Lessons learned by getting smoked

**E.T.** · 03-11-11

Originally Posted by Jono Shales

Yeah mate, been fishing barbless for about the last 10 years or so now. First thing I do when I tie the fly on is crimp the barb, always will. Fish aren't lost from this, it's slack line.

I sincerely hope that any fish that I hook that ends up trailing leader or line manages to rid itself of the hook as soon as possible.

Would I still throw a fly at a big GT on a 9wt? Hell yeah, who wouldn't

I am with you on this one Jono.
If we need big rods to catch big fish, then why take a 00wt to target trout on a mountain stream. It's that thing they call a challenge.
Is it the norm that catch 50cm plus Yellows on a 1wt? Nope, but is it possible? Hell yeah, I have done it and I will do it again

Most people will pull a GT on a 12wt, the thing is can you do it on a 9wt

I believe it's possible and what a pleasure if you manage to land that fish on the 9wt....Now that would be a lekker story around a campfire, wouldn't it?

**Jono Shales** · 03-11-11

Ja exactly ET .. here's one to stoke the coals a little ...

This one didn't smoke me ... but I learned that it is possible to land big GTs on light tackle. 9wt Orvis T3 Rod, Mako 9500 Reel, 20lb leader and a tan gotcha on a 1/0 hook. Photo was taken using a self timer as I was fishing alone at the time.

Met Conrad Botes today who's out here at the moment. Nice guy!
We're heading out on my boat tomorrow to look for sailfish, tuna and mackeral. I'll use the 10wt with barbless hooks and see what happens ... I'm sure one of us is going to get smoked one way or the other

**E.T.** · 03-11-11

Fantastic stuff mate!!! Nah, I am sure you two will have some good fun, all I can say is....Whish I was there!!!

**FCLoretz** · 03-11-11

At the end of the day we all call it something, school fees is what I call it.

Jono calls it lessons learned by getting smoked. What it does however come down to. Is learning through your mistakes, getting better at what you are doing. And being in a position to educate other people that wants to attempt, what you learned the hard way, that is if they are willing to ask questions, take your advice and use it.

Your mind is like a parachute if it aint open, it aint working!

**Rendier** · 04-11-11

Jono, send some fish down south! We haven't even seen the Salmon this year!

**Stones** · 04-11-11

Awesome stuff! All this talk, I'm planning my next trip.......

This is me getting smoked by a big boy at Vidal in July this year on my #10 Orvis Trident baby....

**Paul Weingartz** · 05-11-11

Jono, big respect due to from me for crimping your barbs !! Many experienced guys don't have the confidence to do so. Fantastic fish of yours that you did land on the nine. Never said you can't land a big GT on a nine weight especially from a boat which is a lot easier than trying to subdue them from the shore. It has been done hundreds of times before in Seychelles alone, never mind elsewhere abroad, many more fish have been lost on 9/10 weights than are landed.

**Paul Weingartz** · 05-11-11

ET, I don't understand how you compare catching trout to GTs ?? Maybe you are out of date or have no respect for the fish you are catching but it is generally accepted these days that you use a strong enough rod to subdue a fish within a reasonable time that it actually has a chance of survival. At least in Jono's case he crushes the barb so when he goes in undergunned and loses the fish with hook and maybe lkine at least it has good chance of shedding. Something that can't be said for 99% of guys that get unnecessarily smoked as most guys won't debarb. Trying to land a big Geet on a light rod is like reinventing the wheel it has been done so manty times. It is virtually impossible to put enough pressure on a 1 metre plus GT with Nine / ten weight so it takes a lot longer to land that fish with subsequently greater trauma to the fish.
FC where have you been mate ? School fees? it has been done so many time all you need to do is read the magazines, the information was there without doing it the hardway.. Jono was the one complaining ( or bragging ) about hooks flylines lost.
Maybe I am the one out of touch and should be disapponted instead of proud about it but in ten years of fishing for GTs, at home, in Seychelles and Maldives and having a good number over a metre in each area i have never lost a flyline. At most a few centimetres of leader and a debarbed hook. i did not have to pay the the schoolfees ( on that subject) and subsequently cause mor damage to fish than necessary as the info is all out there.