# Rejections



## SNOOK48 (Sep 10, 2012)

This past weekend, a buddy and I fished Bishop Harbor and surrounding areas for reds.  He caught a few on some jigs but when I threw a fly at them I kept getting rejections after rejections.  My question is, what the &#*$ was I doing wrong to have so many rejections.  I threw everything from decievers to kwans to toads to bait flies, even a few bonefish flies but nothing seemed to work. :-[


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## KnotHome (Jul 21, 2009)

Try any skrimp imitations?










What kind of interest were they showing when you got the fly in front of them?


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## fishnride883 (Mar 20, 2012)

What type of bottom were you fishing? Grass,oyster beds, sand? I tend to fish over sand bottom most all the time, I spent the better part of 2 years trying to figure out why I was getting rejected. Turns out I was moving the fly too much. Once the fish shows interest all I do now is just "tickle" the line ever so slightly without moving the fly. The object is to make the fly appear as if it is digging in trying to bury itself. works every time in the sand, but I dont fish grass and if I do fish grass, I tend to either use topwater crease flys or bendbacks that i smack them in the head with.


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## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

I saw Capt Willy Lee at the boat ramp a couple weeks ago and asked him the same question. His advise was once the fish keyed into the fly do not stop it. He said keep it moving away and speed up a bit to tease them similar to a tarpon. So far I have caught 6 fish using his suggestion.
I was getting a lot of rejections as well. I would bump it to get their attention and then let it fall and stay relatively still till the were on top of the fly then give it a slight nudge. I went through a ton of rejections. It also probably depends on where you are fishing and the type of bait you are trying to imitate.


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## SNOOK48 (Sep 10, 2012)

Thank you. Do any of you guys fish any super shallow grass areas? One place was less than 4 in of water. I had several fish that I threw to with a kwan with a banded body and had all the fish just swim right over the fly with no interest! Do you have any advice?


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## natasha1 (Jul 27, 2009)

Sounds like you may be picking up grass with the fly. Use simple weightless or bead chain patterns. I really like gurglers for fish that shallow.


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## CurtisWright (May 9, 2012)

I am not sure how the fish down there behave, but with I get that treatment in Al/MS/LA, I put on a big flashy streamer and they usually eat it.  I think its because they cant see the small flies in the grass.  I'll post a few pics later.   Check out the fly below. 

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-A_uPgBvQs[/media]


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## Dillusion (May 21, 2012)

Fly fishing is an art.

You tie flies, you learn this complicated ass golf style of fishing, and you present said fly to the fish. You become an artist.

Part of being a fly fishing artist is presentation and it is a skill.

Small strips, long strips, sink rate of the fly, environment, water temperature, fish species, etc all play into your presentation.


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## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

This is why I tie my own flies. I can adjust sink rate, movement, profile and all of the other little things that affect whether you are successful or not. I have an ep shrimp I tied a few weeks ago that has been very productive in both shallow grass and pot holes.


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## fishnride883 (Mar 20, 2012)

I fish 4" of water but not over grass. I would suggest a small bendback pattern for grass, no weight at all. Hit the fis in the noggin with it and give it a long slow/medium strip. Should eat...a member from another forum has been having quite a bit of success using this method.


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## kyleh (Nov 3, 2012)

I wouldn't compare fly fishin to golf... Golf is just the opposite...Boring Just my opinion...


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## Dillusion (May 21, 2012)

> I wouldn't compare fly fishin to golf... Golf is just the opposite...Boring        Just my opinion...


That went right over your head...you missed the reference entirely.


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## richwalker71 (Feb 11, 2010)

My guess is; if they literally swam right over it, they didn't see it. You will pretty much always get some kind of reaction either positive or negative.

IMO, with Reds, presentation trumps fly pattern 99% of the time. Choose a fly based on the situation (i.e. make sure they can see it) vs. specific bait imitation.

Andy Mill talks/writes about how presenting a fly to a Poon is like playing with a kitten with a piece of yarn. Its the same with all fish. Try to read their body language and adjust how you move the fly to get them to pounce.


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## SNOOK48 (Sep 10, 2012)

The flies I was using were purple, orange, white/green, white/red, stuff that stuck out, but I get what you guys are saying. I will try some different flies. With the gurgler flies, do you just barely twitch it?


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## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

For the most part the success I have had has been with more neutral colors. This is especially true sight fishing for fish laid up in shallow clear water.


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## Shadowcast (Feb 26, 2008)

As we get further into the fall and winter...down and brown is the ticket.  Someone said early that presentation is more important than fly selection.  This is very true.  I use the "pop and tick."  I give the fly an initial pop to get the attention of the fish.  Then I barely tick the fly to make it look like it is fleeing or trying to bury itself.  The body language of a red is all day easy 90% of the time.  The fish that are crawling the bottom slowly and methodically or a laid up still on the bottom....I call them "players."  Players will usually react on the pop and track the ticks and then eat the fly.  Fish that are travelling faster or are not laid up are generally not players and are already blown.  It is tough to get these fish to eat. I generally fish just to the north of the Bishops Harbor area and these observations are proven true time and time again.


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## natasha1 (Jul 27, 2009)

> With the gurgler flies, do you just barely twitch it?


Play keep away front the red. Tease him with it.


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## kyleh (Nov 3, 2012)

That went right over your head...you missed the reference entirely. [/quote]


Yep....over my head..lol Golf is boring!!!


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## SNOOK48 (Sep 10, 2012)

Has anybody tried using a mantis shrimp on reds before?


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## kyleh (Nov 3, 2012)

I seen one wading before, it was a mean lil thing. I poked it with rod tip and it wanted to fight.... Aren't they poisonous??


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## SNOOK48 (Sep 10, 2012)

No, I meant the bonefish fly, mantis shrimp. lol, its kinda like a gotcha but its gotta ep fiber on it


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## kyleh (Nov 3, 2012)

Most bone flies work just as good for reds.....Try it


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## SNOOK48 (Sep 10, 2012)

Thanks guys. I think I am going to try and fish back in Frog Creek this weekend and see what I can do. I will post a report later on.


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