Techy Thursday - Big fly fishing streamers & missed takes

When Chris Dore talks fly fishing, it's well worth listening.

With this (ahem..) delightful summer weather of late there have been more than a few times we have reached for our streamer box with great success. Cast, strip-strip-strip "BANG", and "oh bugger" as the fish doesn't stick. This is the point where most anglers turn and complain to their mate and whilst doing this, aren't catching fish...

Many feel it's a lost cause, that the fish was just attacking and not really eating, however Its not always a 'smack and come back' scenario to wound their prey. In huge shoals such as whitebait then maybe this is the case, where causing injury to many and then returning may yield a bigger feast.

However for a singular morsel, such as a bully / small fish its often just because they missed the first time. Now their mouths are large enough to engulf a big streamer easily, so often its dropped simply because the line is too tight and they cant take it in.

What YOU can do...

Maybe try elevating the rod a touch to allow a little slack, or slip a small amount of line on the hit. These tricks seems to have converted more hits for me anyway.

Try strip striking rather than ripping that rod tip back and pulling the fly from the water. If a fish wants your streamer, most times they will hook themselves, a stripstrike helps ensure that. Another bonus of the strip strike is that if you miss, the fly is still out there and that sudden surge of the streamer may invoke a second hit.

If you miss him, and rip that fly from the water there's a very short window to drop that streamer straight back at him before he knows what's up (this is also the period where most anglers are throwing tantrums and feeling sorry for themselves and thus don't get that second shot).

Stinger style flies such as the Keller's Nightmare, and Galloups Sex Dungeon offer that smaller hook out back which sticks to those tightline takes, whilst the larger hook up front nails most fish as they attack the head.

So stay sharp, stay ready and get your fly back in the zone, and fish on!