Landing Bigger Trout (fish)

[lastchance]

I have a hard time landing 15 to 22-inch trout in fast currents. I was taught all of my life to hold my rod tip high and I've been reading that can result in rod blank failure. So...how do you plan and land bigger fish? I've read where your rod should be parallel to the water. If the fish pulls to the left you turn your rod to the right. What if the fish heads straight down below you and you have to play him through fast water? I always fish upstream behind the fish. Almost all of the time once hooked the fish heads directly downstream and that's where I lose them. Any suggestions?

[Bobinmich]

Everything you have probably read is correct about rod position and turning fish. But when a big fish goes down stream, you have to chase him. Try not to fish upstream from a deep hole you can't cross (or a waterfall).

Bob

[JohnScott]

Only a couple.

First, keep the rod tip low during the early part of the tussle. Fight it with the butt of the rod and pressure, however you are going to apply that pressure. I doubt the butt section of my rod ever gets more than 30 degrees above horizontal in the early stages of the fight with a bigger fish.

I don't know if I do it regularly or not, the whole process is more intuitive for me, but the advice I most often hear is to try to steer the fish in the direction it does not want to go. One thing I am always looking for once I have a bigger fish on is some soft water to lead / steer it to. If there is no obvious soft water, I usually just horse the fish in and take my chances with it breaking off.

Second ( or third or whatever ), use the heaviest tippet you can get away with. I shudder when I hear people talk about using 7X and 6X and even 5X in places they expect to catch big trout, and then brag how it took thirty minutes to land a 16" trout, or something along those lines. What they landed, almost certainly, was a dead fish swimming.

We all have our own reasons for being out there, and the catching / landing thing is bigger for some than for others. I'm more into it for the hunt and seldom feel bad if a fish I hook takes its release long distance or breaks off.

Don't get me wrong, I like to land fish, but it is probably my lowest priority in being out there. There was a brown I hooked on the Henry's Fork last fall that probably went 26-28", maybe bigger. He was in some fast water and headed for faster and deeper water where I couldn't follow him. My decision to hold him resulted in a quick break off from a 2X 10# tippet. But it is one of the best ten second fly fishing memories I have. If I had succeeded in landing him, it probably would have killed him ?? I know I would not have enjoyed that memory.

John

[lastchance]

You guys supplied me with some great thoughts about landing bigger fish and your points are well taken. Like JohnScott, it's the hunt that I enjoy, but I also like to get pictures of bigger fish. Any hook-up is good to me, whether the fish is 12" of 20". But, when I feel a big one on, I go from 54 years old to 20 again and I gotta see the fish. LOL!

[Big Bad Wulff]

I have never been a person that held their rod high(like you see some do on T.V.). I feel that leaves you with no ability to pull the fish or make up slack when you need to. Your arms can only go in one direction......DOWN). That makes little/no sense to me. Get your arms up, yes but not so high you leave yourself...........STUCK.

As far as fighting them in a current....you can't. YOu have to let them go to an extent. If you can, try to move downstream with them(if conditions permit and it is safe to do so), otherwise let them make a run until they tire a bit, then 'work them'.

[waynep]

I don't think holding it high or low is a good description in a written forum. I think it depends on where the fish is in relation to yourself, where the fish is headed. Is it running to you? Away from you? Sidways to you? Up river?

I try to keep the angle of the line outside the rod tip and the rod butt at about a 90 degree angle from each other. That give you plenty of tip to protect the tippet and also gets a bit of the lower part of the rod in the action. I will point the rod more towards the fish to get more butt into the fight.

I almost always use 6x tippet as we fish a lot of #20 midges etc here in Arkansas. Using the rod butt and keeping pressure on the fish, I am able to regularly bring in fish over 16 inches in a matter of a minute or two. I think the longest I fought a fish was about 4 minutes and it was a 22 inch Brown. Big fish can be landed on light tippets if you know how to handle the rod and get it done.

I was watching a guy this last weekend. He caught a Rainbow about 12 inches. He pulled on that thing for 10 minutes, then had the rod pointed behind him away from the fish with the line running down the rod trying to double the rod over . . looked like it was ready to snap any second. His rod survived but I think sooner or later, he'll snap it.

-wayne

[MR.JML]

In "Modern Streamers For Trophy Trout" there is a very interesting section on landing large trophy trout !!! P.93-100 It is important reading, and comes from a couple of guides who chase big fish, & know how to land them !!!!!

[Lucky489]

If you are talking BIG as in Salt Water. The rod should be at your side and perpendicular to your hip. Applying maximum pressure to the fish. On trout and stuff I typically have the grip at chect height