Landing a trout???

[boom2it]

General question for the board....
When hooking your fish do you strip the line or reel in the line to land your fish?
I find myself stripping most of the time and then having to much line in the water, sometimes I will delay landing the fish to reel-in the slackline and then begin stripping again. I guess it all depends on the size and fight of the fish. I have lost a couple of fish cleaning up the line in the water before landing it.
What are your preferences?

 

[onemorecast_OLD]

I think you should get him to the reel ASAP. It is good practice so that when you hook a larger fish you won't have to think about it. Lots of line tangled around you, drifting down stream, around a boat etc is nothing but trouble waiting to happen.

Just keep the line under your index finger with pressure on the fish and hook the other line under your pinky so you can wind and keep some tension on the line you are picking up. If the fish runs, give a little with the index finger. You will find that a fast wind and giving a little to the fish will wipe out all that excess line in a hurry.

The technique is easy and can be practiced on almost every fish caught. OMC

 

[BEAMOC]

Exactly what he said is how I do it. When I first read the thread I thought, "I wonder if I am the only one who uses their pinky". I don't think I've ever read it or heard it anywhere, it just seems natural. If you do it right, you should never break off a fish. By that I mean that you can exert far greater pressure on the fish than it takes to break the tippet because of the physics of the rod. But that's in a perfect world, at least I can find pleasure in having fooled the fish and experienced it's power

Keith

 

[fcch]

I'm for fighting a fish off the reel too. Unfortunately I've lost more tout wile trying to spool up the excess line than in any other part of the fight.

Reels are just so good now that they aren't just for "storage" of the line. I have more confidence in the drag than my palming skills to preserve a super fine tippet. (I use the pinky trick too).

Here's a question, reel up, do you change hands ?? I prefer casting with the rod in my right hand and reel with the left. This way, I don't have to change hands.

 

[Pete]

......Here's a question, reel up, do you change hands ?? I prefer casting with the rod in my right hand and reel with the left. This way, I don't have to change hands.

Definitely the way to go if you're right handed. If you were ever a spin fisher, left handed reeling is an easy adaptation. If not, practice while watching TV or something. One session should suffice.

 

[flyin]

Getting the fish on the reel is the universal advice. However, be intelligent about it. 99% of my trout fishing is on small streams with small trout and getting the fish on the reel is totally unnecessary and would only stress out a fish that intend on releasing anyway. Plus an initial strip to get the fish away from the hole/pool that I'm fishing allows me to continue to fish that spot for others. If I fished big waters it would be different. If I fished for big trout it would be different. But in my limited experience, it takes almost no time to get a 10" trout in on a small stream just by stripping line in. No need to let it dive into roots etc just to be lost with a fly in its mouth. On the other hand I'll let my stripers go to the reel as the reel drag and rod bend definitely controls them better that I could by hand.

Just my .02

-- Rob

 

[flyin]

oh yeah, I'm right handed and adapted myself to the right hand cast / left hand retrieve for the same reason: so that I don't have to switch hands.

 

[fcch]

... If I fished big waters it would be different. If I fished for big trout it would be different. ...
-- Rob

Rob,

I forgot to mention that most of what I catch (or try to) are Salmon and trout that are usually over 2 lbs. Smaller stuff, ... I'll usually just strip in line as I'm in agreement that I want to stress them the least possible.

 

[Pete]

I agree with Chris. Small fish can be landed quickly by stripping.

This backfires on me occasionally, but a large fish can be "fed" the slack line during the first "run". After that I can play it from the reel.

 

[DaveR]

Chris,

I switch hands. For some reason, I've never gotten used to winding with my left hand which is strange because I wind left on a spinning reel. I wind right on a baitcaster and have to switch hands there too. Hmmm....must be a right brain/left brain thing.

LOL

Regards,
Dave

 

[fcch]

Dave,

Must get difficult to fight and reel and change hands ???

When you need to pump and reel, do you keep rod in left hand ?

;-)

 

[DaveR]

I guess I'll have to change my reel position and try it the other way. Many less expensive reels have the handle on the right side so I've always had to change hands. It wasn't until I purchased some good quality reels that I've ever had an option.

 

[onemorecast_OLD]

Well i'm right handed and wind with the left. That makes it a little faster than switching I suppose.

I respectfully disagree with you guys a little on the stressing of the fish caused by getting the fish t the reel. You catch fish and fight them and that stresses them some. How much incremental stress is there in getting the fish onto the reel. Think of all the stress you will save the next time you hook a larger fish .

If you are on a small stream and/or have less than forth or even thirty or twenty feet of line out, how much line are we talking about picking up onto the reel. 10 ft, 20ft max. Sometimes a small fish gets hooked close in after casting a longer line(then I would strip), but in general, I do not feel the few seconds it takes pick up the excess line is going to incrementally harm the fish.

Anyway, i thought I would defend my position a little further. OMC

 

[fcch]

...
I respectfully disagree with you guys a little on the stressing of the fish caused by getting the fish t the reel. You catch fish and fight them and that stresses them some. How much incremental stress is there in getting the fish onto the reel. Think of all the stress you will save the next time you hook a larger fish .
...
Anyway, i thought I would defend my position a little further. OMC

In afterthought, I feel your right. I think the stress is a bit more our perception sometimes, and not on the fish.

I get a bit stressed as brook trout sometimes have a habit of darting right at my feet when hooked

 

[flyin]

I can't say one way or another about what leads to more stress, since I have no data to support it. I just always was taught to bring the fish in as fast as possible for the given tackle and situation, that's all. Whatever works for you is fine! You guys (from the pics) obviously catch a lot more, and a lot bigger, fish than I do anyways! So I defer to the high-hooks

-- Rob (Hoping to see my backing just once this year)

 

[Scott]

I always release my fish. I always take the time to fully resuscitate my fish. I have knelt in a stream as night approaches; surrounded by an awesome sulphur hatch, fish rising everywhere.

For 20 minutes, there was no other fish more important than the fish I was gently cradling in the current, waiting for him to recover and swim off on his own.

I have knelt in 50-degree water for 15 minutes to revive a 20” Landlocked salmon that gave a particularly hard battle. My hands went numb. The fish recovered and shot off into the pool at top speed.

I have leaned into a pool of ice-cold water to drag out a tree limb that a fish had wrapped my tippet around, and was anchored to it. My leader had broken, and the fish remained tethered to the branch. I waded in as far as deep I could go, and leaned over so my head was half submerged so I could grab the branch.

I unhooked & released the fish, recovered the line, and kept on fishing. (The water was cold, but the day was warm).

Am I better than anyone else? Am I self-aggrandizing? NOT at all, and I apologize if it comes off that way, but I like to think I care enough about the resources to protect them as best as I am able.

I think it was Lee Wulff who said something like “Fish are too valuable to only be caught once”

 

[boom2it]

"A fish is to precious a resource to only catch once".......I believe that is how it goes, saw it on a bumper sticker

 

[BEAMOC]

Game fish, I think that's what Mr. Wulff said. Also, one of my favorites "releasing a fish is your gift to another angler". great stuff. it's discussions like this that show what true sportsmanship is all about.

Keith

 

[onemorecast_OLD]

I have kept about two fish in the last three years. So I totally agree. When I caught the Permit I described in another post, there were about ten people on the beach. I think most were amazed that I just took a picture and then took my time to make sure he was OK and let him go. I don't think I have kep a trout in five years, although I have no problem with anyone taking a few home for dinner. And I will strip a little fish in here and there if it will be quicker. I think for the most part, we are all on the same page on this one.

My problem this year is too much kid's baseball and hardly any fishing. Not enough winding or stripping line!!!!! OMC

 

[fcch]

Wait until you see the faces on the gallery when you get the chance to put back a 20lb Atlantic Salmon.

That puts up a few hands. I like to reply, "Well, ya know, the skillet IS only 12 inches across"

 

[Scott]

I will someday go somewhere where I can catch (or at least try to) the seafaring version of my favorite fish, but Landlockeds in Western Maine usually don't go more than 8 pounds tops. They are a load of fun to catch though... Especially the ones over 16" (3+ lbs.) I suppose you would consider them grilse?

 

[fcch]

Hi Scott,

Wow, 8 lbs of fish is fun in any freshwater species.

When you say Landlocked salmon ... Is that an Atlantic ?? Up here, 18" and less are considered immature and that would also be a definition of a Grisle.

For sea run Salmo Salar, less than 25 inches is a "grisle".

 

[Scott]

Landlocked Salmon are the same species as Atlantic (S. salar). As their name implies, they have no access to the sea.

Actually, 8lbs is VERY big for the Landlocked variety, From checking my journals, I'd say the average size fish I've caught is around 14", so about 1.5 pounds or so. Anything over 20" is much more rare.

However, even a 12" LLS hits harder, fights harder, leaps higher, and in general just a heckuva lot more fun than any trout I've ever caught.

The LLS in my avatar measured about 18" (I have a mark every 1/2" on my net starting at 6" for record keeping purposes)

My biggest LLS to date was 22", so that one was probably around 4 pounds (I guess).

One day I will make a trip to hunt the anadromous variety.

Technical info courtesy Maine DIF&W:

http://www.state.me.us/ifw/fishing/f-llsalmon.htm

Info & news for Atlantics in Maine: http://www.state.me.us/asa/

 

[fcch]

Scott,

Thanx, ... we have a nice LLS fisherie around here too and they ARE FUN !!

If I remember right, my largest LLS was about 4-5 lbs, but on a #4 rod and in a strong current, so size doesn't always count for everything

 

[Scott]

I always fish for LLS in Maine in the fall, when it's C&R only.

My understanding is that they are quite tasty too, but I wouldn't know...

 

[fcch]

Quite tasty indeed. I think we are more of a Catch&Eat fisherie than down there.

Very close to Atlantic salmon, less fat (although they say the fat in Salmo is a "good" fat).

As they are less fatty, I like to put a few fillets in the smoker when I get a chance.