Dry flies and Fishing a spot

[nOObmaster]

Background: i pretty much fish using nymphs only. i guess they are easy. but recently i have recently started fishing with dry flies only.

a) they strike a lot and miss a lot [not sure if i should go smaller] - any advice on what can i do differently, hook sizes etc?
b) even after i hook a fish, sometimes i loose them most of the times. [i have read the other thread of loosing fish and will try to apply some of those techniques and hope to correct this]

my ratio of [CATCH:LOOSE] for every trip [as an example]
nymph - 6:1
dry - [1:6]

But i find dry fly fishing a lot more satisfying visually.

Another question:

how long is too long fishing a single spot if you are not catching anything? should i keep switching flies and keep trying or move on to next one?

 

[redietz]

Background: i pretty much fish using nymphs only. i guess they are easy. but recently i have recently started fishing with dry flies only.

a) they strike a lot and miss a lot [not sure if i should go smaller] - any advice on what can i do differently, hook sizes etc?
b) even after i hook a fish, sometimes i loose them most of the times. [i have read the other thread of loosing fish and will try to apply some of those techniques and hope to correct this]

my ratio of [CATCH:LOOSE] for every trip [as an example]
nymph - 6:1
dry - [1:6]

But i find dry fly fishing a lot more satisfying visually.

Another question:

how long is too long fishing a single spot if you are not catching anything? should i keep switching flies and keep trying or move on to next one?

It depends on whether fish are rising in the spot or not. Never walk away from rising fish.

OTOH, if you're not seeing anything taking on top, move along after a few minutes.

 

[JackM]

"Never walk away from rising fish."

This.

 

[JG63]

It depends on whether fish are rising in the spot or not. Never walk away from rising fish.

OTOH, if you're not seeing anything taking on top, move along after a few minutes.

I have deliberately quit casting to certain fish - many years ago, there was a particular Brown In a particular stream with particularly large eyes - I eventually named him “Ganymede” - he would pick a particular lie in a shallow bank and taunt me with particularly well timed rises to particular bugs EVERY time I fished this particular spot - for two seasons he appeared like clockwork and was particularly predictable as he chomped away on ants, Suphurs (in season), and whatever happened to float by - all within less than 20 feet and usually immediately downstream from my location. We became particularly tolerant of one another … I cast to him hundreds of times with flies no larger than #16 and tippets no larger than 6X - and only hooked him once (on a #16 Macmurray Ant pattern painted like a yellow jacket) without landing him … in all that time he had dutifully inspected many of my offerings and SCHOOLED me on presentation - I never walked away from him and never properly landed him - he wasn’t a particularly large fish 12-14” - but he was a particularly important fish in my many memories in the water - for two seasons, I had put Marinaro’s presentation rules into effect and was particularly humiliated by Ganymede - then one particular day - he was gone

 

[Tigereye]

"Never walk away from rising fish."

This.

Corollary: Don't leave fish to find fish

 

[wildtrout2]

Background: i pretty much fish using nymphs only. i guess they are easy. but recently i have recently started fishing with dry flies only.

a) they strike a lot and miss a lot [not sure if i should go smaller] - any advice on what can i do differently, hook sizes etc?
b) even after i hook a fish, sometimes i loose them most of the times. [i have read the other thread of loosing fish and will try to apply some of those techniques and hope to correct this]

my ratio of [CATCH:LOOSE] for every trip [as an example]
nymph - 6:1
dry - [1:6]

But i find dry fly fishing a lot more satisfying visually.

Another question:

how long is too long fishing a single spot if you are not catching anything? should i keep switching flies and keep trying or move on to next one?

I'm thinking your lower catch rate with dries might be your timing on the hook set, just a guess.
If you're fishing dries and don't get a strike with a couple casts, move on to the next spot. Any actively feeding trout would likely hit the first cast, or two. I try to cover as much stream as my time allows.

I love top water action for the same reason as you, the visual aspect.