What do ya'll think???

[Smallfry]

Ok, you're out and about on the river or lake even throwing streamers at some of your favorite pockets and you see a good fish give chase but not commit. You send that fly in for a second shot and same thing happens. Would you change up your retrieve speed, switch flies, move on??
I moved on, give em a break and then try again after a bit (if I don't forget and head home...).

[danimal]

I can only relate this to smallie fishing -- switch patterns. I'll usually start out fishing something I can cover water in a fairly quick manner with (Clouser, rabbit streamer, etc.). More often than not when I'm getting follows and shortnips, I can switch to a crawfish pattern and catch that fish. That's pretty much the extent of my knowledge. LOL.

[slim]

A really good question Small ........

If I’m swinging streamers downstream and the trout misses the fly, I try really hard not to set the hook but drop my rod tip and sometimes they’ll come back for it.
Hardly ever, for me, does a second cast back at the same fish results in a hooked fish.

But, like dan said, changing the fly works too. Especially the color.

Also I’ll try moving a few feet before the next cast to change the approach of the fly to the targeted fish.

Fishing dries and wet nymphs is different. I’ll cast the fly to the same place for rising fish.

[golferjeff]

Wiggle it first.... then change flies. Streamers are an agitated bite and an aggressive fish may come at it a few times.

[darrelln09]

I second golferjeff’s suggestion. Try a more erratic stripping pattern, perhaps with a few longer strips and pauses. That may be enough to turn a small attraction into a big bite.

[hankinsfly]

Smallfry, I have this same issue, especially with smallmouth bass. I had a ton of chasers this weekend, some being bigger bronzies. I really do not know the answer. They seem to chase a fast moving fly faster, then stop chasing as soon as I stop the retrieve. I’m thinking I need to switch baits real quick and toss back to the fish. I do know that after the 2nd, sometimes 3rd attempt, they are done. They may not be spooked but they are definitely not ijtersted in any more flies.

[jonbo]

I haven't really tried it with streamers, fly fishing, but I now remember that when I spin fished for trout, say I was using a little Kastmaster spoon or something, if I tried to make it seem like it was freaked out and panicked, give it a few quick jerks, stop, do it again, especially do it out of any rhythm, sometimes that would provoke a strike. But as far as seeing them follow without taking, hey Y'all, for the life of me I can't see fish underwater, polarized glasses not withstanding. So, it's not a problem for me!

[troutbum54]

So far I haven’t been able to sight fish for striper in the LIR since it’s been murky. I’ve just thrown the biggest, brightest fly i have until one takes it. On Barron fork, the upper Illinois, and blue river I’ve just used the old technique of stripping reasonable and then changing speed or types of retrieve to entice the take. After that you can use that as a baseline and change when you need to.

[Smallfry]

The issue started with them trout chasing a few times but no takers, I should've probably speed up my retrieve in that spot. When I went to faster water I stripped a little faster directly upstream and landed a few. Then the bass at the lake got infected with not taking my fly too and I had to do the opposite to get the strikes. A few times I would just have my fly in the water a few feet away while I adjusted my position and then they'd strike and I'd miss it. Started casting out a little farther and let the intermediate line sink for about 20 seconds and start slowly bringing it in and then I'd get a hit.