Strike or not?

[squirrelblue]

Have lost a number of fish so far this season.
Most of witch felt well hooked???

What are your techniques ? Do you strike? Do you pull hard into hooked fish to set hooks?
It's doing my head in I haven't changed anything to how I do things but seem to have lost more than normal????
My hooks are sharp

Cheers

[twmtwm]

Keep your rod tip low and pull into the fish sharpush as it takes.

[squirrelblue]

Keep your rod tip low and pull into the fish sharpush as it takes.

I'll try that
Thanks

[johnevs]

I tend to hold the line tight for a second then lift into it seems to do well for me

[The Dog]

I agree with twmtwm - rod tip low to the water and pointing in the direction of your line i.e. follow it around. I make sure that I am always tight - holding the line tight, concentrating on retrieve so that there is no 'give' or opportunity for a take to result in your line being pulled out of your fingers.

[silverstoat]

Like Johnevs and Twmtwm, I pull the line down/tight and lift to an angle of 30 degrees (ish). I tend to lose fish if I hook them in shallow water when they immediately come to the surface and thrash their head from side to side, throwing the hook. I haven't worked out how to counter that.

I also have a problem knowing when to strike when fishing a wake lure. As I see the bow waves or hear the splash I get over-excited and strike too early, pulling the fly out of the fish's mouth.

I sympathise!

[squirrelblue]

thanks Guys
something for me to ponder

[johnevs]

I don't tend to strike as fresh fish are soft mouthed and your at risk of pulling the hook out

[squirrelblue]

Like Johnevs and Twmtwm, I pull the line down/tight and lift to an angle of 30 degrees (ish). I tend to lose fish if I hook them in shallow water when they immediately come to the surface and thrash their head from side to side, throwing the hook. I haven't worked out how to counter that.

I also have a problem knowing when to strike when fishing a wake lure. As I see the bow waves or hear the splash I get over-excited and strike too early, pulling the fly out of the fish's mouth.

I sympathise!

i have always found the splashy takes on surface lure never result in a fish for me.
for me the ones that result in a hook up are the ones you just hear nothing or just hear a sipping noise then it goes tight

[squirrelblue]

I don't tend to strike as fresh fish are soft mouthed and your at risk of pulling the hook out

yes think this may be the case.
i have lost 4 fish last week that could potentialy have been PB's on the night time fly? they went off on a run and never came to the surface )-:

[laffingravy]

There is a school of thinking that suggests that if fishing for salmon or sea trout with a single or double then you should pull the rod into your own bank to set the hook or hooks without pulling it out of the fishes mouth. With trebles you may do the same or lift the rod as the hooks will set no matter which way you pull the rod. I personally counter this suggestion however by questioning what is the orientation of the fish when taking the fly. Personally I hit everything at approximately 45 degrees. Why is this ? To be perfectly honest I don't really know but it tends to work ok for me. I apologise profusely for not having something a little more facts based as opposed to personal conjecture.

[Teifi-Terrorist]

I must admit to being firmly in the strike first ask questions later gang

I would always advocate striking at every little pluck or pull when sea trout fishing and this has stood me in good stead over the years. Each to their own I guess.

TT.

[jj1]

You will never ever ever ever ever land every sewin that takes your fly, im with stef on this tho, STRIKE!
i also pull down with my left hand to quicken proceedings.
I think the trick is in the angle of the cast, relative to the water speed, also factor in wether your retrieving.

[Aled]

In Moc Morgans book on Sea Trout fishing he says "if you feel it hit it, if you see it time it" ....take from that what you will :>
Tight Lines
Aled

[andyantiquefly]

I've found that in faster water like the head of a pool ect,the fish usually hit the fly hard and hook themselves,when fishing over slow pools I'll try and strike at everything,although how some of those rod wrenching pulls come to nothing is beyond me,so many takes do come to nothing and can't help wonder if I was quicker would they have hooked up more?