landing a big fish???

[gqualls]

Alright, I went fishing for a couple of days this week at the South Holston River in Eastern Tennessee. I've been warned by Rod Champion, local guide and friend, to fish with at least a 5 wt. rod because of the windy conditions and big fish. But I really wanted to see what a nice fish felt like on my 3 wt. I found out Thursday afternoon. Sulfurs were coming off and I brought to net about a dozen nice 'uns. (There are rainbows in this system that seem to have some steelhead in them by the looks of them -- and they are souped-up -- we call them Holston Rockets; I suspect a bonefish would fight similarly) I then threw out and at the end of a long drift "slurp"; I set the hook and the water exploded. I couldn't move the fish as it was simply shaking it's head for about 30 seconds. Then it swam straight to me and got within 12 feet, turned right for about 6 feet, then turned right where I could see it broadside and I do believe the fish had a smirk on his face ( maybe it was because he could see the look on mine)He swam slowly for about 25 feet then hit the jets, made two loops around a rock and was gone. I knew when I hooked him this would be the probable outcome for several reasons. One: 7x tippet
Two: 3 wt rod ( I pulled and nothing happened)
Three: my inexperience; I know the more I fish the better I will be able to judge the tolerance of 7x tippet material (Rio)
Four: the fish was huge : 30-32 inches

I'm all ears, I'm teachable, tell me if I could have done anything different.

In retrospect, I'm not sure if I could have handled that fish on my 8wt with a 2x tippet. I just don't know about these things. I have caught a 21 inch rainbow on the 3wt but the fish I lost a couple of days ago had a real nasty attitude when it came right down to it. I've spent the last couple of days trying to convince myself (to no avail)that it will happen again. But I'm not so sure of that. Doesn't really matter all that much. A picture would have been nice but I'll not be forgetting this experience anytime soon.

I realize some of you have caught and landed fish equal to this and even far bigger, but for me it was a great experience. And there really is a challenge using the 7x tippet.

Thanks,
Greg

[rookie]

Greg,
I cannot offer advise but I can say congratulations on a fine hook-up. Lot of fun even if the fish wins.



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Steve (Rookie)

[LadyFisher]

7X is really much smaller than 6X and if the fish are terribly spooky you might not have had him take the fly on 6X, but I'd still recommend making 6X as small as you go. I did land a 20 inch plus rainbow on 6X last weekend - and these are educated fish. I think the difference in catching it (on a 5 wt with very windy conditions) was that I caught the fish in fast water, a riffle where it didn't have the opportunity to get a really good look at the fly, much less the tippet. I've caught smaller trout on 7X, but nothing sizable. I'm not saying it can't be done, just that I haven't.

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LadyFisher, Publisher of
FAOL

[MOturkE]

I can't say for sure how you could have kept and landed the brute, but if you keep snarling at them, they won't smirk when they swim past you...

...as much.

Thats too bad. I hate the feeling of loosing a fish. What I do is, when the fish is running towards me, gain as much line as possible and pull the ifsh as much as possible.. When It is running away, I only let line out when I can feel by the stretch that the mono is about to break.

[Buddy Sanders]

Greg,

With a 7x tippet, you would not of had a 'better' chance of landing that fish with a heavier weight rod.

That tippet will break at the same amount of pull, whether you are pulling on it with a 3 wt. or a 9wt..

In fact, it might be the reverse, since a lighter rod will bend easier, cushioning that light tippet when the fish shakes it's head or makes a quick lunge.

Only by increasing the tippet strenght to a level above what you could break with the 3 wt. rod would there be any practical difference in the amount of force you can apply to any fish by going to a heavier weight rod (it's simple physics, a science which doesn't change it's laws even where fly fishing is concerned).

Good Luck!

Buddy

[JOHN WILLIAMSON]

It appears to me that you need to consider using the"rodeo rules"...........A hook-up for more than 8 seconds is considered a catch....Don't need to land them all.You will always have the hook-up(and release) implanted in your brain.Just consider this a helluva fish story, where the fish gets bigger every time you tell the story.
John

[FlyFishAR]

gqualls:

We often fish 7X here and have had to adapt our fishing to landing fish on 2 pound tippet. As Ladyfisher said the difference in takes between 6X and 7X can be substantial. Some of the techniques we use here are:

1. Always try to keep the rod in a straight up or bent position that is 90 degrees to the fish. Todays high quality flourocarbon 7X will have roughly a 2.5 pound breaking strength. With your rod straight up it will be almost impossible to break the tippet with anything less than a 5 weight.

A couple of interesting experiments. Try lifting a 4 pound weight off the ground with a 12 weight rod. You'll swear you are going to break the rod before it comes off the ground. By keeping a 5 weight rod either straight up or 90 degrees to the fish you will not be putting more than a few ounces of pressure on the fish.

2. Keep the pressure constant. By keeping the rod up and bent this makes the pressure constant in stead of bouncing. Constant pressure keeps their head moving in your direction. Big fish will still make a turn and run but the constant pressure keeps them moving your way eventually.

3. If the fish is down river from you keep your rod tip as low as you can. This will put the fish low in the water column. I'll often put the rod over to the side and put the tip well under water. That way I'm not fighting current as well.

4. If the fish turns down river let off pressure. One reason is that you are now pulling from the opposite side and will often pull out a small hook. The second is if you let pressure off a fish they will generally turn back into the current and that is distance you don't have to make up again.

5. When possible never let a fish get down river from you. I've had to "run" several hundred yards down river to stay beside a fish. As a general rule when a fish gets down river from you, you lose. Try to always stay below a big fish.

6. You can strip faster than you can reel. If you try to reel a fish that is running at you, you will not be able to keep up. Don't be afraid to strip in the line in lieu of reeling.

7. Work them into shallow water when you can. I'll try to fight a fish from a shallow spot in the river. I'll often even take a fish to the tail out even if it's hooked in the head of a pool. It will take much less time to land and it's easier on the fish. You will probably want to beach a really massive fish. Trying to net a big fish on 7x is asking for trouble. Especially if your buddy is running the net. You can beach a big fish and then just cover them with the net easy enough without harming the fish and without taking them out of the water. Big fish feel their weight much more than small fish in the net.

I hope it works out for you and you get that big one. If nothing else the fish dreams are great.

John



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[url=http://www.flyfishingarkansas.com:676cb]http://www.flyfishingarkansas.com[/url:676cb]

[okflyfisher]

When I lived in Denver I fished for highly educated fish fairly often. In order to be successful it was small flies and small tippet. With 6x it was hard to get many hits and the fish caught seemed small. With 7x the strikes quadrupled but more fish were loss.
To be successful when i set the hook it was
more of a gentle lift with a slip strike. if the fish went bezerk at this point it was probably only a 40% chance i would land it but it was an exciting few minutes. However it was amazing if i didn't pressure the fish especially the big ones would begin to wonder aimlessly. They knew something was'nt quite right but also hadn't made up they minds as to exactly what. The longer i could keep them in this unpressured confused state the better chance i had of surviving the first run and landing the fish. I might add that i almost always hooked fish that were up stream from me.
Fly Goddess commented not too long ago that she never goes below 6x tippet and ties the tiny flies on with a loop knot. I will probably try that someday on a trip, but now I live in a warm water area and 12lb tippet seems awfully light

[gqualls]

Thanks for the replies everyone; some very helpful information was shared. I truly appreciate you all taking the time to share some seasoned advice ...... advice I will certainly heed in the days ahead.