Playing A Fish Quest. ?
 

"Ken Fortenberry" wrote...
Bob wrote:
...
Very interested in the techniques for this used by others.

It's not the size of the fish in the fight, it's the size of
the fight in the fish. In other words, it all depends. ;-)

In general bring the fish to hand or net as quickly as possible.
There are times when your equipment is overmatched for one
reason or another, strong current, big fish, strong fish, foul
hooked, in which case you point the rod tip straight at the
fish and break him off rather than continuing a battle that
might prove fatal to the fish. For the kind of fishing you
describe this will hardly ever be an issue unless you're using
a 1wt or a 2wt.

On the other hand, I try to get every fish, no matter how small,
on the reel instead of just pulling them in by hand which would
probably be a little quicker. It just seems like the honorable
thing to do.

I prefer to get the fish in as fast as possible, based on fish size, fight, and
tippet strength, and unhook them at the water with a twist of the hook. Very
rarely do I get a fish onto the reel in the smaller streams I frequent. I think
it would place undo stress on the smaller fish while I took the time to reel in
slack line. When I'm alone, I quit taking so many photos of the fish I catch
after I stressed one more than I liked last year.
--
TL,
Tim
------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj

Playing A Fish Quest. ?
 

"Ken Fortenberry" wrote...
Bob wrote:
...
Very interested in the techniques for this used by others.

It's not the size of the fish in the fight, it's the size of
the fight in the fish. In other words, it all depends. ;-)

In general bring the fish to hand or net as quickly as possible.
There are times when your equipment is overmatched for one
reason or another, strong current, big fish, strong fish, foul
hooked, in which case you point the rod tip straight at the
fish and break him off rather than continuing a battle that
might prove fatal to the fish. For the kind of fishing you
describe this will hardly ever be an issue unless you're using
a 1wt or a 2wt.

On the other hand, I try to get every fish, no matter how small,
on the reel instead of just pulling them in by hand which would
probably be a little quicker. It just seems like the honorable
thing to do.

I prefer to get the fish in as fast as possible, based on fish size, fight, and
tippet strength, and unhook them at the water with a twist of the hook. Very
rarely do I get a fish onto the reel in the smaller streams I frequent. I think
it would place undo stress on the smaller fish while I took the time to reel in
slack line. When I'm alone, I quit taking so many photos of the fish I catch
after I stressed one more than I liked last year.
--
TL,
Tim
------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj

Playing A Fish Quest. ?
 

Ken Fortenberry wrote:



I try to honor the fish, which would generally mean bonking them
on the head and eating their flesh while thanking the fish spirit
for sustenance. In terms of catch and release, I try to honor the
fish by catching them properly, with respect, and releasing them
them same way. For me, catching them properly means getting them
on the reel.

YMMV.



That all sounds very cute.


"properly" another strange word.


I'm not sure how putting the fish on the reel if it results in taking
longer to land it fits in with "honor the fish" and treating them "with
respect." Sounds to me that it's just somehow more satisfying to YOU or
somehow fits in with some image you have of YOURSELF. (Which is fine
with me but calling it "proper" and "honorable" ???????)

Willi

Playing A Fish Quest. ?
 

Ken Fortenberry wrote:



I try to honor the fish, which would generally mean bonking them
on the head and eating their flesh while thanking the fish spirit
for sustenance. In terms of catch and release, I try to honor the
fish by catching them properly, with respect, and releasing them
them same way. For me, catching them properly means getting them
on the reel.

YMMV.



That all sounds very cute.


"properly" another strange word.


I'm not sure how putting the fish on the reel if it results in taking
longer to land it fits in with "honor the fish" and treating them "with
respect." Sounds to me that it's just somehow more satisfying to YOU or
somehow fits in with some image you have of YOURSELF. (Which is fine
with me but calling it "proper" and "honorable" ???????)

Willi

Playing A Fish Quest. ?
 

Willi wrote:
Ken Fortenberry wrote:
I try to honor the fish, which would generally mean bonking them
on the head and eating their flesh while thanking the fish spirit
for sustenance. In terms of catch and release, I try to honor the
fish by catching them properly, with respect, and releasing them
them same way. For me, catching them properly means getting them
on the reel.

YMMV.

That all sounds very cute.

"properly" another strange word.

I'm not sure how putting the fish on the reel if it results in taking
longer to land it fits in with "honor the fish" and treating them "with
respect." Sounds to me that it's just somehow more satisfying to YOU or
somehow fits in with some image you have of YOURSELF. (Which is fine
with me but calling it "proper" and "honorable" ???????)

I like to do things right, and for me getting the fish, no matter
how small, on the reel is right, meet, proper and honorable. I
don't ever have much slack line out of the reel. That's one of the
things you learn as you get better at this fly fishing thing, so
the difference between pulling in the line by hand and taking up
the slack to play the fish "right" is negligible.

Respecting the fish by honoring the sport of fly fishing, or strange
fetish of an elitist snob. Call it whatever you want. That's how I
do things and if you want to disparage my motives, well that's just
roff, isn't it ?

--
Ken Fortenberry

Playing A Fish Quest. ?
 

Willi wrote:
Ken Fortenberry wrote:
I try to honor the fish, which would generally mean bonking them
on the head and eating their flesh while thanking the fish spirit
for sustenance. In terms of catch and release, I try to honor the
fish by catching them properly, with respect, and releasing them
them same way. For me, catching them properly means getting them
on the reel.

YMMV.

That all sounds very cute.

"properly" another strange word.

I'm not sure how putting the fish on the reel if it results in taking
longer to land it fits in with "honor the fish" and treating them "with
respect." Sounds to me that it's just somehow more satisfying to YOU or
somehow fits in with some image you have of YOURSELF. (Which is fine
with me but calling it "proper" and "honorable" ???????)

I like to do things right, and for me getting the fish, no matter
how small, on the reel is right, meet, proper and honorable. I
don't ever have much slack line out of the reel. That's one of the
things you learn as you get better at this fly fishing thing, so
the difference between pulling in the line by hand and taking up
the slack to play the fish "right" is negligible.

Respecting the fish by honoring the sport of fly fishing, or strange
fetish of an elitist snob. Call it whatever you want. That's how I
do things and if you want to disparage my motives, well that's just
roff, isn't it ?

--
Ken Fortenberry

Playing A Fish Quest. ?
 

"Ken Fortenberry" wrote...
Willi wrote:
Ken Fortenberry wrote:
I try to honor the fish, which would generally mean bonking them
on the head and eating their flesh while thanking the fish spirit
for sustenance. In terms of catch and release, I try to honor the
fish by catching them properly, with respect, and releasing them
them same way. For me, catching them properly means getting them
on the reel.

YMMV.

That all sounds very cute.

"properly" another strange word.

I'm not sure how putting the fish on the reel if it results in taking
longer to land it fits in with "honor the fish" and treating them "with
respect." Sounds to me that it's just somehow more satisfying to YOU or
somehow fits in with some image you have of YOURSELF. (Which is fine
with me but calling it "proper" and "honorable" ???????)

I like to do things right, and for me getting the fish, no matter
how small, on the reel is right, meet, proper and honorable. I
don't ever have much slack line out of the reel. That's one of the
things you learn as you get better at this fly fishing thing, so
the difference between pulling in the line by hand and taking up
the slack to play the fish "right" is negligible.

Respecting the fish by honoring the sport of fly fishing,

You lost me on that one. . .

or strange
fetish of an elitist snob. Call it whatever you want. That's how I
do things and if you want to disparage my motives, well that's just
roff, isn't it ?

Okay, you got me back. That last sentence alone pegs the irony meter. ;-)
--
TL,
Tim
------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj

Playing A Fish Quest. ?
 

"Ken Fortenberry" wrote...
Willi wrote:
Ken Fortenberry wrote:
I try to honor the fish, which would generally mean bonking them
on the head and eating their flesh while thanking the fish spirit
for sustenance. In terms of catch and release, I try to honor the
fish by catching them properly, with respect, and releasing them
them same way. For me, catching them properly means getting them
on the reel.

YMMV.

That all sounds very cute.

"properly" another strange word.

I'm not sure how putting the fish on the reel if it results in taking
longer to land it fits in with "honor the fish" and treating them "with
respect." Sounds to me that it's just somehow more satisfying to YOU or
somehow fits in with some image you have of YOURSELF. (Which is fine
with me but calling it "proper" and "honorable" ???????)

I like to do things right, and for me getting the fish, no matter
how small, on the reel is right, meet, proper and honorable. I
don't ever have much slack line out of the reel. That's one of the
things you learn as you get better at this fly fishing thing, so
the difference between pulling in the line by hand and taking up
the slack to play the fish "right" is negligible.

Respecting the fish by honoring the sport of fly fishing,

You lost me on that one. . .

or strange
fetish of an elitist snob. Call it whatever you want. That's how I
do things and if you want to disparage my motives, well that's just
roff, isn't it ?

Okay, you got me back. That last sentence alone pegs the irony meter. ;-)
--
TL,
Tim
------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj

Playing A Fish Quest. ?
 

"Bob" wrote

Do you wait until you have a real large sized trout on before "playing
him"
off the reel, some ? How large ?



I find "the fight" boring and just want to get it over with smaller fish.
I often give them some slack and hope they shake off. If they don't I hand
strip them in quickly and try to get the hook twisted out while they are
still in the water, usually the slack water in my lee as I wade.

Big fish can be "fun" to fight, i.e. it can be a real challenge without a
certain outcome. In those cases I still try to get the fish in and
released ASAP but it will require getting the fish on the reel, trying to
keep him off balance with pressure from varying angles, and moving with him
to keep a short, move controllable line. All the pressure my tackle can
handle is used, I'd rather lose one to a broken tippet than stress him too
much, but 5X will stand one hell of a pull these days. And I try to use
any advantage of terrain I can spot, certainly avoid letting the fish go
where he thinks is a good battleground. For example, I like the last part
of the fight to be in slack water so that the fish can't use current to her
advantage.

In no case, big, little, or in between, do I "play them longer" for "the
fun of it" Get 'em in and released as fast as you can, the fish will let
you know if you need the reel as line goes zinging through your hand, and
you dance with the excess you lazily let dangle at your feet. g The
definition of big fish is one where "landing ASAP" is still after a long,
uncertain, fight, often a 16" fish will have more spunk than a 20" Another
definition? I am often happy to see a small fish get off, I can't remember
having that emotion when a big one beat me G

One last note. I often fail to do this, but never fail to gain when I do.
Fish for ALL fish like they were trophy fish. It develops good habits, like
planning the approach and scouting likely escape routes your fish will try,
before the cast, and NOT having excess line tangled round your feet. :-)

Playing A Fish Quest. ?
 

"Bob" wrote

Do you wait until you have a real large sized trout on before "playing
him"
off the reel, some ? How large ?



I find "the fight" boring and just want to get it over with smaller fish.
I often give them some slack and hope they shake off. If they don't I hand
strip them in quickly and try to get the hook twisted out while they are
still in the water, usually the slack water in my lee as I wade.

Big fish can be "fun" to fight, i.e. it can be a real challenge without a
certain outcome. In those cases I still try to get the fish in and
released ASAP but it will require getting the fish on the reel, trying to
keep him off balance with pressure from varying angles, and moving with him
to keep a short, move controllable line. All the pressure my tackle can
handle is used, I'd rather lose one to a broken tippet than stress him too
much, but 5X will stand one hell of a pull these days. And I try to use
any advantage of terrain I can spot, certainly avoid letting the fish go
where he thinks is a good battleground. For example, I like the last part
of the fight to be in slack water so that the fish can't use current to her
advantage.

In no case, big, little, or in between, do I "play them longer" for "the
fun of it" Get 'em in and released as fast as you can, the fish will let
you know if you need the reel as line goes zinging through your hand, and
you dance with the excess you lazily let dangle at your feet. g The
definition of big fish is one where "landing ASAP" is still after a long,
uncertain, fight, often a 16" fish will have more spunk than a 20" Another
definition? I am often happy to see a small fish get off, I can't remember
having that emotion when a big one beat me G

One last note. I often fail to do this, but never fail to gain when I do.
Fish for ALL fish like they were trophy fish. It develops good habits, like
planning the approach and scouting likely escape routes your fish will try,
before the cast, and NOT having excess line tangled round your feet. :-)