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Has anyone here started fishing with no hook, and just the fly pattern? Thought about starting? I'm getting to the point now that when I hook a fish I just want to get it in ASAP and don't care about the fight, it's all about the perfect cast and drift and strike and tricking the fish into eating something off the surface. I am seriously thinking about making a selection of flies with the hook broke off so I don't need to hook the fish and bring them in... I think I've caught about enough fish on my usual rivers that I would enjoy it just as much getting the strike, because when I get the strike, and either the fish or I mess up and I don't hook it, I'm just as satisfied as if I had to reel it in.

 

Steelhead on the other hand........ different story. But for these trout...

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Has anyone here started fishing with no hook, and just the fly pattern? Thought about starting? I'm getting to the point now that when I hook a fish I just want to get it in ASAP and don't care about the fight, it's all about the perfect cast and drift and strike and tricking the fish into eating something off the surface. I am seriously thinking about making a selection of flies with the hook broke off so I don't need to hook the fish and bring them in... I think I've caught about enough fish on my usual rivers that I would enjoy it just as much getting the strike, because when I get the strike, and either the fish or I mess up and I don't hook it, I'm just as satisfied as if I had to reel it in.

 

Steelhead on the other hand........ different story. But for these trout...

Seriously.....

Why don't you ask if anybody would like your autograph in your next post? Thanks for the laugh!

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Just wonderin' ...

I don't think I would ever do it all the time. Every once in a while I'm definitely going to want to see the fish up close, admire their beauty etc, or if there was a good chance of catching a massive trout. But for example being on a cutty stream, after about 10 or 15 fish I'm sorta like ok, lets stop bothering these fish... and that's when I'd probably want to do it. Or on the bow during a trico hatch, for example, after catching a few when the late summer water is getting warm and I know with the 6x and tiny flies I'm stressing them a bit.... I dunno. Guess it's not a common thought.

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Has anyone here started fishing with no hook, and just the fly pattern? Thought about starting? I'm getting to the point now that when I hook a fish I just want to get it in ASAP and don't care about the fight, it's all about the perfect cast and drift and strike and tricking the fish into eating something off the surface. I am seriously thinking about making a selection of flies with the hook broke off so I don't need to hook the fish and bring them in... I think I've caught about enough fish on my usual rivers that I would enjoy it just as much getting the strike, because when I get the strike, and either the fish or I mess up and I don't hook it, I'm just as satisfied as if I had to reel it in.

 

Steelhead on the other hand........ different story. But for these trout...

 

Why stop with the hook, get rid of the rod and reel as well...........

just joking, well kinda............

 

If you want a change or a challenge put on the polaroid sunglasses, put away the rod and only sight fish.

Don't make a cast until you can find and see the fish beforehand.

 

For me the ultimate challenge is to spot a resident brown that is feeding subsurface.

Then it's all about your eyes.

 

It may also explain why I don't catch that many fish.........haha

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I

I have some friends that just throw slack at the fish after the hook up...hoping they get off...then on to the next one. I think we are getting old :)

 

I actually do that all the time while fishing small streams for cutts.

Today, I wade my way up from pool to pool and I let go a lot of the fish I hooked. I do not see the point of handing them anymore...If the fish seems big, that another story. For example, I am happy that I could have a good look at a beautiful 15 inches cutt (I love those colors). But I do not see the point of stressing 10 inch. fish more than necessary . Of the 30 or 40 I hooked today I LDR about half of them on purpose (sometimes it doesn t work or sometimes I think the fish is nice and worthy of seeing it).

 

I love the approach, the casting, the take and the strike...I could do with broken hook. Maybe I will, but not yet...

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Mvd...

 

Many years ago Barry Beck wrote an article on "Touch and Go" fishing. He was promoting it to the extent he was selling a hook c/w a small ball on the pointy end. I couldn't find it in their "web" store. Maybe it didn't do well.

Frankly, I thought he was crazy as well. Clearly others worship the Becks inducting them into Fly Fishing Hall of Fame.

They are the undisputed champions of the "Grip & Grin" picture.

 

Don

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I've done that a few times on small creeks with eager fish. Getting the take is the most fun part, so it just maximizes the fun. I also used to shake fish off quite a bit, but I found that got me out of practice of landing fish and when I did want to touch them I was rusty and loosing more than I should. I only really do it now with the dinks and the non-target fish.

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