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It happens alot. Holy, blankity, blank, blank, look at the size of that monster!!! Seconds later it is all but a bitter memory. The angler stares glassy eyed at the limp fly line that is more times than not, wrapped several times around his or her body (or mine). The flies long gone after a short interlude. When playing a large fish it is very important to let the drag do its work. With very few exceptions fly reels do not have an independent drag mechanism. If you lock down on that reel handle, the spool will not turn, hence...snap, crackle, pop, goes the tippet, or the fly gets torn by excessive force from its hook set. Pre-set your drag tension before the battle starts, there is very little need to adjust this ever. Do not touch the reel handle when the spool is turning. Modern drag systems do not require palming of the reel spool. Let the fish run!!! Keep your rod tip as perpendicular to the water as possible. The rod is nothing more than a spring (a very expensive spring I admit), if you lower the tip parallel to the water surface it loses its ability to absorb the energy the fish is putting against the line. |
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A little trick to keeping your rod tip high during a long tug-o-war, is to place the butt of the fly rod directly under and in line with your lower fore-arm. This gives added leverage to the rear section of the rod allowing you to rest your wrist. Dealing with mended or slack line during the initial stages of the battle. The education of your control finger can be costly. The control finger is crucial to the initial stages of the battle. The transition period between the hook set and putting the fish entirely "on the reel" is where I see most large fish "SPIT THE HOOK." Keep that fly line between the cork or handle, and your index finger at all times. Do not lose control of the fish and tension on the rod by allowing the fly line to slip off your control finger. Spinning the spool. If you have alot of mended or slack line either at your feet, in the water, or in a stripping basket you can rapidly recover this by taking your stripping hand and palming the front of your reel spool and spinning it with short chops in the proper direction. Keep your control finger firmly on the line at all times. Let the last 12" of slack slip out quickly. Do not try and reel this last bit of line on, a sudden surge by the fish could end the battle right here. You can recover large amounts of line quickly using this method and thus get the fish on the reel much more efficiently. Use the reel folks, the reel drag system has no emotion. Read the line direction. Anticipation prior to reaction will land you more big fish. Watch the line in the water, read its direction prior to the rod loading or unloading. Apply side strain by keeping tension in the opposite direction the fish is headed. You can stay well ahead of the fish this way. Big fish in a river. Have a fight plan. If you suspect a big fish lives in that deep hole under that log, trust yourself, be ready for his take. Study the streamside and snags in the pool before your cast. Have a fight path worked out in the event you hook "TROUTZILLA." Proper release. After a long battle, large fish build up tremendous amounts of lactic acid in their muscle structure. Keep them in the water, and spend extra time reviving them fully before your release. If you must take a picture do so quickly and by all means have the camera ready before removing the fish. Hope this will assist in preventing any L.D.R.'s (Long Distance Releases). Be the fly...Tom Loe |
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