Fish Jumping But Not Biting

[jtaylor]

Last night was probably the most frustrating fishing experience to date. I found a great spot the fish started jumping, possibly chasing an emerger. spent the night throwing every fly I had, but got nothing.

 

Details:

 

Date: May 15h, 2013 just before sunset

Temp: 20 degrees light rain off and on

River: deep pool, with muddy bottom, very slow current, and very low visiability

No bugs on the surface or in the air,

White fur like substance was floating in the water and when nymphing my line and nymph would be covered in the stuff after 5 casts

 

Started with a dry dropper elk hair caddies size 14 with a small dark nypmh size 18

switch the nymph to a mayfly emerger. ( was casting 45 degrees upsteam 3 feet in front of the last rise/jump.)

 

 

then went with a leech with a prince

 

then a worm

 

then some dark coloured streamers

 

but nothing

 

So I guess I have a few questions:

 

-If the trout are jumping/splashing are they chasing emergers? If so, what fly on the Bow river emergers from a muddy bottom and does it fast? ( spent a good time looking to see anything floating by but the visability wasn't very good)

 

- Do Anglers get snunked on rising/jumping fish? mabye I'm new but I'v never been snunked with rising fish.

 

 

Looking forward to responses.

 

 

[Muffin]

Ha-ha I was skunked on Sunday. I only had two hours though and started off nymphing. I saw the occasional rise but took a bit before the frequency justified switching to drys.

 

Once I did though I managed to try 4 flies and the guy beside me had tried a couple as well with no success.

 

I also am looking forward to the responses.

[trailhead]

Its tough when you get that. I have found that a unweighted non beadhead hares ear works best in those situations and you have to get it to rise up. I think the fish are picking off nymphs that are coming off the bottom, going to the top. Very hard to imitate, but I have had some success with that method, then again I have been skunked as fish were rising all around me too. Just my two cents.

[Flyfisher]

They were likely taking subsurface emergers (it was raining, mayflies?). In addition to a hare's ear try an unweighted soft hackle sized to what you know or think might be going off or what they're eating.

 

Sounds like some kind of dandelion or cottonwood type seed tufts were floating on the water. I've found fuzzy seed tuft material inside fish, suspect the material gets mistaken for some kind of food item.

[monger]

This time of year the caddis are starting to swim up in good numbers and fish get pretty keyed into those events. I think it's pretty hard to simulate the action of the pupae. Nice to see the fishing eating and not playing with you....never frustrating.....Lots of times you will see the that the fish are coming up at speed, not slowly sipping.

[bigalcal]

It's called fly fishing.......chalk it up to experience. Next day you will slay them!!

[Chadillac]

They were likely taking subsurface emergers (it was raining, mayflies?). In addition to a hare's ear try an unweighted soft hackle sized to what you know or think might be going off or what they're eating.

 

Sounds like some kind of dandelion or cottonwood type seed tufts were floating on the water. I've found fuzzy seed tuft material inside fish, suspect the material gets mistaken for some kind of food item.

 

try old school, swing wet flies, or like trailhead said, non weighted nymphs are worth a try

[jtaylor]

Thanks guys for the responses

[alan2]

An odd combination I've had work a few times lately is a partridge and orange wet fly 18" behind a black woolly bugger. Most went for the wet fly.

[Kutney]

these fish are jerks!!!! happens to me all the time.

[maxwell]

I find some times of the day when activity rises fish get stirring and moving around if it settles down usually fishing picks up. depending on the splashy rises and such if its always whites I usually leave them along and figure they are getting bullied by trout or pike. if it seems sporadic and somewhat constant usually I will try small streamers or boatman first! then move to other bugs that could be emerging and rising fast like mayflies or caddis.. swinging them can be good if your nymphing try swinging them after your drifts! I've had quite a few days when I got 80-90% of my takes on one of my point flies on the rise up off bottom if that's the case I somewhat streamer strip the flies back to me in short but fast pulses...

[sldrose]

Last night was probably the most frustrating fishing experience to date. I found a great spot the fish started jumping, possibly chasing an emerger. spent the night throwing every fly I had, but got nothing.

 

Details:

 

Date: May 15h, 2013 just before sunset

Temp: 20 degrees light rain off and on

River: deep pool, with muddy bottom, very slow current, and very low visiability

No bugs on the surface or in the air,

White fur like substance was floating in the water and when nymphing my line and nymph would be covered in the stuff after 5 casts

 

Started with a dry dropper elk hair caddies size 14 with a small dark nypmh size 18

switch the nymph to a mayfly emerger. ( was casting 45 degrees upsteam 3 feet in front of the last rise/jump.)

 

 

then went with a leech with a prince

 

then a worm

 

then some dark coloured streamers

 

but nothing

 

So I guess I have a few questions:

 

-If the trout are jumping/splashing are they chasing emergers? If so, what fly on the Bow river emergers from a muddy bottom and does it fast? ( spent a good time looking to see anything floating by but the visability wasn't very good)

 

- Do Anglers get snunked on rising/jumping fish? mabye I'm new but I'v never been snunked with rising fish.

 

 

Looking forward to responses.

 

Hi Jtaylor,

 

I was fishing the same night, same conditions so I know exactly what you were talking about.

(River: deep pool, with muddy bottom, slow current, and very low visiability)

 

I didnt get anything either.

 

The only other thing i can add is that the fish were far out from the bank where i was fishing.

i.e. I was waist deep and had to cast 40-50ft just to be in the zone

 

I put it down to 2 things:

- the fish weren't consistantly rising. there would be a surface take and nothing for over a minute.

i think these fish are probably moving and aren't sitting in the same spot

- because they were so far out, there was no way of getting a drag free drift.

 

As to what they were taking, i have no idea.

 

 

I dont think it matters now. the bow looks blown with all this rain