07-21-2006, 12:57 AM
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I need some help here. I have been a member of a quality stillwater rainbow trout fishery for 3 years now. One of the reasons I selected this venue is that float-tubing is encouraged. (At least by the management; the dry fly purists usually grumble something like, "The only ones catching fish are those guys in the tubes.") That's the good news. The not so good news is that I have never missed so many strikes in my life. If I landed every fish that hit my flies I'd be dangerous and the dry fly guys would "burn me in effigy."
Especially on days when the fishing is a little tough the fish seem to be nipping the marabou tails or whatever I've got hanging off the rear of the hook. So, okay lets go to mini buggers and damsels and stuff tied on #10 hooks, thinking that the fish will engulf the whole thing and end up hooked. This works sometimes but believe it or not they sometimes hit these smaller flies so hard that they break me off. (Even on 8 pound tippet.)
I have caught 2 double digit rainbows in these ponds this year so I know there are fish capable of breaking that kind of tippet. Any of you ever experience this? This is basically since I started tubing for trout but it happens as much on cast and retrieve as it does with the slow troll or drift.
God Bless,
Don
[signature]
I need some help here. I have been a member of a quality stillwater rainbow trout fishery for 3 years now. One of the reasons I selected this venue is that float-tubing is encouraged. (At least by the management; the dry fly purists usually grumble something like, "The only ones catching fish are those guys in the tubes.") That's the good news. The not so good news is that I have never missed so many strikes in my life. If I landed every fish that hit my flies I'd be dangerous and the dry fly guys would "burn me in effigy."
Especially on days when the fishing is a little tough the fish seem to be nipping the marabou tails or whatever I've got hanging off the rear of the hook. So, okay lets go to mini buggers and damsels and stuff tied on #10 hooks, thinking that the fish will engulf the whole thing and end up hooked. This works sometimes but believe it or not they sometimes hit these smaller flies so hard that they break me off. (Even on 8 pound tippet.)
I have caught 2 double digit rainbows in these ponds this year so I know there are fish capable of breaking that kind of tippet. Any of you ever experience this? This is basically since I started tubing for trout but it happens as much on cast and retrieve as it does with the slow troll or drift.
God Bless,
Don
[signature]