Having the opportunity to take clients who are newer
or even brand new to the amazing world of fly fishing I am always reminded how
technique-sensitive this sport can be. I
can spend half a day or sometimes all day working on fly casting which is
great, but when clients start to get the hang of casting, the chances of
hooking up are increased; then there is a whole new facet of fly fishing to learn--fighting
fish on a fly rod.
Fighting fish on a fly rod is just like any other
aspect of fly fishing, technique-sensitive.
I have thrown together just a few thoughts and tips that I tell clients
to help them land those trout that they worked so hard to hook up. This is by no means a vast guide, but I few
quick tips I hope will help you land some dandies.
1. Set
the hook and let the fish make the first move
I have heard many experienced anglers and casting
instructors say that it doesn’t take much, maybe just a flip of your wrist or a
slight lift of the rod to set the hook.
I agree that on some strikes this is the case, but I would far rather
give a nice strong lift up (as if you were peeling the line off the water to go
into another cast) on the rod putting the tip straight in the air to make sure
that hook is deep in the mouth of that trophy trout. Once the hook is set I tell clients to hold
the pressure on the fish by putting the tip straight up, not increasing the
pressure by yanking or running backwards like you’ve hooked a Marlin on a 100
wt rod (trust me I’ve seen it plenty of times) but letting that fish make the
first move. This is where you can
usually determine the size of the fish and what type of ride you are in
for.
2. Rod
tip up, Tension on the rod, not the line
Many new anglers have the inclination to just start
reeling like their life is dependent on it and lose the fish before they even
knew what hit them. Fly rods are not
like spinner or other rods in that fly fishing tackle is far lighter and more
sensitive. So think about where you would
want the pressure of the fish . . . on light 5x (around 5lb test) leader and
tippet with a small size 16-22 hook or on the 9 foot graphite 5 weight
rod? Keeping the rod tip up holds the fish
on the rod, dropping the rod tip down puts all the pressure on your light
leader/tippet, small hooks, and of course, those knots you may not be overly
confident in.
3. Work
the fish, Don’t muscle the fish
So you’ve set the hook, you’ve got the pressure on
the rod and hopefully a big grin on your face.
Now let’s tire that hog out. With
you keeping the pressure on the fish and at times angling your rod tip up
stream (angled with tip still in air) so the fish is fighting the current and
you, this will tire him out in no time.
If the fish wants to run let him run, this is why reels have a drag
system, or if you are stripping the fly line by hand feed a little line for the fish to run.
When the fish isn’t running be stripping or reeling in but not overpowering
the fish. Remember, fly tackle is
light. Once you have tired the fish out
it’s time to get him in the net.
Note: Some fly anglers see the reel as an instrument
for simply holding fly line and not much else, thus they use the strip, not
reel, method and are their own drag systems per say. Others put more stock in a good fly reel, and
while holding tension on the fish, reel in their excess fly line and put
themselves in position to fight the fish with the help of the reel and drag
system. I however am right in
between. I say make the fish earn the
reel and probably about 90% of the time I just use the strip method to land
fish. But there is always that chance
you get a toad on and you will be in to the reel before you know it.
4. Get
that fish in the net
So just because you have the fish tired and you are
bringing it your way doesn’t mean you have him beat just yet. The fish may see your net and get a burst of
energy making another run so be ready at all times. Or, if you don’t get that net underneath him,
he might end up running or even wrapping himself around your ankles or
something breaking you off. You would
think that there is nothing to netting a fish, but trust me, if you don’t keep
the head of the fish up and get that net down in the water, all that work you
put in can be lost, like down the river lost.
So if you are netting the fish yourself this makes it just a little more
difficult, but by keeping that rod tip up (sick of hearing that yet? must be
important) and raising it even higher above you head and back while reaching
down with the net in your other hand, that fish will be in the net in no
time. It is important to note that you
want to leave at least a couple of feet of fly line out of the tip of the rod
because it is much stronger than your leader and there are no knots to get hung
up on.
For someone who has had a fly rod in his hand for
around 15 years and spends a lot of time on the water personally or with
clients, there is still no feeling like getting the fish in the net. No matter what the size (don’t get me wrong
bigger fish, bigger rush) it seems to put a smile on your face. I hope that
these few tips help you out and put some nice fish in your hands. Remember to handle the fish correctly if you
are practicing catch and release, and leave that fish for another time. I wish you tight lines and thanks for
reading. If there are any questions you
have or other topics you want to discuss then drop us a line at
currentseams@gmail.com or leave a comment.
