Headed Up

[Randall]

I've had mixed results with streamers, but I'm really still learning the ins and outs. I've tied into some big fish and had decent numbers days as well as days when streamers did absolutely nothing. I think water level and clarity plays a big part. This last time was not streamer time and I learned that the hard way, only having one hit using that method. One thing to remember is that streamer fishing is not a numbers game. You will catch fewer fish but they will be larger and generally more aggressive.

Absolutely strip set. Because you're using bigger hooks, you need more force to plant it in a fish's jaw. A lot of that force is lost in the flex of the rod. No matter how stiff the butt of the rod is, the tip is too soft to consistently get solid hook sets by raising the rod. Compare to a spinning rod which generally 7' or shorter and stiffer than a fly rod. By being substantially shorter and less flexible than a fly rod, less power is lost in the hook set. Also, a good streamer retreive has the tip of the rod roughly at the water line, providing the stripping hand with direct contact to the terminal end whereas the rod tip must travel a short distance before that force can be transferred from the tip to the hook. The strip set is therefore a quicker, more powerful hookset- once it becomes natural.

[Nortrad]

Thanks for the advice. I concur with your points, esp. the off-color water. I've also had better luck later in the day, or early, though not as much. Your point also made sense when I think to my lake fishing days back in WA with a spin rod and water bubble way out in the lake with my special fly under it. I had to set high and hard. Gotta get the strip set down.