Cicada hookup

[Maniototoflyfisher]

I've always struggled to get what I consider an acceptable hookup rate with cicadas (75% or more) When I see a trout quietly engulf my fly at the start of the day I usually get a hookup - but later when the wind and waves are up and the trout are splashing I don't even get 50%. I've tried striking quickly, striking slowly, pulling quietly or doing nothing for half a minute - they all get hookups but none are 75% candidates.
How do you get on and what are your secrets?

[fraser hocks]

I maybe telling you something you already know well David, but with all dry fly sets, you don't set the hook, but let the fish hook itself as it were. I always tell clients to just hold the line and genitally lift the rod to 45 degrees. I never strike, more of just take up tension on the fish and let it hook itself.

The other thing that might be causing you grief is if the flys are tied on a narrow gape hook? Maybe worth getting some flys that have been tied on a wider gape hook?

[Maniototoflyfisher]

Thanks Fraser - how you "genitally lift the rod" ?? You're right- when I say I "strike ", I do only gently lift the rod - I've never managed to get the "big spray" as the line comes off the water I see in some videos.
I don't think hook shape is a factor in my case - I use wide gape hooks and trim my deer hair severely opposite the point. Maybe I should buy some commercial flies and try them.

[Jaapie]

Just an observation I have had over the years fishing cicada's is that the trout often attack them and drag them down and then eat them. A mate and I fished a high country lake and went mad trying to hook them on the take. It just resulted in pulled out flies.

We eventually resorted to letting them take the fly, waited about 3 seconds and tightened up - no striking as Fraser above suggests.
Even if you pull the hook in this manner, the cicada is still in the strike zone and they don't hesitate to have another bite of the cherry or crunchy cicada in this case.

We spoke to a local bloke that was fishing and his theory was that the trout were drowning them before eating them, but I'm not sure I necessarily believe this logic - but who knows?

[Maniototoflyfisher]

Thanks Kevin- what you suggest certainly has been the most successful for me but still probably only 50% hookup. Maybe I'm quicker than 3 seconds and still pulling the fly out of their mouths. Too long and if I got a hookup the fly was swallowed - not ideal for release.
Had discussion about "drowning them" yesterday. Can see why trout feeding on mice would tail stun then swallow but cicadas are hardly dangerous to swallow. Discussed whether the big splash was a tail slam to drown the cicada or a tail exuberance after engulfing the cicada- hard to tell in the waves!

[Steve]

I'm guessing some of the misses might be misses from the fish in the waves miss timing their takes and actually missing the fly, or the cicada getting pulled slightly by the tippet causing them to miss is probably more likely. If that's the case then there is probably not a solution!

[Maniototoflyfisher]

Could be part of the problem Steve. It's obvious when observing cicadas getting blown along the natural ones move much quicker than the artificial ones attached to a line - hence the trout would have to anticipate where the cicada would be at the time they take - but the artificial one that is moving slower might be missed ?

[Jaapie]

Interesting thought that Steve.

The fish definitely act differently to eating cicada's on the river versus the lake.
Very seldom miss on the rivers whereas they do have big splashes on the takes in stillwater and in the waves caused by wind.

[fraser hocks]

Thanks Fraser - how you "genitally lift the rod" ??

Well ain't that spell check at its greatest? HEHEH The man how invented spell check should burn in help

[Steve]