Made a tough hike into the best high country trout lake I've ever found. Which, BTW, is populated with golden trout, not brookies.
Actually got hit twice. Once on a size 8, deer hair floater, and once on another size 8 wet. The darn fish actually had the dry in and out of his mouth so fast I couldn't have set the hook. The other, I goofed. Had too much slack in the line and couldn't set quick enough.
Ah, yes. This fly fishing is not only fun, but challening as well. E

Two summers ago I hiked into a lake and fished for Goldens, wish I could find the pic. One of the koolest things I've done and caught.

Keep at it, a Goldens a heck of a beauty of a fish!

Dober

Sometimes you can set a hook too quickly in a lake. The strike is generally more deliberate in a lake. I love it when I get a bit of wind and I can wind troll the fly a bit with a bit of slack. When the line tightens, I gently set the hook. Your other problem might have been your hook size if your fish were small. Small trout will nip at big flies sometimes. I've found this to be especially true with large floating flies. They like to nip at them and pull them under then they get serious about eating them. Good luck on your next trip.

Goldens are tough....they hate the high sun and a lake that is loaded at ice-off in June/July can fish like a dead lake in Aug., without a fish seen or caught.

.....but Goldens do live in beautiful places.

Yes, they are. I was surprised to see the wide variation of colors in them. One was almost white, like a Koi, with a gold back, while others looked black with gold sides, etc.
I was pleased to see that these were apparently self sustaining, i.e. both large, 16 inch class fish as well as the 7-8 inch stuff and that they had survived a very heavy snowfall, long winter. Alot of our high lakes can't support fish when it comes to bad winters. E