Snap, what else could I have done?

[sjpresley]

I stopped at one of my favorite pools on a nearby small stream on my way home from work this evening. Caught a brookie and a rainbow nymphin' and decided to switch to streamers about 7:40 as it was getting dark.

On my second cast with a black-nosed dace, I was looking down as I started to strip in line. When I looked up, it took a second to process what I saw. There was a very large wake following my line. I didn't stop stripping line, the wake caught up to the fly, and all in one motion the fish took the fly and snapped my 6x tippet. I didn't get a change to try to set the hook or anything. Since I was stripping (line that is), the line was in my hand and the force with which the fly was taken broke the tippet before I could even let go.

Is there anything else I could have done in that situation? How much heavier could I go with the tippet when fishing streamers in a small stream without spooking the 10-14" fish I usually catch there?

[The Patriot]

Sorry about your heartbreaker.....

There's absolutely nothing you can do except using heavier tippet. When a big fish smashes a streamer, or a stonefly nymph, I've had that happen too, a light tippet is not going to hold up.

Personally, I never use anything lighter than 4X flourocarbon for streamer fishing. But I don't fish smaller streams either....

For nymphing, I usually use 3X to 5X FC, depending on the size of the fly and the stream conditions. On average I use 4X FC on larger nymphs in normal conditions, and 5X FC on smaller nymphs or low water. 3X FC is rarely used on big stonefly nymphs in high or fast water.

Again, sorry to hear about your "loss".... :wink: :D

[The Fisherman]

sjpresley,

Use 4x in a small stream with confidence. I routinely fish WTMAs, and I have to say in my experience there's nothing more wary than a wild brown. Even in the low, clear water conditions before this rain, I was catching wild fish in sunny conditions with streamers on 4x.

[treehooker]

Yep, 4X.