Short Takes

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    Posted: 05 Jul 2020 at 9:55pm
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Over the years (and quite recently) I have heard, read all sorts of fancy explanations why trout sometimes only pluck at flies.    Apart from truly missed strikes short takes have one thing in common.   They happen mostly on flies that are retrieved i.e. streamers.   Over the last few years I have done mostly down stream fishing on the Tongariro and have frequently felt fish plucking at my swinging flies prior to a solid take.    Here is my simple explanation for those so-called short takes.     Generally flies swing around quite slowly so a fish intercepting them is in no hurry and need not attack them at speed.
Trout like most other fish generally suck in their food items  by flaring the gill plates.
Now imagine a trout following a slowly swinging streamer and by flaring its gills expecting to suck it into its mouth.    It wont work as you the angler keeps pulling the streamer in the opposite direction and the fish either misses the fly or can not get it right in.    Sometimes I have felt two plucks before the weight comes on of a fish that is determined to eat the fly by attacking it.   Bumps during the swing with no hook-ups are more likely made by the fly knocking on rocks/sticks rather than by fish missing the fly.   
 
Rainbow   
 
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Jofly Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Jul 2020 at 2:08pm
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Thanks for that.  I like that explanation. I have just recently started with swinging flies and I must say it is hard to just wait and not do a strike for every tap. The fish I hooked was exactly like you described.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote EditB Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Jul 2020 at 9:37am
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I've noticed this too swinging flies over the last couple of years, I have sometimes been able to convert it into a strike by releasing some line & letting the fly fall back as if wounded. Lately have been playing with adding a stinger style trailing hooker which seems to be working :)
I do not lie about fishing, I willingly participate in a campaign of misinformation.
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