> Can't spend long on this topic- gotta go back to work- but I wanted to put > my 2 cents in. > I've sure missed my time on the vfb. > > All these were good comments on drag settings. Most trout and panfishers > won't ever use > the info to a great extent, as the fish don't 'run' that much. > > The real challenge of drag settings comes when the fish can put you into > your backing. Here you will never play a fish other than 'on the reel', as > the backing is impossible to grab and will cut you to the bone if you try. > Also, loose line is an invitation for a wrap-up and a quick snap of your > leader. I've heard of guys losing their rigs on a butt-wrap and the fish > jerking the rod out of their hand. Add to the drag setting the reel > inertia. If there is a lot of slack in the line, the reel has to come to > speed almost immediately to match a running fish as the slack takes up > tight. The limberness of the rod helps absorb some of this, but not all. > I've had dorado snap me off because of casting slack and too tight a > starting setting on the drag. So I now cast and set on a loose drag with > palm pressure or line grip, then tighten during the intitial run, to break the run, > then re-adjust as necesary. > > Many big fish- big steelies, dorado, billfish, jacks, etc., will use > different tactics during a fight- first jumping, then running, then > sounding, then circling, then repeating some or all. The fisherman needs to > be aware of what the fish is doing and use many tactics to subdue him > quickly. There is the drag setting for casting, for hook setting, for > speed-running at short distance or long distance, line sweep drag, for a > sounding fish, jumping fish, boating the fish, etc. I have re-set the drag > many times during a fight, used rod elevation, used palming- all based on > reacting to what the fish is doing at the moment (if it can be seen at all), > or on the situation- if the fish is at the boat or 500 yards out. > Experience is a great teacher. I never grab the line unless I'm sure I have > the fish's number and only then in the fat part of the fly line, where I > have some grip. But this is for in-close fighting where I'm trying to turn > his head during a body swing in order to make him work harder. The sooner > you can turn his head around, the sooner you will break his spirit. When > you can do this quickly, you can land him sooner and revive him quicker. If > you try this with drag setting alone, a quick head-shake may leave you with > a slack line to reel in. If you don't land him quickly, a shark may leave > you with just the head to reel in. > > Just my 2.5 cents, > Back to wuk > > DonO > > PS Had a fun time in Denver. Dean Endress is a real nice guy- I enjoyed > meeting him. Met up with Lefty, Dave and Emily Whitlock, and a lot of other > friends. Met up with Kim Boal too. Not much new to report, but didn't have > a whole lot of time to look, as I got there Sat. noon and missed the 1st 2 > days due to work. Tom Whiting was swamped and I didn't have much time spent > with him. I hope to head to Delta soon, for some business and pleasure at > Whiting Farms.
