Jig size, trailing hooks, question

[Growbug]

Went out to get wet this morn, in 1 1/2 hours, i had two takedowns.. solid, ripped the float off the surface and down into the depths, both cut the float across stream (whilst it was underwater) then the float just bobbed back up.
Both on jigs that i had tied with a BIG maribou tails (like twice as long as the hook #2 streamer hook), light brown/cream dubbing, sparse hackles (red) with the bottom of the feather providing a thick red floppy hackle behind the head, and painted the head white.
I thought this would look like a large leech or something.
Anyhow.. two takedowns... both times the rear of the 'large' maribou tail had been munched.

These are the only two of that fly/jig that i had. I fished with other jigs that were almost IDENTICAL except for the tail.. nothing. changed to other jigs, both similar and very different.. nothing..
went back to the munched jig... bites.. but not as hard or violent, bobbed back up immediately.

I am going for an educated guess that the fish hit the lure midway to rear and missed the hook.

Now for the question... Do I....

--- Make the jig on a larger hook?

--- redo the same jig but add a trailing hook, sitting right at the end of the large maribou tail?

--- go for a smaller jig, forcing the fish to hit the whole jig?

 

[bigsteel]

i would shorten the tail a bit...

 

[steelhead_stalkers]

Did you forget to set the hook!!!! :lol: You got to watch it shoot under and go up river. A lot of times trout will bite aggressively and shoot the float underwater fast. Steelhead 90% of the time just pick your jig up and the float slowly goes under. I don't know of to many short strikes from steelhead but you might want to shorten up your tail a bit and give it another shot. You could also tie on another dropper hook and run two hooks. Good luck!

 

[FISHHEADMAFIA]

My neighbor is a fly guide . Ties his own flies . He ties monster crazy ass streamer flies . They all have a trailing hook . If that helps at all , your welcome .

 

[Chedster]

I agree set the hook! The only time your float should be moving across the river is when your drag is screamin from a hot steelhead! If your jig has a long tail, you might want to try a larger hook. I use 1/0 hooks on my normal size jigs (1/8 oz). Smaller jigs ill use a #4 and keep the tails shorter.

 

[Growbug]

went out again this pm to try same place.
Tried the same set of jigs. Same thing... As soon as i would see the bobber twiitch, i would try and set the hook. By this time the float had moved about 1 1/2ft and nothing came up.
Out of frustration and experimentation i pulled out the hastily made trailing hook thing. WHAMMO one 14" very aggressive trout. He almost ripped the trailing hook off and impaled himself in the roof of the mouth.
In all the excitement I brought it in, took the hook out and fast as i could, and then when it was happily swimming away, i noticed my camera, so all ya get is a back end shot.

 

[steelhead_stalkers]

Like I said earlier, it sounded like trout bites but you never know when its a steelhead. Good job on getting the trailer hook to work.

 

[Growbug]

from the way it hit, i would say that trout was doing more of a territorial chase off than actually looking to eat the lure.. otherwise i think it would have gone for one of the other smaller versions.

 

[BlackBass]

from the way it hit, i would say that trout was doing more of a territorial chase off than actually looking to eat the lure.. otherwise i think it would have gone for one of the other smaller versions.

Good thought process, as said above most Steelhead takes are slow bobber downs are hard bobber downs,depending on the current speed and fish aggression. Occasionaly you will see your float go down and start jerking under water, most times thats a trout bite.When steelhead pick up a jig they are usualy hooked up without a problem, and you tend to lose very few fish on jigs due to the size of hook, and where the hook usualy hooks up with the fish, roof of the mouth or corner of the mouth is most prevelant .