Painful reminder of the many years it took me to adjust to flyfishing. My spouse Linda always said it best: when you feel the tugging at the end of the line, you already have the fish on. If you jerk your rod upwards you will most likely pull the fly right out of the fish's mouth. All that is really required to ensure you have hooked the fish is to tighten the line.
In stillwater fishing, if you can resist from doing anything when you first feel a bump on your line, you are almost guaranteed a later hookup.
Dry fly enthusiast's in the UK describe a similar situation: when you see the fish rise and take the fly, say "God Save the Queen" before you tighten your line. This gives the fish the opportunity to turn back downward with the fly in its mouth, vastly improving the odds you will hook the fish in the corner of the jaw.
Other instructors say to practice lifting your rod so that the end of your line only moves a few inches, more than enough to set a hook. (We have all had the experience of launching small fish over our heads on a strike, right? *g*)
I'm not sure how tying patterns on circle hooks would work for my hair-trigger, rip-their-heads-off reflexes, but for fish that actually take the fly without any action or attention from me (common in stillwater fishing), I am curious whether the percentage of hookups would improve. Definitely looks like less mortality for C&R fishing, though.
Really wish I could just get a half-dozen small freshwater circle hooks, but the manufacturers aren't running any 'try before you buy sales'. Well, put this one on the shelf for awhile.
Wes Wada Bend, Oregon
