Not since I tried to find a prom date...

Hah, lol... That's a pretty good attitude. I know dudes who would have had their rod broken and floating down stream from that. Actually, that kind of thing doesn't irk me much. What gets me is a day of clumsiness - repeatedly bunging up my leader, constant knots and twists, stones in my waders, and generally spending most of the day screwing with my rig more than having the fly on the water.

Did you have a scent on your fingers? Work on a car or give someone a perm that day? Maybe the word is out in the trout world to watch out for the Cold Killer...

ORIGINAL: duncsdad

I'm not sure what type of summer (its summer?) you have been having so far, but where I live the fish have not really started to key on terrestrials yet simply because they have been few and far between.  The weather, particularly at night, has not been conducive to hoppers and beetles and the like.  I have been running the Pointers for about 3 miles through hay fields everyday and have yet to see more than a handful of hoppers.  Typically at this time of year the fields seem to move with them.

The start of fish looking for terrestrials is a little like the first hatches of the year -- the fish are interested, but they might not know why.  As more bugs hit the water, they will start to key on them and you should have more success.

It is forecasted to get warmer this week.  That should bring out the terrestrials in big enough numbers that the fish decide they are good to eat.

Best of luck to you.

Thanks! Great stuff. Makes some sense out of their behavior too, especially the bit about being interested but not knowing why. Especially that hopper. On a handful of occasions, I had 3-4 following it, with nips and bulges, but noone had the rocks to take a bite.

...with the beetles...they might have been avoiding them out of fear: I saw what may have been the biggest beetle I've ever seen in my life fall into the creek and float by. When it hit the water, I thought it was a trout rising from the sound. About 2 to 2.5" long, all black, and 3/4 to 7/8" wide. It drifted right over about 6 trout that gave it a quick glance then turned away.

Mike, about 2 1/2 feet of tippet (12" 4X, 12-18" 6X) on about a 6 foot floating polyleader, total: 8 1/2'

I worked my way up into the hole as I fished, but to stay far enough away to stay out of sight will require either ugly backcasts (up into trees), or a little more oomph than I've been able to muster with my 3wt...but I'll sure try!

Will definitely try the beetle. My foam isnt quite so shiny, I hope it'll still be just as effective. How do you fish it? Just a drift? Would a tuft of indicator yarn be offensive?

Tied a pair and tried them out, but the fish just werent having it today. Nothing for that matter. Fished from about 7:30 to dusk and saw exactly 3 rises. Got a refusal on a light cahill, but it was slow both above and below the surface.

Harry,

Stock up. They are quick, easy, and give a near perfect silhouette on the water.

Cold,

Don't worry about the foam. The foam pictured is Bill Skilton's Stretchy Foam...but closed cell foam works the same. The peacock herls' iridescent color gives off the same color/flash as the Japanese Beetle's iridescent belly.

If you can see the fish refusing your fly, I wouldn't say you are spooking them, at least to the point of not eating or bolting out of their lie. Alot of stocked fish, and wild fish, in heavily fished streams will get used to the human presence, but be more aware of what they eat when someone is around. Being more sneaky or trying a downstream presentation where you feed out line may be a better tactic.

I fish, at the shortest, a 15' leader for terrestrials. On average it is 20', and have used a "French Nymphing" leader up to 30'. I don't want the fish seeing or hearing any splash or ripple from my fly line...only the nice plop and ripples on the water from the beetle landing on the surface. (Even for typical dry fly fishing I rarely go under 15') I would try a regular leader, or extend your tippet a few more feet off the poly leader. This may help take some attention away from your flyline or polytaper leader hitting the water.

While fishing beetles, I position myself in the center of the stream if allowed. I cast quartering upstream to one bank, then work my way across in 3'-6' increments to the other side. After each cast, I let the fly drift for 5'-10' or about 5-10 seconds. If there is a fish nearby that wants it, they will jump on it the first cast. When I cover the imaginary line across the stream with casts, I will move upstream 10' and repeat.

I watch the beetle land on the water (fairly easy because of the splash), then slowly/steadily set the hook on any rise in that vicinity. 99% of the time it is a trout taking the fly. But if a small piece of yarn would help you locate the fly and strike, I don't see that harming anything...as long as it doesn't make a splash and take the focus away from your beetle.

I sound like an anal fly fisherman at this point, but this is one of the most effective ways to fish when the major hatches are over and beetles start showing along the streamside vegetation.

But then again...if they aren't taking beetles, forget everything mentioned above. LOL!


Mike

ORIGINAL: Cold

...have I gotten as many refusals as I did yesterday evening, fishing terrestrials.

I tried beetles, ants, and hoppers, and ALL got ALOT of attention. Turns, looks, falste strikes, nips at the edge of the fly, tail slaps...basically everything except a take. Every terrestrial fly I used got consistent attention, but absolutely no takes.

Any ideas as to what was going on or what to do to fix it?

I tried changing size, color, presentation, tippet...

It was exciting, but for as much activity as I had, I was kind of surprised not to get any real takes.

 
It's not the fish, it's you.
 
YoUR DriFt SuCKz DuuD.
 

This time of year, mornings are better.