"Not again! I felt him that time!"
"Oh no! Missed another..."
The angler was casting perfectly onto the conveyor belt that carried rows and rows of Sherry Spinners over the line of feeding trout. The water was low and some stones between the angler and his quarry were exposed. The fish were rising well and the fly was being taken when it arrived, beautifully presented, but somehow they were not being hooked. Just then one of the exposed stones snagged the line and, on retrieving, the fly caught on the stone. By a careful manipulation, that reversed the direction the fly had been travelling in when it met the stone, the fly was retrieved.
"Check your hook point!"
"Oh (expletive deleted)! The hook point is broken off!"
Hmm... All those perfect casts and excellent presentations wasted. No wonder the fish were not getting hooked!
So if you make a perfect strike and the fish isn't hooked... Just pull in the fly and check the condition of the hook. You won't regret it, ever!
Regular Rod
As a carper you learn this lesson very quickly when your boilie sits for two days, to be snaffled quicly up by a monster, only to feel a bump and then gone. Gravel pits and chemically etched super sharp hooks just dont mix so you check your hook after every cast.
ReplyDeleteA wise policy, especially when you can wait so long between bites. Dry fly fishing demands so much casting that a more intermittent checking is the way. But the fly should be checked every time there has been the slightest hint or suspicion that something might have happened to the hook point.
ReplyDeleteRegular Rod
A trout fisherman with an unhooking mat!
ReplyDeleteI've added your blog to my blogroll, hope you don't mind.
Mike
Catch and Release over stoney ground, it's only fair to treat our glorious quarry with the respect they deserve...
ReplyDelete;)
Regular Rod