It is hard to catch a fish you cannot hook…

The Casting Connection

Scott Swartz founded the Atlanta Fly Fishing School, which began in 1999. It is the largest such operation in the Southeast and the only Trout Unlimited “Gold Endorsed” school in the United States. His Florida Fly Fishing Schools started in 2008, helping anglers learn to successfully fly fish in saltwater

November 2025

By Capt. Scott Swartz

Questions came in this fall about missed hook sets – many from trout fisherman fishing lakes, ponds or the beach.

Experienced trout fly fishers are lightning quick lifting the rod on a take. It is called a trout-set and is a reflex reaction if you trout fish enough.

The reflex nature of this hit home 20 years ago guiding saltwater in Florida. For several years after moving I donated trips to Trout Unlimited, Atlanta Fly Fishing Club and Georgia Women Fly Fishers for fundraising. These were my hometown clubs. Most of the folks I hosted on my skiff had never saltwater fly fished, and many fish were lost due to a “trout-set” of lifting the rod to strike. Even after discussions about a “strip-strike” and practicing it, the next fish was often lost to another trout-set. It was a reflex reaction that proved tough to break for some folks.

Lifting the rod is usually all that is needed for freshwater trout. They have soft mouths and most flies are a fine diameter wire. Sometimes trout even hook themselves.

With a 50-foot cast in saltwater, just lifting the rod to set the hook won’t work! Photo by Jimmy Jacobs.

With saltwater fish and freshwater fish like bass or pike, we are better served with a “strip-strike” hook set. A strip-strike occurs with the rod tip pointed straight down the line toward the fish. With a tight line make a crisp pull with the line hand to set the hook. Sometimes it takes several quick pulls to get a good set. Fish that eat shrimp, crabs or finned baitfish have harder mouths, and most saltwater flies have a larger diameter wire. Even a strip strike with the rod pointing to the side often fails due to the flex of the rod.

To determine how firm to strip strike consider the strength of the leader. It is surprisingly tough to break a leader much above 10 pounds even on a firm set. The distance to the fly also has an effect. There is a lot of stretch in most fly lines. Walk out fifty feet of line and pull on it to see. If you are fishing a floating line and there is any wave action there will be slack to overcome, sometimes a whole lot of slack. Another consideration is the fish you seek. Some fish, such as tarpon, have a reputation for having a mouth as hard as a cinder block and require several serious strip strikes. All these factors must be considered.

A lift set on a trout 15 feet away sends immediate tension. A 50-foot cast with floating line and waves requires a long strip strike with the rod pointed right down the line.

The next time you leave your trout stream remember to leave the trout-set behind too. It is hard to catch fish you cannot hook and long distance releases get old quickly.

Send your casting questions or comments to: Scott@AtlantaFlyFishingSchool.com.