By Justin Mickens
Fishing is hard!” This has to be the statement of the year. Every time I think I have mastered the art of fly fishing, the fish decide to give me the fin. No matter what I throw, or how I drift, the fish just move out of the way. It’s a sober reminder that I can always be better.
In the world of fly fishing, we all have our “go to” patterns. Those flies that we throw with complete confidence, even when they don’t produce fish. I always tell myself one more cast, and 2 hours later… It’s much worse when I’m sight fishing. I always think I see a fish going for my fly, when they are usually running from it. I know better than to throw the same fly, with the same drift, over and over, but I get in a rut. This was proven to me last week.
One of our local Delayed Harvest was stocked, and like usual, I headed to the stream for video. I got to the stream later than I planned, so lighting was not ideal for taking video. I decided to fish for a little bit, since I was already there. I could see numerous fish holding in a nice stretch of water. I tied on something big, bright, and “flashy”, and proceeded to cast over and over. Every drift was like parting the red sea. Fish would move to either side as my fly drifted by. After a while, I tied on another “flashy” fly, with the same result. No matter how I enticed them, the fish wouldn’t bite. I tried dead drifting, bouncing off their noses, and even dangling in front of their faces. I was stuck in that rut.
I pulled out my fly box and studied my flies hard. I was beating myself up, knowing I was doing something wrong. Hindsight is always 20/20, and I can tell you where I went wrong now, but in the moment, I was blind. I finally gave up and tied a fly on that I hadn’t used in a while. First cast and “wham!”, a trout had come from across the pool to hit my fly. For the next 10 minutes, it was a feeding frenzy. I ended up catching several more before I had to quit.
If only I had been willing to step outside my norm, and tie that fly on sooner, at least, that’s what I was thinking on the way home. I was kicking myself for no reason. One thing I have learned about fish behavior is that it can change day to day. We have to be willing to step out of the box from time to time, but sometimes it doesn’t matter what you do. Fish are instinctive and eat accordingly. Sometimes we just have to accept that the fish just won’t bite. This doesn’t stop me from trying again and again. If nothing else, it fuels my passion and makes me want to fish harder. So the next time you are out on the water, and the fish aren’t cooperating, know you are not alone in your struggle. Even the best of us have our problems. Until next time, tight lines and stable rocks.
Justin Mickens is Co-Owner and Manager of Appalachian Outfitters Fly Shop in Murphy, NC.
