3wt with the girl

[Lech456]

I haven't had my three weight out all summer and I was itching to use it before the snow starts to fly. I had taken my boys fishing at a little damn near our house a few weeks back so I thought I would try following that creek up into the brush. I took my daughter along with me who just turned one last month. Having her hanging off the front of me took some getting used to as did the peanut butter sandwich she slobbered all over my tackle. We got into this little guy and I couldn't have been happier for both of us, but it took a few strikes and miss fires before I got a solid hook.

I seem to always have this problem when I use this rod. I don't know if I am too early/aggressive on the set and I am pulling the fly out or if I am too late and they are spitting it out. It's a SHORT 6'6" 3 wt bargain rod that I purchased on a whim. I like the action well enough but I just can't seem to set the hook with any consistency. what's going on? Does the rod suck? Do I suck? Should I use a different setting technique? My theory is with a shorter rod, I should have to exaggerate my set, but I swear half of the time it's the opposite.

We got into another decent sized cutty on a bugger but my knot gave way and we lost him. []

I was pretty ticked about the one that got away and all of the missed strikes when we spotted a bruiser in some slow shallow water. I couldn't get him to take the dry so I tied on a zebra midge trailer and BANG. It was quite a fight on that little rod but we prevailed and fed the whole family last night. He was just a hair under 20 and THICK. There were at least half a dozen more just like him in that hole. On my way back to the truck I spotted a fish swimming slowly away from me with my bugger in his mouth. All in all it was a great date night with the girl and I found a great new honey hole but I wish I knew what I was doing wrong with that little rod.

photo 1 - little cutty with the girl
Photo 2 - The Girl
Photo 3 - The big one
Photo 4 - The boy last week just down stream at the dam
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[RockyRaab]

Delightful! Can't help you with the missed strikes, but may I suggest you learn to tie the Davy Knot? Great knot for fly anglers because it is strong, easy to tie and uses very little tippet each time.

Edit to add: Here ya go...

http://youtu.be/-NTVZAZ0xQA
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[Lech456]

good call on the Davy knot. I need to start using that one. Although the knot that broke was actually my double surgeons knot from my leader to tippet. either way, I need to be more diligent with my knot tying.
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[remo_5_0]

Very nice fish []
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[RockyRaab]

Ah. In that case, try using a uni-uni knot. I have never had one break or slip. I have trouble hand-tying a blood knot, which is probably the best for this, but a uni-uni lets you tie one side at a time with no fumbling. It does use a bit more material because the tag ends are longer after you snug them up, but that's the only major drawback.
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[flygoddess]

You say a budget rod and 6'6". I have a W.W.Griggs 6' 3wt and although it wiggles I think that is more because of the smaller size. My rod is very fast action. I don't care for it because it is and although it could probably cast bigger flies, it does not load up well and I too loose hook sets. Not knowing your rod I can't help but think that might be the case. I am a firm believer that when going for short lighter weight rods people look at Glass.

As for knot, only one I use and have almost all my life would be a Surgeon's loop. I can use heavier tippet but still get life like movement out of the fly. Plus so simple you can do it with frozen hands. Make a loop and feel fly through center twice, tighten and go. Never had one come undone no matter what leader/tippet material I am using.
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[TroutMan93]

Nice fish! I have a 6' 2wt TFO and I seem to hook up just fine. I'm guessing you're just setting it too soon or too late. It took me awhile to get used to the shorter rod. Just practice I guess.
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[riverdog]

I have both the TFO and Griggs in the sizes mentioned. They are both pretty fast action to me. For entry level short and light rods the old Cabelas Clear Creek (still available on ebay some) and RDP custom fly rods are hard to beat.
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[MBM1969]

Very cool getting your daughter out.

I also like the surgens knot and usually tie a triple surgeon. I very rarley break this knot. The knot I usually break is the line to hook knot. I get in a hurry and rush my improved clinch or loop knot.
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[Lech456]

Goddess I'm happy to hear im not the only one with this struggle. Although I agree with your opinion on the glass, I'm not in a position to buy my way out of this predicament with a new rod. (See previous posts regarding my children). So let's talk about fixing the hook set mechanically. A short rod translates to less line off the water on the set as I understand it. So do I strip and rise? Use a sweep set kind of thing? Or is the rod so stiff that I need to mellow out? I'm am realizing it's probably impossible to know with out fishing the rod yourself or watching me murder a set of two. I'm just looking for some ideas. Are you using the surgeons loop for leader to tippet connection or to the fly?
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[flygoddess]

I use a Double Surgeon's knot when attaching tippet to leader or tying in a tag. But it the two I am connecting are of different size then I use a Triple.
To attach fly I use a Surgeon's Loop.
As for the rod, I totally understand. Try slowing down and softening up on hook set. I have one fast action rod I bought for wind. I found by just pulling the line with the stripping hand and slowly raising rod tip is plenty for setting hook.
Unfortunately, it will be trial and error. Maybe try heavier tippet and that surgeon's loop on the fly if you are breaking at the fly.
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[Lech456]

That post was solid gold. I will try to get out this weekend and tinker with that. I'll let you know what I find. As far as the knots go, I doncurrently use the tripple surgeons for leader and tippet but I will try the surgeons loop, Davy and uni knots. Thanks for all the help!
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[Lech456]

Thanks! It was a lot of fun to get her out there with me. Although she kept grabbing the line and rod at in opportune moments. She also left a nice layer of peanut butter and jelly over the cork.

I have the some of the same problems with my knots. I just don't take the time. Kind of like my sets with this rod I suppose.
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[Lech456]

I think you nailed it. Practice. I hope if I spend more time with this rod I can adapt to it. Thanks for the input!
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[TroutMan93]

Not much of an input nor a complexed one but that's the only thing I can think of because I had the same problem.
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[riverdog]

With the faster action rods you need to slow everything down from casting to hook set as mentioned. When I fish with one it takes me several minutes of use until I readjust. As I learned the hard way you're better off asking about rods and lines here first as FG plus maybe a few others will probable have it or used it and they will give you some good advise. That way you don't end up with 2 similar rods and mostly fish one eventually.
I'd suggest you learn to tie one knot really well rather than spend the time trying out 3 or 4 knots in quick order. Field and Stream had a descent comparison of knots a while back http://www.fieldandstream.com/photos/gal...s/?image=2
All 4 knots tested for joining lines of similar size had breaking strengths in the 60's%. It's not the knot choice but how well you tie that knot that's critical.
I frequently skip tippet. I do this as much with my 1 wt as I do with my 9 wt. People act like I must spend a fortune on leader doing this. I don't because I rarely switch flies and rarely loose flies. The typical leader ( orvis mirage) for me can easily land a couple hundred fish. True for foot long trout as it is with 10 lb salmon. I skip the tippet for several reasons.. One I'm lazy and inpatient with fishing. I want to hit the river immediately and I don't spend time off water getting ready. The line to line knot is always the weakest link when I fish. I also prefer casting with shorter amount out past the fly line. Since I'm usually tying fluorocarbon leader to fluorocarbon tippet anyways I don't always see the point to save 3 cents a fish landed while I invariable lose more big fish.
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[Envenomation09]

I've noticed with my 2 wt rod the tip is so flexible that the tip gives instead of the hook pulling up into the fish's mouth. A good solid set usually does the trick. Keep at it and you will figure it out. You have to get used to your rod.
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