# Hook Set on a Dry Fly



## bigduck10 (Feb 15, 2009)

Is there a differnet way to set the hook with a dry fly then pulling up with the rod tip?

I was watching a show this weekend and all the hook set's looked like they were setting the hook with the rod off to the side and then setting the hook.

Make any sense? 95% of my fish have been caught with a nympth.


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## riverKing (Jan 26, 2007)

it depends on the situation. usually I set basically straight up, because I am often fishing almost straight upstream. setting to one side and up is a great habit to get into, you want to pull the opposite direction of the fish. with long casts and big dries(drift boats this is common) you can strip set to the side well. it is also a great way to set while nymphing, except when fishing indecators I will(try) to set with a side, or even downward motion and use the water tension to sink the hook, this applies only to deep nymphing.
the biggest thing with dries is not direction, its timing. You must wait for the fish to close its mouth and start going down. the bigger the fish the longer this takes. another big thing with dries is not setting to hard, these hooks are made with really fine wire, it takes almost no pressure to sink them. with much less loose line than a nymph it is very easy to break fish off even with heavy tippets on dries.


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## Fishaholic69 (Apr 6, 2007)

I wait till the fish takes the fly and turns and then lift the rod and give the line a lil jerk at the same time and it usually sets it pretty good. fish on!


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

RiverKing nailed it on the head!


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

riverKing said:


> it depends on the situation. usually I set basically straight up, because I am often fishing almost straight upstream. setting to one side and up is a great habit to get into, you want to pull the opposite direction of the fish. with long casts and big dries(drift boats this is common) you can strip set to the side well. it is also a great way to set while nymphing, except when fishing indecators I will(try) to set with a side, or even downward motion and use the water tension to sink the hook, this applies only to deep nymphing.
> the biggest thing with dries is not direction, its timing. You must wait for the fish to close its mouth and start going down. the bigger the fish the longer this takes. another big thing with dries is not setting to hard, these hooks are made with really fine wire, it takes almost no pressure to sink them. with much less loose line than a nymph it is very easy to break fish off even with heavy tippets on dries.



Yep, that!


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## Wild One (Jul 3, 2008)

It also depends some on the species of fish. If you're fishing trout, their flesh is a little softer and it takes less pressure to get a solid hook set. Bass have thicker skin so it takes a little more to set the hook. Think of it this way--if Rolland Martin (or any pro bass angler) was fishing for trout, especially on a dry, they'd never land a thing. An abrupt tip raise with tension on the line is all it takes for trout with a dry.


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

When fishing dry fly's on flowing water I have always set the hook while having the rod around 45 degrees and also pulling some line through the guides which takes up any slack in the line. If the fish is taking while moving left, I set to the right or set to the left for right takes. This usually results in hooking the fish in the corner of the mouth. As it is most natural for me to set to the right, I do it when fishing wet's or on still water,


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

Wild One said:


> It also depends some on the species of fish. If you're fishing trout, their flesh is a little softer and it takes less pressure to get a solid hook set. Bass have thicker skin so it takes a little more to set the hook. Think of it this way--if Rolland Martin (or any pro bass angler) was fishing for trout, especially on a dry, they'd never land a thing. An abrupt tip raise with tension on the line is all it takes for trout with a dry.


Whoa!! I wouldn't say that about him! I seen Roland fish for trout and he defintely knows how to do things.


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## Wild One (Jul 3, 2008)

Flyfish Dog said:


> Whoa!! I wouldn't say that about him! I seen Roland fish for trout and he defintely knows how to do things.



regardless...you get the point.


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## riverKing (Jan 26, 2007)

I do remember leaving the lake after bass fishing one morning, flipping jigs. and going straight to the tailwater and throwing 7x and midges...bad plan, lost alot of flies. my hands need a few hours to shift back to the correct type of hook setting


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## Paul W (Apr 12, 2009)

I dont do anything special, just raise the rod firmly, but not like you are setting the hook with a flipping stick. If the fish is far away, pull on the line w/ the other hand to increase the hooking power, but again, dont overdo it. The only special hooksetting practice in flyfishing IMO is for big saltwater fish like Tarpon, etc where you "stripstrike" without even lifting the rod tip.

Paul W


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## crkwader (Nov 7, 2008)

pulling straight up hard on a fly rod is a good way to break it. seen it more times than I would care to. I almost always set it off to the side, and do a strip set.


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## Clayton (Oct 7, 2008)

I raise my hand up and tip the rod vertical, tends to hook the fish quite well


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## bigduck10 (Feb 15, 2009)

I spent most of last week in west central Pa on business. I fished every evening on the Clarion River. Tuesday and Wed I spent on the upper part of the river. Trout season didnt open this weekend so I had to fish the release areas. Did very well each day, catching about 8 fish per evening. Nothing big, but the rainbows were fun. I think the biggest was around 12 inches. All the fish were caught on Copper Johns. It was pretty cold early last week and there wasnt any kind of hatch to speak of.

Thursday before heading to Erie to take a customer Steelhead fishing I stopped by an area south of Jonesburg where they have an area called trophy release. The river starts to larger in this area. There are some very deep pools in this part of the river. A friend of mine from the area told me there are many 20-27 inch fish in this part of the river. These are released brown trout. I fished for about an hour and didnt even get a strike despite seeing several large fish.

About 1pm the Hennys starting hatching. It was close to 60 degrees and clear sky. I spotted several fish rise so I put on a #16 Hendrickson. I had several strikes but my problems continue with setting the hook. About that time I remembered what all of you have been saying. No need to set the hook like you are bass fishing. That did the trick. The next strike I had I waited until the fly was in the fishs mouth then just gave a gentle pull. Bingo! I landed a 24 inch Brown. First fish on a dry. I think I am good to go, no need to hammer the hook set. 

The Steelhead fishing was great. My customer caught a 12 pounder on the Elk in Pa. I caught 5 fish the biggest being around 5 pounds. That 12 pound fish was something to see.


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## riverKing (Jan 26, 2007)

SCORE! I love it when the lightbulb comes on! I think its one of those things that once you get it right once, you really understand what you have to do.
congrats on your first dry fly fish, and, you suck, you beat my best dry brown on you first shot 24in, what a beast


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## bigduck10 (Feb 15, 2009)

King,

I will have to scan the photo of the 40 lb brown a guy caught in the stream I fish in New York. The gentleman was the care taker for the trout club I have mentioned here. The fish was caught in the 50's I think. I guess several members had seen the fish and it was eating every small trout it could get it's mouth on. He caught it in July at 1am. 

It's a hog, I will see if I can scan it.


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