# Tired of not catching fish



## bigdaddyoh (Aug 14, 2007)

OK, I'm tired of not catching fish. 
I think I'm casting pretty well. I'm getting it out there 40'-50' (8' 5wt WF floating line). I think I have at least a basic knowledge of where the fish ought to be and what they are feeding on. I have no real idea if my presentation is any good or not but it seems like it's what they tell me it should be in all those books I've read. 
I am forced to fly fish almost exclusively from shore or dock in either semi-large (4-10 acres) private lakes or at state/county parks. Most often I fish in the late afternoon until dark, occasionally early (7-8AM) on the weekends.
I've fished mostly in Medina county: Hill-n-Dale, Lake Medina, Buckeye Woods, Hubbard Valley, River Styx, Hinckley Lake, Ledge Lake, Judges Lake and a few times up at the Rock River Res. 
I mostly fish poppers, joe's hoppers, muddler minnows, wooly worms/boogers. I've never had much luck with dry flies. I've been trying to figure out nymphing but even with a twist-on strike indicator I have a hell of a time detecting a hit and reacting before the fish just spits out my nymph. If there is a current/riffle or even a decent wind-wave I'm really screwed.
I'm targetting anything that will take a fly but this summer I had only 4 LM over 12", 8-10 Bluegill over 6", & 1 Crappie over 8". I've caught a few more dinks in each category but not that many. 
I don't know if it's how I'm fishing, where I'm fishing, when I'm fishing, what I'm fishing for, what I'm fishing with or what but I'm tired of not catching fish. I'm about ready to hang up the fly rod & go back to drowning worms & minnows. Unfortunately that feels less like "fishing" & more like "waiting" (no effense spin/bait casters, you certainly catch more fish than me.) 
Any advice folks? Tricks, secrets, insights? Hit me back here or drop me a PM. Thanks for listening to me whine.


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## jholbrook (Sep 26, 2006)

If you could find a farm pond, your success rate would probably go up. Private lakes and county parks can get pounded pretty hard. 

You may want to pick a couple bodies of water that you are certain have good numbers of the fish you're targeting - maybe fish with worms and minnows first - and keep working at it. You could even take worms and, if the bite is good, break out the fly rod.

One other trick, if using ants, beetles, or small poppers, is to let them sit for 10-30 seconds (it feels like an eternity) after each twitch.

Best of luck.


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## Janus (Jul 26, 2006)

Well it seemed to be slow all around. I did well in July it has slowed down for me quite a bit. So, don't blame it all on yourself. .. . Maybe you should do both as jholbrook suggested. If numbers are what you are after then that might help. I think the experience and the solitude of flyfishing makes it all enjoyable for me so the numbers, although ocassionally depressing, haven't really mattered that much. I chalk it up as casting practice.
Good luck,
Janus


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## bigdaddyoh (Aug 14, 2007)

Janus - You are absolutely right. I do enjoy fly fishing for the exeperience of fly fishing much more than for catching fish. The solitude, the connection to nature, the challenge of the mechanics and the physics of casting and trying to improve; all these things I love. Those are the reason I fly fish as opposed to spin casting. It's certainly not a numbers thing. I don't even keep the fish I catch, when I do catch em'. It's a validation thing. Catching a fish means I'm doing it right. Just lately I've been on a skunk-streak that's driving me nuts. I just can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. It's frustrating as hell to know there are fish there and deliver a really good cast and have it completely ignored. I guess maybe I've been working on casting for so long thinking that when I was able to cast a decent line I'd catch fish and now that I seem to be getting the hang of it just a little there are no fish to be found. LOLOLOL As my I'm told my Grandfather used to say "That's why they call it fish'n and not catch'n". Thanks for the perspective though. I think I will try what jholbrook suggests and maybe start "scouting" with live bait to see if I can find the fish and get an idea what they are taking. Thanks again.


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## Janus (Jul 26, 2006)

yes it can be frustrating especially when they are jumping all around. Muddlers are an excellent "searcher" though. Just make long casts and strip them on the surface...but even that will sometimes get you nowhere.


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## MiCkFly (Jan 2, 2007)

Try sticking to fishing waters where the water is clearer and the fish have a better chance of seeing the fly or better yet get out and fish moving water like a river. In my opinion, fly fishing is best with a current. 
Don't get discouraged, I've been doing this for a year with plenty of trips getting skunked.


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## ohiotuber (Apr 15, 2004)

Chuck,
Depending how my daughter & new grandchild do after her C-section Friday, I may be able to free up Saturday. If you can drive down to Canton, I'll put you onto a bunch of farm pond gills.....many will run 9" plus (that's fish Ohio), & some nice bass. I'll PM you Thursday sometime. I'll try to tie up some flies too.
Mike


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## brhoff (Sep 28, 2006)

If your casting 40-50 and not catching...it is very possible you are not detecting the strikes.

Try a pond that has Bluegill, tie a size 8 or 10 Hares Ear Nymph on and cast in the 20 foot range...if you let it slowly sink on a floating line using a 7-9 foot leader, it should produce...if your in doubt if there are fish around, bring a spin set-up with a small bobber, split shot and wax worm on a size 8 hook...that'll let you know.

The further you are from the fly, the harder the strike is to detect and every rod is different as far as sensativity.

With active gills, you can slowly strip the HEN in and they'll hit it like a tiny streamer as well.


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## bigdaddyoh (Aug 14, 2007)

After whining about not catching yesterday I got a decent 9" LM last night. Not a lunker by any stretch but a fish indeed. Got him on a popper at the weed edge of a med. sized pond. Just finally pissed him off enough to get him to strike. He was about 25' out but the water was pretty clear and the sun was low (6:30P) at my 9 o'clock so I could see em' checking it out. There were easily 6-10 mid sized bass swimming up to everything I threw and then turning away. I tried a BH nymph (originally targetting Gills), a tiny white muddler minnow & finally the popper. 

I wanted to say thanks to everyone who responded to my post. All good advice. I think what I need is just to talk to some fly fishers with some experience. Pick some brains, maybe observe a little. Hit me up if you are looking for a fishing partner weekends. I'm from Medina but will drive to where the fish and the generous fisher folk are. PM me here or email me at [email protected].
Thanks again & Good fishing!


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## jholbrook (Sep 26, 2006)

I'd take ohiotuber up on his offer. A pond with 9" gills can be an absolute blast. 

I worked with a guy who could get us into two summer camps (Camp Wesley and one with a name like Cotubik) and I remember getting annoyed with the bass when they got to the fly before one of the monster gills.


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