I spent 37 years at sea. 25 of those years as a licensed Captain. Teaching people how to fish. And to see this video of yours here, explaining where the technique you're sharing comes from and how hard won that knowledge is... ...you have my abject RESPECT. I've liked and saved many of your vids in the past, but this one showed me the measure of a master angler and teacher. Bravo young man. Bravo. 😎👍🏻
Great video ! This is so true. Guys that never fly fished for musky don't realize how hard it is to overcome the subconscious reaction to setting the hook with the rod hand. It's easy to forget in that moment when you get the strike. For me it's a lifetime of setting the hook one way, and now that's wrong, and you need to learn another way. It's easier said than done.
"I hope this helps" Hell yeah it does. I've been gear fishing for 40 years and after several stalled attempts to get bass on flys (flies? fleyes? FLYYZZS??) I am finally in a place and time to get it going and I can say with confidence that what you described is EXACTLY what I would have done! Thank you Thank you! When I think about it now, it makes perfect sense. I would have been losing fish and NEVER known why. Thank you for getting at exactly what I needed!
Thank you, this was very helpful. Was Striper fishing and lost 5 in a row (Strip and sweep). Watched this video and today, picked up 9 stripers without losing one (Strip, strip, strip). Also liked your fly tying video on locking in bucktail.
This is probably the most informational fly fishing video I have ever seen. I just got back from Tampa and lost a 40" snook due to my "trout set". Thanks for the vid!
I was doing this for a couple years until I started doing the snag set technique I’ve created overtime, I set the hook with the fly rod arm, I have a short video I just made on this if you’d like to check it out . When you make contact with the fish you should raise the rod to create bend in your rod as it keeps tension on the line rather then keeping it in the water straight and letting the pike or musky run at you and get slack, this is why you’re losing the feel of the fish until it runs sideways or away from you again and you finally catch up with it stripping in. Also when your rod tip is down it is very hard to outrun a pike or musky with a strip in retrieve, you can if your rod top is already going up and stripping in at the same time because it decreases the distance between you and the fish significantly. Great videos btw 🤘, just figured I’d throw in my 2 pennies on this topic and share my snag set technique as it may help others trying to keep fish on the fly line 👍.
Young Brother, your video just gave me a HUGE "Eureka!" moment. I've been fly fishing only since 2019 and focused primarily on trout here in east Tennessee. Ironically, I live on the Clinch River in the middle reaches which holds no trout, only bass, muskie, catfish, and the occasional walleye. My bass fishing has been typically 'meh' with the occasional 16" or 18" Smallie on a fly (wooly bugger, clouser, baitfish). 6" to 10" Rock bass tend to swarm the patterns and basically hook themselves with super aggressive takes. Great fun on a 5 weight but not what I'm really after. Smallies in the same range are only slightly less aggressive and my 'trout sweep' hook set gets and keeps them connected. My biggest disappointments have come with inevitably losing much bigger fish that feel like true tanks when initially on the line. My "trout set" is the culprit!! This lesson on the triple-strip is a game-changer! As soon as the Clinch drops a couple of feet and clears back up, those giant smallies are in for a battle! I'll head back out there with far more confidence that I can KEEP them on the line! THANKS!!
OMG I’ve been a Salty since 1994 and you have just given me the aha moment on why I failed on my last 2 trips. try jumping 13 good Tarpon ‘cos of bad strip set technique for a mind bender, (this in 1996). Since then I have used a 2-handed strip and never dropped a fish due to hook set. Until November last year that is. I changed to single handed strip resulting in line slipping and slack and fish lost and all the things you talked about. Back to 2 hands for me. For those staying with single handed strip - use 2 fingers to lock the line against the rod before you let go and return the stripping hand
Thanks for the great video, I'm trying to teach my Fly Fishing merit badge class how to "strip set" the hook... which goes right along with how to give action to the fly by "stripping the line". I keep telling them that the peacock bass here in Hawaii may only average a little over 2 pounds... just keep stripping... the fish will set the hook. Just keep pointing the rod tip at the fish and keep on stripping till it starts pulling the line out of your hand. (the kids have a hard time keeping a grip on the line too). LOL. Again, thanks for the tips. Aloha, Stan
Thank you very much. I’ve fished “gear” 40+ years and now started flyfishing at 56. My muscle memory makes me sweep set. Perch..no problem but I’ve lost some nice bass. I’m going to teach this old dog a new trick. Thanks again Gunner! I’m glad I can subscribe for more of your insight. You make Great videos. Howdy from Texas! God Bless 🎣
Great stuff. Just came back from a baby tarpon trip and found it so difficult to overcome sweeping the rod while strip setting. Gear background me too.....
This was a fabulous video. I just started open water fly fishing for smallmouth and was strip setting and still losing fish. Now I see what I was doing wrong was only doing 1 set and not until It was right
Nailed It! You touched on this the other night on the SVS Pod and it really hit home with me. This vid just put it all into perspective. I've been hard at the ski's for 10+ years and will watch this before every outing until it becomes muscle memory. I've put plenty to hand with the strip, strip, sweep, but have lost twice as many to the same failed method. Keep these videos coming and get a guide business going. You are destined to be a teacher, not a production tier. It is your calling in life. Use the business you have created as a means to your ultimate calling in life. Guides are teachers, and you my man, are a teacher!
Great teaching! Loved how you explained all the 'why' reasons behind the mentality of a bad strip (trout) set and good strip sets. I learned so much! Definitely subscribed.
Wow Gunnar - you just hit it right on the head! This past summer I started fishing fishing larger streamers and hooks way bigger than I have in the past - was having all kinds of problems keeping fish on the line - NOW I know what I was doing wrong! I assumed that the longer rod and relatively low stretch fly line would do a good sweep hook set. Had the fly thrown back at me so often that I knew something wasn't working right but never figured out what it was. Thanks for the video!
Dude, this is going to help me catch so many more pike. I lose way more pike than I land and having been a lure angler previously, I’ve been ‘strip setting’ exactly the same. I’m still a total ‘noob’ to fly fishing but I feel like it’s so much more of an exhilarating style of fishing than any other I’ve tried. I’m really excited to try this over the weekend. Thanks so much for ALL of your videos. They’re very much appreciated! 👌😁🤟
I do a lot of saltwater fishing for salmon in the PNW. Whenever I find myself sweeping after a strip set, I go back to a two hand retrieve. When you do that you can really get a good sense for the "strip set, strip set, strip set" until you're playing tug of war with the fish and can grab the rod to lift. If you haven't spent much time doing it, I suggest giving it a try and see what you think. You also don't blow out your stripping side elbow after days of hyper extending it on the strip.
Great video. I’ve been flyfishing less than a year. Spin fished my whole life, and I do exactly as you say. I strip set and then muscle memory cuts in and I sweep. I am going to have to find a fishy place to practice. Also it makes it more difficult cause I’m fishing two handed retrieve with the stripping basket, which makes the set stroke shorter. I’ve seen your other video with multiple strips and I am trying to duplicate it…the problem has been the haven’t been cooperative lately.😉
ive been streamer fishing for freshwater striper and ive missed handfuls of opportunities due to my inadequate strip set while only landing a couple. hopefully i can stick em now. thanks for the advice.
Excellent info thank you for sharing, the hardest thing to train yourself for is to keep that rod tip below the water 6" to a foot preferably. The better you are at maintaining rod tip depth the more direct a connection you have to a fish, especially with sink tip lines which are commonly used for streamers. Tarpon are another perfect example of extra bony mouths and thicker hooks the angler has to adjust to the strip setting method you demonstrated.
Gunnar....great info....but what if you strip set and the fish is not going away from you...but going toward you...do you not have to sweep to pick up slack line while still trying to strip set a second or 3rd time?
I noticed what you're describing in this video yesterday. Like you I've done a lot of my fishing with casting rods (for largemouth). I was fishing a mouse on top yesterday and had an LMB blow up on it unsurprisingly I strip set on it (or thought I did). In reality I took one long strip and swept the rod to the right. I was using an Eagle Claw glass rod (fun rods btw) and when I got the fish in he wasn't even hooked. The size 2 BTS was in one of his gill slits in the bottom of his mouth. Would I have hooked him if the hook was elsewhere? Maybe. But it just goes to show that when you "strip set" you're probably not in reality. Very informative and good video!
Lol I have the same kind of background and the same problem. Thanks for the lesson. Oddly I also have the same trolling motor - you can remove the head and cut the shaft to shorten it but then you need to shorten the wires as well. I’d just take it to a shop in the off season
I tournament fished in younger years, many many times you set the hook and don't even know you are doing it. It's something you trained yourself to do. I have been fly fishing for 4years and work hard to control the reaction of getting a hit. When the chew is on i still can't help myself and sweep the rod. It's a habit that is super hard to get a handle on. As you said, practice will get you on track but if you started out gear fishing I don't think you will ever be 100% on strip sets. Maybe if you quit gear all together it will solve the problem, but seeing it's a rooted habit, I have my doughts. Great info here, on a problem most of us deal with.
So, hand-lining is normal? I've searched a ton for answers to the specific moment where you have been stripping and have a ton of reserve slack (i see you have an oversized fanny pack for it) but a fish on. how do you manage a 12lb salmon with 40 feet of slack in your pocket--and just your hands? Is the rod meant to abosrb that shock?
I agree that standard configuration fly rods lack the power set on a swing. However, I switched to a Loomis short stick 11/12 that is modified with a 16 inch fighting extension. This rod has the backbone of a light musky casting rod. I agree stripping to the fish is advised but those SOB’s have a tendency to surprise me from time to time and the sweep set is automatic. The stiffer short rod can drive hooks home when needed.
when i started that i made the big big mistake of pulling up to soon i use the 3 rule feel the fish..strip..tug..strip...stip again and then leverage the rod
There are two other observations we can do. The fly rods are not stiff enough to use it as casting rods and trying to penetrate large hooks with heavy wire in bony jaws is difficult. Another observation especially for pikes, frequently, there first attack is not totally accurate and they miss the fly if you lift the rod, your fly travel 2 or 3 meters and the fish loose visual contact with his prey and go back to his retreat as quick as possible. If you strip set when you feel the strike if you miss, you only move the fly of 20 or 50 cm and the fish don't loose the visual contact with the prey. Frequently it is the sign of a final attack and they generally swallow the fly after that (case for Pikes). And as you say the best way is to lift the rod only when you feel the hole body weigh of the fish on the line. It is the same for Rolly poly. A lot of fishermen have say to me "ok when can I take the rod out of my arm pit and set the hook", my answer is always, you don't set the hook with the rod, When you feel the fish, simply continue stripping (maybe rotate the body sightly to increase the force on the line) and take your rod out of your armpit when it is possible. All the best.
Good info about setting for hard mouthed fish . Wait till you try Tarpon. Your new knowledge will serve you well; after you get your muscle memory reestablished.
I spent 37 years at sea. 25 of those years as a licensed Captain. Teaching people how to fish. And to see this video of yours here, explaining where the technique you're sharing comes from and how hard won that knowledge is...
...you have my abject RESPECT.
I've liked and saved many of your vids in the past, but this one showed me the measure of a master angler and teacher.
Bravo young man.
Bravo.
😎👍🏻
Great video ! This is so true. Guys that never fly fished for musky don't realize how hard it is to overcome the subconscious reaction to setting the hook with the rod hand. It's easy to forget in that moment when you get the strike. For me it's a lifetime of setting the hook one way, and now that's wrong, and you need to learn another way. It's easier said than done.
"I hope this helps" Hell yeah it does. I've been gear fishing for 40 years and after several stalled attempts to get bass on flys (flies? fleyes? FLYYZZS??) I am finally in a place and time to get it going and I can say with confidence that what you described is EXACTLY what I would have done! Thank you Thank you! When I think about it now, it makes perfect sense. I would have been losing fish and NEVER known why. Thank you for getting at exactly what I needed!
Thank you, this was very helpful. Was Striper fishing and lost 5 in a row (Strip and sweep). Watched this video and today, picked up 9 stripers without losing one (Strip, strip, strip). Also liked your fly tying video on locking in bucktail.
This is probably the most informational fly fishing video I have ever seen. I just got back from Tampa and lost a 40" snook due to my "trout set". Thanks for the vid!
I was doing this for a couple years until I started doing the snag set technique I’ve created overtime, I set the hook with the fly rod arm, I have a short video I just made on this if you’d like to check it out . When you make contact with the fish you should raise the rod to create bend in your rod as it keeps tension on the line rather then keeping it in the water straight and letting the pike or musky run at you and get slack, this is why you’re losing the feel of the fish until it runs sideways or away from you again and you finally catch up with it stripping in. Also when your rod tip is down it is very hard to outrun a pike or musky with a strip in retrieve, you can if your rod top is already going up and stripping in at the same time because it decreases the distance between you and the fish significantly. Great videos btw 🤘, just figured I’d throw in my 2 pennies on this topic and share my snag set technique as it may help others trying to keep fish on the fly line 👍.
Young Brother, your video just gave me a HUGE "Eureka!" moment. I've been fly fishing only since 2019 and focused primarily on trout here in east Tennessee. Ironically, I live on the Clinch River in the middle reaches which holds no trout, only bass, muskie, catfish, and the occasional walleye. My bass fishing has been typically 'meh' with the occasional 16" or 18" Smallie on a fly (wooly bugger, clouser, baitfish). 6" to 10" Rock bass tend to swarm the patterns and basically hook themselves with super aggressive takes. Great fun on a 5 weight but not what I'm really after. Smallies in the same range are only slightly less aggressive and my 'trout sweep' hook set gets and keeps them connected. My biggest disappointments have come with inevitably losing much bigger fish that feel like true tanks when initially on the line. My "trout set" is the culprit!! This lesson on the triple-strip is a game-changer!
As soon as the Clinch drops a couple of feet and clears back up, those giant smallies are in for a battle! I'll head back out there with far more confidence that I can KEEP them on the line!
THANKS!!
OMG I’ve been a Salty since 1994 and you have just given me the aha moment on why I failed on my last 2 trips. try jumping 13 good Tarpon ‘cos of bad strip set technique for a mind bender, (this in 1996). Since then I have used a 2-handed strip and never dropped a fish due to hook set. Until November last year that is. I changed to single handed strip resulting in line slipping and slack and fish lost and all the things you talked about. Back to 2 hands for me. For those staying with single handed strip - use 2 fingers to lock the line against the rod before you let go and return the stripping hand
Thanks for the great video, I'm trying to teach my Fly Fishing merit badge class how to "strip set" the hook... which goes right along with how to give action to the fly by "stripping the line".
I keep telling them that the peacock bass here in Hawaii may only average a little over 2 pounds... just keep stripping... the fish will set the hook. Just keep pointing the rod tip at the fish and keep on stripping till it starts pulling the line out of your hand. (the kids have a hard time keeping a grip on the line too). LOL. Again, thanks for the tips. Aloha, Stan
Great advice. Looking forward to fly fishing for river Pike this autumn and winter over here in England on the Avon around Salisbury.
Thank you very much. I’ve fished “gear” 40+ years and now started flyfishing at 56. My muscle memory makes me sweep set. Perch..no problem but I’ve lost some nice bass. I’m going to teach this old dog a new trick. Thanks again Gunner! I’m glad I can subscribe for more of your insight. You make Great videos. Howdy from Texas! God Bless 🎣
Great stuff. Just came back from a baby tarpon trip and found it so difficult to overcome sweeping the rod while strip setting. Gear background me too.....
Good info here . Especially for muskie and pike in my waters .
Totally agree. I have 30 years of fly fishing experience in my home Waters of South Florida. Great lesson and video.
This was a fabulous video. I just started open water fly fishing for smallmouth and was strip setting and still losing fish. Now I see what I was doing wrong was only doing 1 set and not until It was right
Nailed It! You touched on this the other night on the SVS Pod and it really hit home with me. This vid just put it all into perspective. I've been hard at the ski's for 10+ years and will watch this before every outing until it becomes muscle memory. I've put plenty to hand with the strip, strip, sweep, but have lost twice as many to the same failed method.
Keep these videos coming and get a guide business going. You are destined to be a teacher, not a production tier. It is your calling in life. Use the business you have created as a means to your ultimate calling in life. Guides are teachers, and you my man, are a teacher!
Great teaching! Loved how you explained all the 'why' reasons behind the mentality of a bad strip (trout) set and good strip sets. I learned so much! Definitely subscribed.
Wow Gunnar - you just hit it right on the head! This past summer I started fishing fishing larger streamers and hooks way bigger than I have in the past - was having all kinds of problems keeping fish on the line - NOW I know what I was doing wrong! I assumed that the longer rod and relatively low stretch fly line would do a good sweep hook set. Had the fly thrown back at me so often that I knew something wasn't working right but never figured out what it was. Thanks for the video!
Dude, this is going to help me catch so many more pike. I lose way more pike than I land and having been a lure angler previously, I’ve been ‘strip setting’ exactly the same. I’m still a total ‘noob’ to fly fishing but I feel like it’s so much more of an exhilarating style of fishing than any other I’ve tried.
I’m really excited to try this over the weekend. Thanks so much for ALL of your videos. They’re very much appreciated! 👌😁🤟
What a great explanation you are so right I learned the hard way as you did till it was corrected. Keep the great info coming.
I do a lot of saltwater fishing for salmon in the PNW. Whenever I find myself sweeping after a strip set, I go back to a two hand retrieve. When you do that you can really get a good sense for the "strip set, strip set, strip set" until you're playing tug of war with the fish and can grab the rod to lift. If you haven't spent much time doing it, I suggest giving it a try and see what you think. You also don't blow out your stripping side elbow after days of hyper extending it on the strip.
Great video. I’ve been flyfishing less than a year. Spin fished my whole life, and I do exactly as you say. I strip set and then muscle memory cuts in and I sweep. I am going to have to find a fishy place to practice.
Also it makes it more difficult cause I’m fishing two handed retrieve with the stripping basket, which makes the set stroke shorter. I’ve seen your other video with multiple strips and I am trying to duplicate it…the problem has been the haven’t been cooperative lately.😉
ive been streamer fishing for freshwater striper and ive missed handfuls of opportunities due to my inadequate strip set while only landing a couple. hopefully i can stick em now. thanks for the advice.
Excellent info thank you for sharing, the hardest thing to train yourself for is to keep that rod tip below the water 6" to a foot preferably. The better you are at maintaining rod tip depth the more direct a connection you have to a fish, especially with sink tip lines which are commonly used for streamers. Tarpon are another perfect example of extra bony mouths and thicker hooks the angler has to adjust to the strip setting method you demonstrated.
This was a great video and thank you! Just started fly fishing and lost a bunch of fish because of this very issue.
Man... absolutely fantastic video
Thanks for the tip! Getting into numerous big fish like you did will sure test your skills! Everything from you hook sets to your knots.
Gunnar....great info....but what if you strip set and the fish is not going away from you...but going toward you...do you not have to sweep to pick up slack line while still trying to strip set a second or 3rd time?
Good advise . Critical for salt water flyfishing. Also to land African tiger fish one must strip set until the fish is in the net.😁
Great info Gunnar! Thanks for your honesty. I like how you teach from your experiences.
I noticed what you're describing in this video yesterday. Like you I've done a lot of my fishing with casting rods (for largemouth). I was fishing a mouse on top yesterday and had an LMB blow up on it unsurprisingly I strip set on it (or thought I did). In reality I took one long strip and swept the rod to the right. I was using an Eagle Claw glass rod (fun rods btw) and when I got the fish in he wasn't even hooked. The size 2 BTS was in one of his gill slits in the bottom of his mouth. Would I have hooked him if the hook was elsewhere? Maybe. But it just goes to show that when you "strip set" you're probably not in reality. Very informative and good video!
Lol I have the same kind of background and the same problem. Thanks for the lesson. Oddly I also have the same trolling motor - you can remove the head and cut the shaft to shorten it but then you need to shorten the wires as well. I’d just take it to a shop in the off season
I tournament fished in younger years, many many times you set the hook and don't even know you are doing it. It's something you trained yourself to do. I have been fly fishing for 4years and work hard to control the reaction of getting a hit. When the chew is on i still can't help myself and sweep the rod. It's a habit that is super hard to get a handle on. As you said, practice will get you on track but if you started out gear fishing I don't think you will ever be 100% on strip sets. Maybe if you quit gear all together it will solve the problem, but seeing it's a rooted habit, I have my doughts. Great info here, on a problem most of us deal with.
So, hand-lining is normal? I've searched a ton for answers to the specific moment where you have been stripping and have a ton of reserve slack (i see you have an oversized fanny pack for it) but a fish on. how do you manage a 12lb salmon with 40 feet of slack in your pocket--and just your hands? Is the rod meant to abosrb that shock?
I agree that standard configuration fly rods lack the power set on a swing. However, I switched to a Loomis short stick 11/12 that is modified with a 16 inch fighting extension. This rod has the backbone of a light musky casting rod. I agree stripping to the fish is advised but those SOB’s have a tendency to surprise me from time to time and the sweep set is automatic. The stiffer short rod can drive hooks home when needed.
Good info Gunnar, thanks! I hope you liked fishing here in my country! You should go catch some dorado on Tsimane if you haven't already done so!
Excellent info!!! Now to re-train the brain...... not so easy.... but practice practice practice!!!!!!
Great video, this really helps a bunch!
when i started that i made the big big mistake of pulling up to soon i use the 3 rule feel the fish..strip..tug..strip...stip again and then leverage the rod
I think your trolling motor shaft is too short. 😄
Good advice I still struggle with my strip set every once in a while
I have the same problem setting the hook on Bass! loss some nice fish trying to set the hook like a bait caster rod :(
Great video
Wise words, sir!
There are two other observations we can do. The fly rods are not stiff enough to use it as casting rods and trying to penetrate large hooks with heavy wire in bony jaws is difficult. Another observation especially for pikes, frequently, there first attack is not totally accurate and they miss the fly if you lift the rod, your fly travel 2 or 3 meters and the fish loose visual contact with his prey and go back to his retreat as quick as possible. If you strip set when you feel the strike if you miss, you only move the fly of 20 or 50 cm and the fish don't loose the visual contact with the prey. Frequently it is the sign of a final attack and they generally swallow the fly after that (case for Pikes). And as you say the best way is to lift the rod only when you feel the hole body weigh of the fish on the line. It is the same for Rolly poly. A lot of fishermen have say to me "ok when can I take the rod out of my arm pit and set the hook", my answer is always, you don't set the hook with the rod, When you feel the fish, simply continue stripping (maybe rotate the body sightly to increase the force on the line) and take your rod out of your armpit when it is possible. All the best.
REALLY HELPFULL VIDEO! Great stuff man! Thank you!!
Is that a Hog Island skiff you’re on?
Good info about setting for hard mouthed fish . Wait till you try Tarpon. Your new knowledge will serve you well; after you get your muscle memory reestablished.
Good tips Gunnar :)
Super helpful video!!
Good information here. Always good in theory but when sh!t goes down I still seem to set like a madman. Whoops....
Good thing to show, took me losing some Rooster fish and Dorado to get it right :)