quit “wasting” time with the dry.
Later, I decided that I was missing out and needed to devote some serious time to fishing dries. My first step was a new rod (as good as an excuse as any, right !!). I chose a medium/slow action 3 wt. rod to be used as my midge /dry fly rod. The reasoning was that a slower action rod would help me slow down (and help with other dry fly situations) my hook set with dries. It worked but I can’t deny that part of the scenario was being committed to make it all work because the rod wasn’t solely responsible for my new found success. The proper hook set i.e. slower, was and still is the answer. Consider the following fishing methods and their hook sets.
Dry/emerger flies- a slow or delayed hook set. Before setting the hook, some fisherman count to three after the take. British fly fishers say “God save the Queen”. Some wait to feel the fish start pulling. I time my hook set by the speed of the fishes take. If the fish just about jumps out of the water to take my fly I don’t wait long before the hook set. If a fish simply sips the fly I will wait fairly long. Long enough for the fish to change direction and/or turn it’s head after the take.
Wet flies-usually the take is pretty solid so just a gentle lifting of the rod for the hook set is all that is needed. Fishing wets on the swing need special attention though. Since the swing puts a bow(read also slack)in the line between you and your fly a downstream sweeping hook set is required. (A sweeping hook set is one that is done with the rod moving parallel to the water and only inches from its surface.) This hook set uses the resistance that the water has on your fly line as it bows through it helping to set the hook. Without setting the hook this way you are left with a lot of slack line (because of the bow in the line) to take up with a regular overhead hook set. Usually ending with a missed strike.
Nymphing-a fast abrupt hook set. Fish will sometimes really take a nymph but more often than not the take is very subtle. Any unnatural movement of the strike indicator should be considered a strike and then an immediate hook set. At least until you are able to discern your indicators unnatural movement between a fish and rock or any other underwater obstructions.
Streamers-the hardest type of hook set to determine. Fish will take streamers in a variety of ways. Some takes are so hard and fast that all you have to do is hold on and the fish will set the hook in itself. Many break offs occur in these situations because the fisherman “does” set the hook. Medium takes usually require a short line hand strip and a slow lifting of the rod. Now the harder takes to determine the hook sets are when you have nibbling fish pursuing your streamer and then those fish that first tail slap the streamer and then quickly turn to devour their wounded prey. In these two instances its not what kind of hook set to use but more importantly when to set the hook. If you try to set the hook set at a first felt “strike”, you will jerk the fly away from the fish possibly revealing your flies’ fakeness. Patience, feel and experience will all come into play to successfully catch fish as these, with the tail slappers being the most difficult. Just like large mouth bass, big browns are known for this. And, having caught browns in the tail with a streamer before, this fisherman can attest to the truth of this tail slapping phenomenon. First, it’s hard to tell the difference between a strike and a tail slap. Then not set the hook, but make your fly appear to be injured or stunned, all in half of a second. Done properly you might be rewarded with a fish of the day, year or life time !!! The only help I can offer for these fish is that the tail slap feels more like something just hit your fly and usually doesn’t pull it at all. The nibblers are almost as hard to deal with. The “feel” comes into play once again and a little extra action on the fly or the “stop and go” retrieve to promote a good take. Again, setting the hook at the wrong time will leave you with your fly being ….well….just all wet.
But with these variables and all of the others is why we call our sport fishing and not catching !!! That’s what makes it fun for me.
Thanks for reading. And again, as always, if you have any tips that you would like to share just email them to me (you will be given full credit). Also, feel free to comment.
Jim Enns <*))))))))><