far & fine - the aftermath..

[gkieser]

The "far & fine" thread got me thinking about another aspect of fishing which is very seldomly talked about.

Picture the following:

You walk up to that piece of water with the beaut of the brown, and you start thinking about all the things mentioned. Where and how do I approach? Where should the first cast go? What is coming off the water and what should I use to immitate it, or if there is nothing, should I put on a nymph? etc etc etc.

ALL our thoughts revolve around how we get that damn fish to take the fly, but how many times have you read a fishing report that says something like this:

"I put a cast in at the correct time and watched as he rounded on the fly. He slowly came up underneath it sips the fly, and then all hell breaks loose!" ??

I am currently reading Gary Borger's "Presentation" and one section has stood out so far. It basically says that as the fisherman, we have the opportunity to anticipate what will happen next, but the fish does not, so why not use it? We think about all the steps up to the point of the fish taking the fly, but how many of us really think about what will happen once the fish is hooked?

We study the flows on how to get the best drag free drift to get the fly to the fish with the best presentation, and we study the insects on the water and so on. What about studying the area where the fish is? Where is he going to head when he realises that he is hooked? If he is in a feeding lie, where is his secure lie because that's where he's heading once he's hooked. Is there a big hole between two rocks, a overhanging tree, or an undercut near by?

Most of the fishing books I have read do not touch on this for more than a few paragraphs which makes it seem less important, but once that huge brownie is on the line, if you know where he's heading before he knows he wants to go there, I think you are a step closer to landing him.

Waddaya guys reckon?

[smallstreams.co.za]

Grant

Could not agree more. Since I mostly fished small rivers & streams, I always have to be on the lookout for obstacles that might cause me to loose a fish. With that in mind, once a fish is hooked, I always put maximum pressure in the direction that I want the fish to go to. That is why I fish a Twin - it allows me to put a lot of pressure on a fish even with 7X tippet.

The things I look out for are:
Submerged roots
Branches hanging in/low over the water
Underwater rocks that the fish will be able dive under

While guiding people always gave me that funny look when I mention this things to them. Saved a lot of fish from being lost I can tell you though ...

[gkieser]

I don't think this is more important than all the details that we study before casting, but it could well help to anticipate what would happen after.

Once you've sorted out all the deals of how you will present the fly etc, make yourself a small bet saying "WHEN I hook him, he'll dash off to the right into the big shadow between those two rocks, and then when he does take it, see if you are right.

If you are wrong, question why he went where he went, and you will have learned something.

[gkieser]

(I must be the worst thread hijacker ever! I'm about to hijack a thread I started myself!!!)

Mario I agree about having a rod that protects the tippets which is why I too like a soft rod. Mine is not a twin, but it's just as good at protecting the tippets. It was very interesting when I caught my first fish on it though - fighting fish on a softer rod is very different experience - adds a bit of fun to the whole thing...

[Scythe]

From a Vaal perspective:

I learnt a lot of things while marshalling at the A-League Nationals last year November.

In particular one very critical thing I learnt by watching one of the more analytical thinkers amongst the Protea squad was that while fishing for SmallMouth in thin water close or under structure, such as when you present your flies in front of an overhang or near submerged roots is to apply as much side pressure as possible immediately after the take away from the structure or possible snags, literally to the point that you almost take your rod down, flat on the water in a 90 degree angle leading away from the fish.

Once you turn the head the fish goes downstream and you can battle it in open water, away from it's brethren who might still be holding under said obstacle/overhang and it can be steered into current that isn't AS strong as the one you hooked it in.

This I have found to be of use in every aspect of fishing for SmallMouth, forget about upwards pressure at first, apply as much side pressure in the direction you WANT the fish to go. You can ofcourse change the angle of your pressure based on whatever obstacles are around you by moving your rod tip around trying to get that right angle happening, always trying to err on the obtuse side as opposed to the acute side.

Not only does it allow you to steer the fish away from protruding rocks, which they love to rub your flies off on, but trying to stop a running SmallMouth or LargeMouth will only result in broken tippet, whereas steering it to the side results in the fish running in a loop which is more controllable.

I also firmly believe it aids in 'breaking the spirit' of the fish so as to subdue it faster and in so doing efforting a quick release and increasing the chances of survival and lastly I think it is more forgiving on both rod and tippet.

Same applies when fishing dry fly in winter, presenting up and across or across and down, get the take, set the hook and haul that fish away from it's other feeding buddies.

My R0.02.

[Chris Shelton]

Yeah, there are so many things to consider, but this is what makes fishing the great sport that it is, not so? I must confess to not always putting enough thought into where the fish could possibly head off to after the strike, more often than not being content with getting the sequence of events leading upto the take right. But you are so right Grant, what you have described is what seperates a handful of truly great fishermen from the mediocre majority.

[gkieser]

Scythe it's true about the sideways pressure and it's not only useful to get a fish out of heavy structure.

The next time you get a fish that runs to one side of you, drop your rod down to the opposite side. Just drop it and hold tension, don't pull any harder. You will see how the fish cannot pull against it and swings round back to the front of you in an arc, and away from any structure he was heading for. I think at that angle you are using the butt or mid section to fight the fish rather than the tip, and so the rod does all the work. I have done this on a 2wt with 6x and 7x tippet and even our larger cape stream trout in the 14 to 16 inch range are stopped in their tracks.

[KevinE]

I also firmly believe it aids in 'breaking the spirit' of the fish so as to subdue it faster and in so doing efforting a quick release and increasing the chances of survival and lastly I think it is more forgiving on both rod and tippet.

I couldn't agree more. I fished a small stream on Saturday that held a good head of lake-run trout averaging about 3 lbs with a few to double figures. This stream has plenty of snags so the only option is to fish heavy and horse the fish. I use a 7wt rod and 3X tippet, but there is a case for going heavier to land the real biggies. I lost a big one on the first run but did manage to land the fish posted in the gallery (close to 4lbs) in under a minute. Basically after the strike, start applying side pressure, first one direction then the other. Keep moving and changing pressure to completely disorientate the fish. Works a charm on the rainbows, but the browns tend to hold something in reserve and produce a trick when the landing net is produced.

[Herman Jooste]

I also agree on the side pressure issue. I have seen many a good sized yellow allowed to run too far in a straight line, either up or downstream. As soon as the fish turns, even if only half a metre it gains some slack which is very quickly wrapped around a rock, and then "fish off"
By applying and alternating the direction of the sideways pressure the fish is still "running" but the run is in an arc and in the direction you want it to go.
You definately get the fish to the net much quicker, but beware though, it's not spent, and 9 times out of 10 will give at least one more run when presented with the net.