Foul hooking fish

1. Bob I am having the same issues with foul hooking fish. I don’t know if it’s due to the fish taking a run at the fly and quickly rejecting  or spitting it out or turning away at the last second or if  they are  just in the wrong place at the wrong time and they bump into the tippet causing you to set the hook. I’ve even hooked them in the tail which makes for a nice little tug of war. Hopefully we’ll hear from the more experienced guys for the answer to this.
   Steve Baker

Gentlemen

Even though you “think” you are setting the hook “on time”, you may not be. Often when fish are foul hooked it is because you are late with the set. A trout can take in a fly and decide it’s not good in just seconds. That is why when using an indicator you must set when the indicator shows the slightest change in its “float” downstream. This is why euro-styling nymphing is so successful. Think about it. If you do euro- style nymphing you are “directly” attached or connected to the fly. So when a fish takes your fly you will “know” sooner than if it were connected to an indicator. An indicator is connected directly to the fly (not you) and can give you an indication of a strike much later. So the fish takes the fly with an indicator then spits it out but you see the indicator stop, you set the hook when the fly is still close to the fish  but no longer in the fish’s mouth. and ends up “foul hooking” the fish.  Best way to not foul hook so much when using the indicator is to set the fly/hook when ANYTHING different happens to the indicator as it floats downstream. Hook sets are free. Do them. Often!!