Ad blocker detected: Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors. Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker on our website.
A different type of fishing that has seen rewards been reaped by many. This forum allows us to learn more about Float and Fly fishing from those who have made it their number 1 way to fish.
So I finally got out with my new fly rod (xmas gift) and did some fishing. 3rd fish was a nice 3lb small mouth which I managed to land successfully. I hooked into several others, but never landed them. I know why - I could not keep pressure on the fish, the line went slack and the fish threw the hook - but not how to correct the issue.
I was fishing open water over a weed bed in a kayak. It was all I could do to strip in the line and try to keep some tension on it (let alone try to get it on the reel), but the fish consistently managed to out run my hand.
So my question is how do you keep pressure on the fish when it starts running towards you and you have 20+ ft of line at your feet?
It's tough to keep up when the fish starts making a run towards you. I tend to lift the rod handle up over my head and to the side when the fish starts runs at me and drop it back down to the normal position when the fish runs away again.
Part of the problem may be because you are sitting in the yak. I find I can strip about a foot more line per pull when standing because I can extend my arm past my body..
As you use the fly rod more, you will find that you will able to strip the line in faster.
you've got the right idea. when you have a fish on, you want to get them on the reel, especially if it's a big fish. you manage line tension with your stripping hand just after the hook set during that panic run. if it's a small fish, it doesn't really matter if you play them on the strip or the reel.
when they run to you, there's not a lot you can do. just strip as fast as you can. if you're standing on the bank, you can walk backwards or down/upstream to keep a bit of extra tension. when i'm stripping, i loop the line through my rod hand (index or pinky finger) and strip the excess line in. when the fish runs the other way, i keep tension with that finger against the rod (very slight tension as you can bust fish off real easy here, especially on river conditions) and let line out and reel like a madman to get the line at my feet on the reel. once the line is on the reel, i let go of my rod hand finger and play the fish out on the reel.
Thanks for the responces. I will have to just get better at "line management" and keeping the bottom of the boat clean and of course - practice lots. I am at the point where if I do strip in the line fast enough, I usually end up tangled in my line, or with my line tangled around the pliers or something...all things you don't have to worry about with spinning gear.
I hooked into several others, but never landed them. I know why - I could not keep pressure on the fish, the line went slack and the fish threw the hook - but not how to correct the issue. 
:?::!::?: What took you so long????? 
