Texas,

I think I have a foolproof method for you to work around the "feel thing" that everyone talks so much about. It's really effective and doesn't really require any "touch" at all. Some of the best drift fishermen I know admit to using this technique in tandem with the more typical feel technique.

It basically involves sight more than feel. The idea is to use your line as a "strike indicator". I like to use a high-vis line (my eyes aren't what they use to be), plus this line has no drawbacks on the Puy. It is as simple as concentrating on the point where your line ENTERS the water and up a few feet of line to observe the changes in tension (bow) and any other odd movement in the line. That section of line, under the proper tension and drift, will act as a "bobber" and reveal changes that are happening at the terminal end of your tackle. You will actually see a take before you feel it, since the change in tension can be seen long before it works it's way down your rod to your hand. It really works! It works so well that I can often tell kids just learning to drift when to "pull back" on a fish. I have witnessed guides do the same thing with their customers before they ever realized they had a fish. In either case, it wasn't "feel", but sight that gave away the take.

Many people struggle because they are concentrating too much on their rod TIP and trying to feel what's happening with their hand. Typically they're usually way to late on the strike (sound familiar?). Not watching your tip will also help you to keep your rod tip low and line tauter under drift.

Strikes using this method will very often appear as a hestitation or slowing of the line through the drift with the bow coming out of the line slightly. If this method sounds familiar it might be because it is a well known technique to flyfisherman who keep their rod tip low and keenly watch their line for a take. Whatever works, huh?

Hope this helps. And let us know if does or it doesn't.