Flyfish's Homepage Newsflash 2001-01-20

TROUT LEARN TO AVOID YOUR ARTIFICIAL FLIES

What we as flyanglers have suspected long ago now proven!
New Scientist reports that a recent study made by scientists and anglers in two trout streams in New Zealand, now at last konfirm what we flyfishermen have suspected long time ago:
a trout, previously hooked by a fly and released, tend to refuse to bite in a similar or the same fly again.
In a popular river this fact is estimated to effect the catch rate there to only about one third of what un unfished river of the same fish density would produce. So apparently the fish also gets wiser, not only us.
The tests were made in two almost identical rivers with the similar fish population. Also the fishing gear and the anglers were of close match. After hooking the fish, all fish got tagged and released. This way the study also could reveal that individual fish once caught became veary and suspicous and were extra hard to get to bite again.
Well didn't we anglers suspect that already!

Back home.. flyfish's  homepage

 .