Spey Pages banner

Selecting flies after a bump

10K views 42 replies 38 participants last post by  DownRiverDave 
#1 ·
So I’m standing in the Bulkley just upstream of the Smithers bridge. Probably ten guys have gone through before me during the day but, improbably, I get a nice bump. I step back upriver five paces and swing though again with the same fly and the same presentation until I’m five paces below where I got the bump. No action.

Sensei has told me that when you encounter a fish, you cast to it again and again, changing flies to see if you can entice the beast to strike. Because Sensei has told me that the strategy for changing flies is to go with the opposite of what I’ve just cast, I switch out my purple Hoh Bo for a pink one. I step back upstream, I swing my way downstream. Again, no action.

Here’s the question. What’s the opposite of a pink Hoh Bo when you’ve already tried the purple?

I had a pretty varied fly box that day, so I tied on a black and green Intruder and then some other stuff, but each time I went back to the box, I was puzzled. I made my choices. I changed flies 5 times. It got dark. I went home.

I know there is no real answer to the question, but I thought it would be interesting to pose it to the group to see what others think.

And how many times will you folks go back for the same fish?
 
See less See more
#2 · (Edited)
You're going to get a lot of different takes on how to handle the situation but you ask so I'll tell you what I do.

First off, did you do anything when you felt the fish? I mean did you react or did you stay cool and allow the fly to finish the swing and then hang?

Me? I don't react at all. That takes time to develop but I believe that when you react and try to strike back you will put the fish off.

I stand right in my boot prints and take a careful accounting of everything I can. Things like where I think the fly was when I felt the fish. Then consider and land mark on either shore for a more precise way to mark the area. Next I'm looking not at where I think the fish was when it played with the fly but where the fly passed prior to the bump. It is the back track of the flies drift and swing that will tell me where the fish likely was hanging out when it spotted the fly. Any surface disturbances get duly noted then…………

I'll take a walk upstream, not 5 yards but more like 30. Then begin working back down with the same fly keeping a wary eye on where it is I am headed to. The extra time it will take for me to get back down there pays 2 dividends; one is it allows me to get back into a good rhythm of controlling the drift and swing for the purpose of depth & speed control. Two is that the time will give the fish time to re-acclimate and get back to its holding spot which they often seem to do...………

As you get closer you want to be looking at the shore on either side and the water to be sure of where you want the casts to land and the fly to travel. Go slowly because you want this fish to see the fly and only the fly not the leader or sink tip because you rushed things and are fishing to long with the fly passing behind the fish. If I do everything like I just described I raise about 75% of them a second time. If I went upstream far enough and came down slow enough it's been at least 20 minutes and my chances are better than most. I don't change the fly. The fish went for it once and there's no reason for me to believe it won't go again.

All of that hinges on one thing, that you did not react when you felt the fish by jerking the rod back. When you do that to a fish who is investigating something which appears strange but may be elidable you alarm the fish maybe even prick it a tiny bit and if you've done that you may as well move on and find another. If you find another than don't react if you feel a bump but no pull.

Ard

PS. I'd appreciate comments as to whether or not what I have said resonates with others. When I answer a question like this it isn't about being right. It's about trying to share things that took years and repeated experimentation in order for me to develop patterns for the way I do things. And I only write about things that seem to work time after time ;)
 
#9 ·
Try going down in size. .......
Excellent advice.

Pink and purple Hoh Bos of the same size might as well be the same fly.

Close to Smithers, eh? Could be other angler gear on the bottom that is providing the 'bump'. During prime season, the anglers must outnumber the steelhead 3:1.
 
#7 ·
Ard's advice is good. I agree.

Personally, I've never moved 30 yards up before going after the fish again - but I like the idea. If the fish are few and far between (as they are in my area), you don't want to miss the opportunity and a good presentation is key. Moving upstream to get back into the groove and let your internal dialogue quiet down is a good thing. When searching for that comeback fish, I have often switch to a smaller fly and more drab in color. It's often done the trick. I will also sometimes show a different profile of the fly - if it was an initial down and across swing, I may cast across and give the fish a broad profile look of the fly. I don't know if there is any science. A player is a player. And finding one is half the battle.
 
#8 ·
Gotta agree with Ard one more time.

OkieDokie said much the same things years ago, succinctly saying that a fish will likely come back if it wasn't stung.

I've had bumps at approximately the same spot at least 3 times before hooking up. Full disclosure reveals that the uncontrollable hand-shaking which starts taking place may factor in to the equation.
 
#10 ·
Ard's advice is exactly what I do with Atlantic Salmon...trust him...that strategy will work. Nothing is guaranteed...but his suggestion is pretty darn close.
Cheers,
George
 
  • Like
Reactions: Hardyreels
#11 ·
All excellent advice!
Here's my opinion...
Many variables to consider first.

1. How much time do I have to tempt this fish to come back? Do I have all the time I want or is there someone stepping down behind me?

2. Was it a soft take, hard take, was it stung, etc...

3. Do you know if you are fishing over migrating or holding fish?

4. Floating line? Sinking?

5.water and weather conditions

Breaking down the variables helps me make my decision, but for the sake of giving an unconvoluted answer(which I am always guilty of), I'll assume your scenario and suggest what I would do...

If it were a missed grab, then I would check my hook and leader, then immediately cast in the same manner, distance, with the same fly and presentation. Tough to know if that fish was migrating or holding, how long it would stay in that area, or if it moved or followed from a far lie to grab the fly. A quick, approximate "replay"cast or 2 will eliminate a couple of those variables.
If nothing comes of it, then I would rest it for a few minutes, move upstream a few meters and work my way down to the take area and then past it a few meters using the same distance of line and same fly.
Assuming there's noone behind you, or if the person that is, is courteous enough to give you another go at it, then I'd go to a similar color and style of fly one or two sizes smaller and repeat.
If I had the pool to myself, fish were few and far between, and i knew the fish was holding, I'd rest that fish for as long as I can stand it and then go back at it with different presentations and flies between rests.
All depends whether spending that time is worth it compared to looking for a new player elsewhere.

Personally, I enjoy the challenge, and like experimenting and learning new nuances that can make a difference. Some of my most memorable and satisfying days were the one on ones I had with specific fish!

Either way, I'd say you were lucky to connect at all.
 
#12 ·
I'm glad to hear that what I said sounded authentic :)

I have the opportunity to fish in some places where the chance of someone else coming along and wanting to fish the same spot as me is very low. Because of that I have time to be a bit more methodical in how I fish. I used the same approach strategy on large brown trout long ago and it served me well when I began fishing for sea run rainbows as well as everything else.

In the event that I have a fish get hold of the hook but comes undone I do the same things as for marking where it happened then I mosey back to the boat and move on. I'll give a fish like that days to forget before I return to the same spot and when I do I park well downstream then walk up. My rational in these cases are that I don't want the fish to hear the boat because I wonder if that may remind it of what happened a few days ago...………

Every now and then it works.

 
#13 ·
Ard is spot on. I used to rush the follow up and then put down the fish. Patience pays off. CSFT is also right about salmon which works for steelhead. They tell you to wait 3-4 minutes before you repeat the cast. That is a long time and the shakes do not help. The 30 ft walk allows you to get under control and repeat the casts/swing. I have closed players using this process and that is really gratifying. Make sure to mark where you were standing when you got the bump. I have gone back an hour later and closed a fish that was put down. I also usually go down in fly size if the original fly does not repeat the take.
 
#16 ·
I think both Ard and Hitcher have covered it excellently. Most of my experience is Atlantic Salmon. If I have raised or get a bump, etc I will let the fly swing all the way to the end or dangle and wait a couple of seconds there. Sometimes the fish will continue following and take at this point. If nothing happens I then strip in the fly check the fly and hook make sure fly is swimming properly, etc. then I wait a minute or two. In my dad's era it was said to smoke a cigarette which my dad often did to pass this moment/time. I then cast again and try and replicate the first time. If nothing happens I will then shorten up and start changing flies going to smaller versions, then opposite bright or dark, etc. often going back to my favorite patterns that I know work. I only cast each fly a couple of times and then change. I will try a half dozen flies before moving on usually the final pass I will often move back up 10-15 ft and then come back through the area with a fast stripped Sunray. Before leaving or moving on I will do something similar to what Ard said, I will make a mark on the bank with a rock or stack two rocks to identify the location. So if I come back later that day or the next, etc I will go a little slow through the location.
 
#17 ·
Great advice from Ard, Hitcher, John8 and others in this thread. I let the situation dictate what to do after a bump. Growing up I fished for winter steelhead with my dad and uncle drifting coastal rivers. We'd drift fish runs with corkies and then run plugs out the front of the boat in certain areas. My dad and uncle always preached to do nothing when you got a bite while plugging. Sometimes the rod would bury after the first bite, but it was also common for there to be several solid bumps or grabs before the fish committed and was on. Their theory was the steelhead would swat at the plug and try to stun the "prey" before actually biting, and if you tried to set the hoot after the "swat" game over.

I've experienced similar situations while swinging flies. If it's a soft pluck, I'll likely finish the swing, wait a minute on the hang-down, then execute the same cast again. I caught a couple summer fish last year that "plucked" on the exact same cast 4 or 5 consecutive times before being hooked. Each pluck was soft and honestly I wasn't sure if there was an unseen rock or snag that I happened to keep drifting over, but the spot looked good and felt good, so I kept swinging through. I figure the steelhead was being territorial and swatting at what kept coming through until he/she was pissed off enough to "grab".
If executing the same cast immediately doesn't result in another pluck or if I think the grab was solid enough to turn the fish off, I'll typically note where I'm at in the run, then walk back up river 10-15 steps, change flies to something smaller and darker (or a sparse muddler), then work back through. This give the fish more time to rest and I also figure there might be a fresh pod of fish hanging in the area if the initial fish is runed off. This has also proven successful. Depending on time of day, others on the river, etc., I may finish the run then start all the way back at the top and run through it again.
Some of my most memorable fish are ones that took a little extra work and a few more casts after being located.
 
#40 ·
All great advice.— Yoda would approve.—On a similar topic, what is your protocol when skating or waking a DRY-FLY?—When is it time to change from DRY to wet?—-Bring it on Boys!

Cheers,

Beatle��
If you tie on a wetfly after a fish showed itself to a dryfly, you're not gonna land a dryfly fish.:hihi:

Adrian
 
#21 ·
Lol! It'll definitely get 'em more times than not!
Or you can dumb it down and move on to the next player in a zombie like trance of step casting. Whatever floats your fly(boat)! Either way is fun and it makes for great reading on the pages. Along side the witty remarks, this place is the most entertaining!

Dry flies and skating?
I like to start off on top drifting or skating(depending conditions) and work my way down the water column if I dont get 'em on top.
,but if you mean getting them to come back to a dry, then the goal is to show them something different in different ways.
But the best thing I can do after I tried multiple temptings is to rest that fish(if its holding).
 
#22 ·
yep

Ard's solution of what to do after the bump is, in my opinion dead on. The fact that he details his moves so carefully shows incredible patience.
I would only add one thing- directly after getting the bump and surveying your surroundings,a few mins pass where i have let the completed swing hang on the dangle much longer than usual. Then I will mimic the exact cast a second time as quietly as possible. I also will not mend in an effort to keep a tight line throughout the swing. I won't hurry the cast. In fact, I will let that completed swing hang as well. If the bump is actually a player, my guess is he will come at it again. I may add another cast right back there, same fly, maybe same speed. After that I move away quietly and upstream to let the zone rest. I agree with Ard that that "bump" liked the color and motion of my fly so why change it? Once the run is well rested, say 20-25 mins, I start my second pass. If I don't get another touch I will continue down the run and make a mental note of the location as possible holding water, or not.
 
#23 ·
My response to a fish bump that doesn't result in a hookup is similar to Ard's. The first thing I do is stand in my tracks and repeat the cast that just produced the bump. That results in a come back more often for summer steelhead than for winter steelhead for me. The second thing I do is wade back upstream, usually between 20 and 30 feet unless I have some particular reason for a different distance. I change flies. I would never change from a purple Hobo to a pink one. I agree with one of the other posters who said that is like not changing flies at all. I change to a smaller fly, either a size 6 or 8 Spade, if I wasn't using one already, or a size 8 Muddler. The Muddler will wake or skate, and that often gets the strike when I fish back down to the zone where I first raised the fish. Unfortunately the most frequent outcome is that nothing happens. It's like the fish that was there is no longer, or is no longer a player. That's fishing.
 
#24 ·
Do absolutely nowt!,stand still , let your flee hang, pick your nose, scratch your bum, have a ***, eat a sweet(ok, bit of candy then!),examine your flee and check the hooks all ok and all is cool at the important end.
What does all this achieve?,well its lets the fish swing back round into is lay and get comfy again, you don't disturb it any more than is practical and when you're ready to go again, its sat there switched on ready for another go!.I'd try and make the effort to fish the flee round a tadge quicker if possible, because all being well, it'll 'ave it' on the next swing.
All this however is on one proviso, in that the fish did't feel YOU, or you didn't prick it with the hook or momentarily have the fish hooked,because if its felt you it's unlikely to come again.
The final step after a bump and subsequent non hooking of the fish ?, swearing loudly and profoundly always helps in bucket fulls.It won't change things at all, but it lets the steam off and you will feel better for it.
Yorkie.
 
#25 ·
nothing to do with what your asking as others have answered your question...but that run gave up one of my more memorable fish back when... the run is pounded for sure but we took a day off floating and just drove to a few spots on the backside of the river up to the morice ....
Last spot we stopped with the campground above the bridge....didn't give it much hope at the end of the day but oh well....Hooked this buck and it tore off jumping damn near all the way to the bridge....an old guy with a ton of spit and vinegar!!!
 

Attachments

#28 ·
Check the fly, then eat something.

Ard, Hitcher and others seem to have nailed the advice, starting with mentally marking exactly where you are/were, the fly was on the swing and the location of the fish. Really burn the images into your adrenaline-saturated brain.

Next, I check the fly to make certain the hook is needle sharp, there's no tangle, or, heaven forbid, a wind knot.

I learned the hard way a few years back that a strong pluck and no hookup could signal that you've either rolled the hook point, or in this chemically sharpened hook era, a broken point.

If the fly is fine, it's time to eat something after walking upstream 20'. Take a leak. Clean your sunglasses. Maybe add tippet. (I'm not experienced enough to know what fly to change to, so I typically fish the same fly again.)
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top