Ask the Expert: How To Hook Fish On Tiny Flies

November 11, 2009 By: Marshall Cutchin

This week, Phil Monahan’s “Fine Lines” column takes on the challenge of explaining how best to hook big trout on tiny flies. “I have such a hard time getting small hooks into fish-even small fish, especially when swinging emergers,” says reader Joshua B. “I get frustrated feeling the tug, only to set the hook and pull the fly right out of the fish’s mouth.”
Excerpt: “This is a very common problem, and I threw the question out to some guide friends who regularly fish with tiny patterns. Jackson Hole-based guide, tier, and author Scott Sanchez notes that Joshua is facing more than one problem: “There sound like two issues: Small hooks and swinging flies.”