How to set the hook

[Fish For Life 0]

Its not even funny how many fish have gotten away just because i don't really know how to properly set the hook. Im fine with setting the hook with drys, or nymphs on small streams. My problem is setting the hook when you have a long length of line out. Today i was on a nice little trout lake and was casting my line pretty far out, when my indicator went under i had no clue what to do. I tried just setting the hook like you would with a dry fly. All was good if i hooked the fish but if i didn't then the fly line came rocketing straight back at me making a mess. I also just tried with a hard retrieve but that didn't work very good either. What am i doing wrong. Does anyone have any tips for me to help with my hook sets.

 

Thanks

[Spanky29ca 0]

I've always gone by the theory that you just have to move your hook one inch quickly and a nice sharp hook will do the rest, I barely move my rod tip when I get a strike. It's tough when the excitement hits but little is better than a lot I've found.

[mikechell 0]

This is why I use stripping guards (see my post on them). Most of the time, I strip the line to set the hook. If you've got slack in the line for drifting purposes, then lifting the rod tip while stripping the line should take up the slack and set the hook. Using only the rod does exactly what you describe. Missing the hook set results in the fly line and leader all coiled up at your feet or wrapped around the rod or tangled up behind you.

By strip setting the hook, it only moves as far as your hand. Leaves the fly in the strike zone. I've often gotten a second hit on the fly if the first strip didn't hook the fish.

[shoebop 0]

I would practice your hook set with different lengths of line out so you know how it feels to remove the slack and get a taught line at any distance. Mike's method of stripping plus lifting the rod works well for longer distances but might be too much for a short distance. Just stripping or lifting the rod tip will work better for that. Setting the hook at longer distances has always been harder for me too if that's any consolation.

[mainbutter 0]

I'm not sure how it'd be different with small trout, but when I'm fishing pike/musky/bass (or 12-15lb alaskan silver salmon) with a 9wt fly rod and beefy rabbit strip flies, my rod doesn't have the UMPH to set big hooks. I point the rod at the fish, take up slack, and give a hard pull on the line. This is the only way I found to really bury a bigger hook, especially into bony mouths.

 

There is NO finesse to this. Muscle that hook point deep, and using stretchy monofilament as my leader (sometimes a fluoro tippet) will offset any risk of shock breakage.

 

That said, I don't always set the hook hard. If I'm catching small bass all day and am content to let a few get away, I might not "set" it at all. A sharp hook often does a good job on its own when a fish chomps down.

[switch10 0]

I agree with everything said.

 

In addition, get a hook sharpener/honer. It really does seem to improve hook-ups. I have one made by Tiemco, and I use it almost obsessively. The hook point should make a decent scratch in your thumbnail with very little pressure when properly sharpened.

[mikechell 0]

I point the rod at the fish, take up slack, and give a hard pull on the line. This is the only way I found to really bury a bigger hook, especially into bony mouths.

From my understanding ... this would be a good definition of "strip setting" the hook.