Hooking up then all hell breaks loose

[Jono Shales]

Saltwater fly fishing tests gear like no other form of fly fishing.

There's big fish out there, rods and reels get tested to the max in a ver unforgiving environment and once connected to a fish, things happen and they're not always good as can be seen in the series of pics below.

The fish hit so hard and ran so much on the first run, the rob butt literally cracked off!







A mate of mine once had a loop of line go around his foot while chasing yellowfin tuna on fly in Christmas Island - he was lucky he was able to pull it off in time before the 50lb yellowfin ripped 150m line off his reel. That would have ended in pain.

Pray tell of your similar incidences of drama once hooked up

[William Ewels]

Jono at least that's one kind of butt crack nobody can actually complain about seeing

I don't usually hook up to anything capable of causing "drama"

[Garage]

Nothing quite as dramatic, but my most memorable incidents are:

1. My first three bonefish snapped my 5lb fluoro tippet on the turn. I was used to laying into the strip-strike (as one does with Leeries) and didn't quite understand the advice to strike quickly and immediately let go. The speed at which a bonefish turns and lights the afterburners has got to be experienced to be believed! The reason it hurt so much was that I had spend most of the day complaining that there were absolutely no fish around, when in truth, I had no idea what I was looking at and couldn't see what was there all the time.

2. My problem fish for many years was a Skippie. I just couldn't catch one, no matter how hard I tried. About 10 years ago while fishing in Jono's current home waters, I found myself (against past experience) in a place where decent sized Skippies suddenly became regular visitors. I had to work hard for a take, finally getting a solid hit on the third shoal that passed by. Naturally, I got jumped off. This went on for a while, until finally I got a good hook-up that held for the first few jumps. Then the fish headed off at a helluva pace, but my flyline came up tight around the handle of my reel. I never saw another skippie for my entire stay.

3. Finally, on a recent Leerie trip, what would have been the biggest Leerie I have caught (looked around the metre mark) gave me three good shots at hooking him. When I finally did and he sped off, my flyline looped around my reel and came up tight against the reel seat. My 12.5kg tippet broke at the knot.

[poppernel]

Saltwater fly fishing tests gear like no other form of fly fishing.

There's big fish out there, rods and reels get tested to the max in a ver unforgiving environment and once connected to a fish, things happen and they're not always good as can be seen in the series of pics below.

The fish hit so hard and ran so much on the first run, the rob butt literally cracked off!

That looks like your teeth there. Nice going.







A mate of mine once had a loop of line go around his foot while chasing yellowfin tuna on fly in Christmas Island - he was lucky he was able to pull it off in time before the 50lb yellowfin ripped 150m line off his reel. That would have ended in pain.

Pray tell of your similar incidences of drama once hooked up

Nothing quite as dramatic, but my most memorable incidents are:

1. My first three bonefish snapped my 5lb fluoro tippet on the turn. I was used to laying into the strip-strike (as one does with Leeries) and didn't quite understand the advice to strike quickly and immediately let go. The speed at which a bonefish turns and lights the afterburners has got to be experienced to be believed! The reason it hurt so much was that I had spend most of the day complaining that there were absolutely no fish around, when in truth, I had no idea what I was looking at and couldn't see what was there all the time.

2. My problem fish for many years was a Skippie. I just couldn't catch one, no matter how hard I tried. About 10 years ago while fishing in Jono's current home waters, I found myself (against past experience) in a place where decent sized Skippies suddenly became regular visitors. I had to work hard for a take, finally getting a solid hit on the third shoal that passed by. Naturally, I got jumped off. This went on for a while, until finally I got a good hook-up that held for the first few jumps. Then the fish headed off at a helluva pace, but my flyline came up tight around the handle of my reel. I never saw another skippie for my entire stay.

3. Finally, on a recent Leerie trip, what would have been the biggest Leerie I have caught (looked around the metre mark) gave me three good shots at hooking him. When I finally did and he sped off, my flyline looped around my reel and came up tight against the reel seat. My 12.5kg tippet broke at the knot.

GOOGLE KNOTS!!

DAVE