Ok. I feel stupid having to ask this, but is there any special trick to setting the hook with a dry fly?

Since my first bite when I caught a tiny sunfish, I have gotten several bites. I am fishing with a dry fly in a small creek. I have yet to set the hook again. I thought I might be too early, but then the spit it out before I set, I thought maybe I was too hard, but then they spit the hook half way to the bank. I tried harder and ripped it out of thier mouth.

I'm used to catfishing on the bottom with conventional tackel. You let them take it, wait just a little bit, then pull like heck.

Try the strip set (Google for more). Keep the rod tip pointed at the fly, keep the slack picked up and when the fish takes, do not yank the rod. Rather, strip straight back on the line to set the hook. Hookset procedure might or might not be the problem, this might or might not fix it. But see how it works for you.

With a dry, i just gently lift the rod tip and pull the line a bit.

What are you fishing for? Bluegill and their assorted sunfish cousins usually require a fast hook set before they spit out the fly.

I am mostly fishing small community ponds for bluegills and other sunfish. Never heard of the stip set before. I like the idea of it. Mostly, not jerking the line out of the water.