[Deebam1980]

Hi all, I was out fishing the dry fly the other day. I had plenty of fish, mostly quite small. But caught a couple of real nice ones. However lots of the trout seem to be really rising to my fly and when I struck, I totally missed the hook up, and there was no feeling of even touching the fish.
I hooked a couple of the trout on the side of the head, very close to the eye. Which made me think, are they trying to drown the fly with their heads then take it whilst under water? Has anyone ever seen this before? If so, should I wait a short time then strike?
looking forward to hearing your experiences.
Thanks.

 

[chrishconnolly]

You will always get the trout coming short for a variety of reasons
You got a few so that's the main thing.
So could it be the trout you caught were looking for a dry bobbing on the surface
After a few fish the fibres get waterlogged and drying off doesn't always work.
Or could it be the trout we're looking for something in the surface film and turned away when they saw it on top of the water.
I have had them refusing a dry totally but fished as a emerger bang they were on it.
I have even fished a wet country spider in the surface film and bang yet ignored it fished in a team of swinging flies.
Hope that makes sense but I know what I mean lol

 

[river irvine]

When they keeo sinking it snd not taking i try not striking but doing a short fast strip, when fly goes under try a fast jab of about 6inch, if its sunk the fly it will often take it subsurface when you do this...pretty un natural movement but it does work, my guess is they dont have time to think about it and just hit it, well worth a try

 

[Deebam1980]

You will always get the trout coming short for a variety of reasons
You got a few so that's the main thing.
So could it be the trout you caught were looking for a dry bobbing on the surface
After a few fish the fibres get waterlogged and drying off doesn't always work.
Or could it be the trout we're looking for something in the surface film and turned away when they saw it on top of the water.
I have had them refusing a dry totally but fished as a emerger bang they were on it.
I have even fished a wet country spider in the surface film and bang yet ignored it fished in a team of swinging flies.
Hope that makes sense but I know what I mean lol

Yeah definitely makes sense. However I just kept throwing the fly over them and eventually they took. But was frustrating for a while.

When they keeo sinking it snd not taking i try not striking but doing a short fast strip, when fly goes under try a fast jab of about 6inch, if its sunk the fly it will often take it subsurface when you do this...pretty un natural movement but it does work, my guess is they dont have time to think about it and just hit it, well worth a try

Yeah that's a good idea. But it's hard to know whether they have just swiped at it or actually have taken it. But I'll definitely give that a try!

 

[river irvine]

If they took it right youll hook them with a fast strip too

 

[Deebam1980]

The biggest of the bunch.

 

[Red Francis 81]

Stiff tails or hackles can push the fly away from their mouths or they could just of been coming short try a sparsely dressed fly or grease the leader and sink the fly the next time