Inadvertant snagging on the fly.

[doggonefishin]

This afternoon, I had a few free hours and hit the LoPro. It was a very nice day with lots of action. However, I had something happen repeatedly that I found odd. I caught 3 fish that I accidentally snagged! I was using 2 flies separated by 10-14 inches of tippet with the top fly tied on to the tag of a double surgeon knot and the bottom fly was at the distal end of the tippet. A weight was attached about 10-12 inches above the top fly. I was using an indy.

I guess my question is if there was some error in technique causing this or if it is "one of those things". I have done this before rarely on the fly and I have had it/seen it happen from time to time using gear, fishing a variety of techniques, especially with tandem rigs while ice fishing or vertical jigging. Usually it happens by the fish hitting the top offering, missing on the hookset with the top hook and then snagging the fish with the bottom hook. 2 of three appeared to be snagged this way, but I had one snagged on the top fly also. Is anything to be done or should I just chalk it up to one of those things?


FWIW, the fishing was great. They were crushing grey sows and I got a few on sj's. Didn't really cycle through a lot of other flies today. Caught 2 16-18 in football bows (non snagged) that really put a on my face.
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[remo_5_0]

Just one of those things that happens, my guess is it hooks some just passing by, maybe you get a strike, fish spits it and you foul em' with the dropper, maybe they investigate one fly and get fouled on the other...who knows but pretty common.
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[Jazzperch1]

yeah that happens to me on the river every now and then, it makes you think you have a real big one on until you see it.
From my experience it happens more when your fly's are closer together or if your setting the hook slighty late, especially in deep holes loaded with whitefish i think sometimes you can foul hook them cause they are so thick.

Also ive noticed that ill hook a fish on the top fly and then while fighting it the bottom trailer gets stuck on its tail or fins.
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[doggonefishin]

[quote Jazzperch1] especially in deep holes loaded with whitefish i think sometimes you can foul hook them cause they are so thick.
[/quote]

Yes, I remember "back in the day" when I used to target whites in the winter, mistakenly dorsal "dining" a few of those also.

I suppose it was just an odd coincidence I had so many yesterday. At least all the days best fish were legitimately hooked and it was only 3 smallish browns that were snagged.
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[remo_5_0]

[quote doggonefishin] At least all the days best fish were legitimately hooked and it was only 3 smallish browns that were snagged.[/quote]

Pictures or it didn't happen! []
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[doggonefishin]

[quote remo_5_0]
Pictures or it didn't happen! [][/quote]


Truth, but my camera phone was deep in the recesses of my pants pocket below waders and a coat and by the time I would have retrieved it, a safe release may not have been guaranteed. When work called an hour later, I found this out the hard way. I'll do better on pics next time when I'm up there again.
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[TylerKunz]

I usually find thats because you are setting the hook to late... They have already spit the flies but we set and it hooks them in the fin or the the gut.
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[skis_flies_ice]

As everyone else has mentioned, late hookset, or undetected hookset. Increase your sensitivity by changing your rig, or the way you mend your line. Change your rig by adding just a little more weight, move your indicator a little closer to your flies, or use a smaller more sensitive indicator. Depends on the hole your fishing. Experiment.

Mending your line too much or improper mending can create slack between your flies. Get a few good mends at the very beginning of your drifts and leave it. Dont mend unsless you see a little wake created by your indicator. Over-mending can put the brakes on your indicator. To keep your indicator fully downstream keep your line downsteam of the indicator. Sometimes developing the tiniest of a downstream belly can help keep things "in touch" but you run the risk of pulling your flies off the bottom or too fast through the water. So its a balancing act.

As well retying your rig with a longer overall leader, but maintaining the same distance from your flies/weight/ indicator. Only increasing the distance between your indicator and the end of your fly line. The angler has great control if the indicator is close to the end of the fly line, but this can create a lot of downstream drag on your indicator. If your fly line is too close to your indicator the thick profile of the floating fly line on the surface can create a lot of down stream pull on your indicator. This can cause the rig not to get to the desired depth, or excessive mending by the angler. Keeping a gap of leader between around 18 inches between fly line and indicator can allow that thinner slicker leader to cut through those surface currents. As well the leader does not "stick" to the water surface like fly line does. This allows the angler to mend the less, and more effectively because the indicator is less likely to be disturbed by a mended line.

Bounce/ drop shot rigs will not foul fish quite as easily as a traditional inline rig will, but the bounce rig is not always the best rig for any given fishing scenario.

Thanks for the catching report.


Try nymphing with a 10 foot rod sometime too.
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[riverdog]

I'm going with just one of those what ifs. Don't overanalyze it. I tend to snag more when the fish are very thick. I fish a lot of clear water and see it happen. Yes I also see fish go for and usually slightly miss the fly and then I try to set the hook and they get snagged. Obviously with 2 flies the rate of foul hooking will increase in either situation. It could be worse on my best day of catching large trout in a stream I foul netted 2 fish. The water clarity was fair to poor and when I went to net the large trout (all where 18-27 inches that day) they where pulling like crazy in the hole to get get away. When I reached down and pulled up a large trout and turned toward the bank I then realized my line was still in the water connected to another fish. First time thought it was a total fluke and was just as surprised when it happened a second time. I quickly dumped the foul netted trout out and was able to land the fish I'd hooked in both situations.
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[doggonefishin]

Thanks for the input everyone. While I can't complain at all about recent results, some of these techniques are relatively new for me (the last year or so) so I heartily endorse the idea that I need to experiment more (ie; go fishing) very soon.


[quote skis_flies_ice]
Mending your line too much or improper mending can create slack between your flies. Get a few good mends at the very beginning of your drifts and leave it. Dont mend unsless you see a little wake created by your indicator. Over-mending can put the brakes on your indicator. To keep your indicator fully downstream keep your line downsteam of the indicator. Sometimes developing the tiniest of a downstream belly can help keep things "in touch" but you run the risk of pulling your flies off the bottom or too fast through the water. So its a balancing act.
[/quote]


There may be something to this with what was happening last week. Thinking about it, all three of the foul hookups were at the very end of the drift and I tend to stretch out as far as possible with my rod to get every last foot of good "drift" before pulling up. Maybe adjustment on how I'm mending could change that some. I'll have to experiment with that next time. I personally think I was striking late on at least 2 of them as well. It was one of those nice days when the hits were usually pretty solid and I think I may have not reacted quickly enough on a more subtle take on a couple of them. One of the fouled hookup hits was a hard one though so who knows. Like I said before, I appreciate the suggestions and it will just be an excuse to experiment more.

If I don't go ice fishing on my day off next week, I'll probably be back up there and I'll see if I can get a few pics for Remo this time as well.
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[doggonefishin]

After a rough work day, I zipped back to the Lopro for a couple of hours. (Its nice to have the office 15 minutes away from my favorite stretch) It seemed overall pretty slow, but I managed to get off the schnide with a couple of rats and then some more decent fish wanted to play shortly before I needed to leave.

Unbelievably, I snagged one more tonight, (roll eyes) so I still suck and have work to do on my technique.


Here ya go Remo.
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