So you are streamer fishing…let’s say you are trout fishing with a wooly bugger and you have worked on and maybe even perfected your strip set and bang, there on the other end was the tug you have been waiting for; you make your quick, short strip, but no fish.
Now what…leave it alone. Leave the fly alone and be prepared because Mr. Trout is or probably will come back for another try. I know this sounds very easy but the tough part is staying with it and preparing for the follow up. After an unsuccessful strip I always prepare for a follow up and usually get one; in fact I have had trout follow my fly all the way across the stream, hitting the bug several times before finally making a connection.
Bass are much the same and usually like to hit and stun a baitfish, wait a millisecond and come back to clean it up. So as easy as it sounds…practice this and think of it, when have you been able to do the right thing by just leaving something alone?
