Good tips my friend, I do it by hand for panfish, but crappie, bass and especially walleye I do it by the reel. Jimi
Some things to consider in playing the fish on the reel or by hand- what is your situation? First- Will you be in the backing with a very strong fish capable of making unstoppable runs? (Saltwater, salmon, steelhead, etc...) The backing is very hard to hold on to, and very hard to feed out with your hand with friction to mimic a drag. Also, a strong fish can cut you to the bone if the backing finger-wraps. And, the last thing you want is loops of loose line whipping around when the fish decides to make a run. Reels are designed with drag systems, but they can't work if you fight the fish by hand. So I always play a big fish from the reel so the drag can do it's job, and loose loops don't create problems. Second- What's around your feet? If you're wading in a stream or lake, the fight is on the fly line, and there's nothing below you or around you, then it's a lot of fun to play a fish by hand. If you're in a craft, is it set up for loose line to be around your feet or on the craft? What are the chances of getting fouled up? If you're on the shore, what are the chances of getting fouled up on bushes, snags, rocks, etc.? If your casting has been pretty snag-free with the loose line, it's a safe bet that the line won't get fouled playing a fish. But if casting is plagued with snag-ups, then it's a good possibility that will happen while playing a fish by hand. It's a lot of fun playing a fish by hand, and I'll do it whenever I can. But sometimes it's just not the best or right method. Opening the floor to other comments... DonO ----- Original Message ----- From: "edward s engelman" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, June 17, 2005 4:35 PM Subject: Re: [VFB] Fish Retreval ??? > I almost never use the reel. Ocassionally I will for a large fish, but even > then I prefer the hand to line combat method. > > Ed -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.323 / Virus Database: 267.7.8/22 - Release Date: 6/17/05 -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.323 / Virus Database: 267.7.8/22 - Release Date: 6/17/05
