Preston,
I guess I neglected to tell you about the single red Pautzke salmon egg you
must put on the stinger.
A couple things: Were the fish following a bit and then striking and
turning away and not coming back? This happens at certain times during the
season. It happened to me sunday, although I didn't have follows. I simply
had boils and strikes but always light enough to not hook and they were all
on a chartreuse popper. The fish would strike once then disappear. Later,
under a different set of conditions; shallow sand flats, light winds and an
almost slack low tide, every fish struck from the side and were hooked. My
retrieve stayed the same (slow and steady) but I had changed to a grizzly
popper.
Or were the fish striking, turning, following and striking again and again?
In this case, you know it's the right color. Try varying the retrieve by
using the underarm two hander (assuming you're fishing moving water coming
back against the tide): Slow and steady; Slow with pops; medium and steady;
medium with big jerks; fast with major convulsive pops (lotsa noise).
Sometimes they just ain't in an eatin' mood, but being so predatory, they
have to come look at your popper. The trick is to identify the chase. If
the same fish keeps coming, it wants to eat. If it only makes a
light-hearted grab, it doesn't care.
On striking: I don't worry about striking as much (since they mostly hook
themselves) as doing everything I can to make 'em eat my fly. So I vary
colors and retrieves. If these don't work for you, have pleasure in the
tease.
EIGHTEEN? Very very good. Now, that's fun.
Leland.
