something i have observed

fishing with sucker spawn or glo bugs.  over the last few trips i seemed to be getting suprise hits when
i begin a new roll cast.  today i made a effort to try to duplicate this.  i intentionally cast a white sucker spawn , let it sink and lifted my rod tip.  bring it up from the bottom to the surface rather quickly.  results- 4 fish in about 15 minutes.   i am used to getting hits on the swing, but with low flow conditions there isn't much of a swing.  no big deal, just something observed today.

ORIGINAL: pafisher

My only question is,were they hooked IN the mouth?

 
Indeed.
 
In the mouth, or on the outside of the mouth?

probably looks like an emerging caddis or crane fly.............a fish's natural instinct to chase something from bottom to top.........spring time is a great time to fish emerger patterns and or wet flies..........simple....simple...simple..........I learned that lesson many years ago on Penns Creek with a great friend and fly fisher, ron lentini
 
he cast down and across..........let the fly drift right below him.......and sit...........I looked at him puzzled and said what the hell are you doing???  he said watch..........the fish are chasing emergers.......at the time he was fishing a march brown emerger........he twitched and lifted........BAM......fish on...........did it again and again.......
 
so I cast downstream.........let it sit.......twitch twitch twitch...........the fish slammed my fly......I broke off on the hook set.........friend was laughing and said........the fish pretty much hooks itself.........
 
what a great afternoon

I hooked several fish in strong current on Elk last week on the "lift" once I completed the drift...when starting my lift to roll cast, the fish seemed to strike at that point, missed several until I finally caught on...guess that's why it's called fishing and not catching...

Who knows what triggers them sometimes.Certainly sucker spawn is n't swimming or moving so it's just the movement of "something or anything" triggered the strikes.Everyday there is something new to learn.

I dunno. I've seen them launch after bugs and get them.
 
Usualy if you watch what direction they are going, and where they are comming from, you can lay a few drifts over the strike zone and catch one. Not directly over where they are holding, but where they are striking.