Friday, May 11, 2012

Irritation and Frustration Can Occur Even in Fishing


I know fishing trips can’t be perfect all the time and I realize that sometimes things just don’t go as planned. I did a post some time back on whether you consider yourself a perfectionist when it comes to fishing. Well, I guess you could put me in that category because everything has to be working to perfection for me when I am fishing. One might say why do you put yourself through all that pressure or stress?  No pressure or stress here for me because this is the way I have learned to fish, but after all these years there are some things that still get next to me such as----

Line tangle on fishing rods---I hate it when your line from one rod in the boat, Suv, or truck gets tangled into the line of other rods in the boat.  The best way to avoid this is to clip your fly or lure into your hook keeper on your fishing rod, then wrap the line around the rod using your guides on the rod to hold the line tight to the rod itself. There is no way for the line on the rods to get tangled that way. One of my buddies had two of his rods to get tangled with his fly rods the other day in the back of his SUV. He spent the better part of 4 to 5 minutes getting the line on the rods untangled, what a mess. 

Line bend---I am talking about the bent line in your leader after it has set in the guide for a while. Even the line stretcher can’t get this bend out at times. I really like my leader to be perfectly straight when I am fly fishing. If your leader is straight without bends then your presentation of your fly will land more realistic. One of the guys I fish with never uses a line stretcher, instead, he just removes the leader from the package and ties a fly on and starts casting. I have mentioned and even shown him the technique of how to secure a straight leader, but he says that is wasting time. He seems to think casting will get the leader in working order---everybody to his own!

The tip of your fly line sinking below the surface of the water; a good line dressing will keep your fly floating nicely on the surface. The sinking fly line can cause problems with pick up and can also hinder the cast itself.

Line twist at the tippet end of the leader is one thing I have been wrestling with and I think I have solved this problem. I switched to a larger tippet and flies with less hackle to help with this problem. Nothing more irritating than a twisted tippet when you are landing fish

A bad cast not only cuts down on fishing time, but it can also cause knots in your tippet or upwards to your leader. This is really true if you are using a dropper which extends the leader length. You will know when you have hit that sweet spot with your cast. It is that feel and the sight of fly rolling perfectly out on the surface of the water. I have never been a big fan of false casting a lot. My son does a lot of false casting which in turn causes knots in his leader at times. Don’t get me wrong there is a time and place for false casting but with me, I use less false casting than the average fly fisherman.

This last one is listed for those of us who use boats. There is nothing more frustrating than to have some of your equipment on your boat to go out after you have got on the water. This can really put a damper on what was supposed to be a good day. Well, there you have it some of my under the skin-irritating things that get next to me. Have I missed some, if so feel free to add your own?

16 comments:

  1. Bill, I enjoyed the post. I think I enjoy it so much cause I have experienced all of the things you have listed. I guess this is just what happens sometimes when you go fishing. Also the bend in the tippet, have you ever tried using a furled leader? I bought some last year and was quite impressed. 1 leader will last you a whole season, and personally I think they out perform the mono. Check them out at http://cutthroatleader.com/

    Super nice guys. Order the Payette Wax with the leaders if you chose to get some. Payette wax helps preserve the leader and will also help it float a little. You will never get a bend in the leader line again. Great post! I defiantly enjoyed!

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  2. Wow, you would find me extremely annoying. A leader goes on my fly line the instant it's removed from the package. I do have leader or fly line kinks but I'll just try to ignore them an fish through it. Line tangles drive me crazy too. I also hate when you're fishing the guides not being aligned or casting and having half your rod fly off. I've really tried to cut down on the false casting. I found if I cast properly and work on proper loops I don't have to do so many false casts. I usually have way too much line than I need pulled off the reel.

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  3. Line on reel tangles = horrible, terrible, no good, very bad.

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  4. Anthony
    I agree reel line tangle is frustration, especially on spincast reels. Thanks for the comment

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  5. Kevin
    Believe it or not I have never fished with anyone who annoyed me. If someone ask me about a certain technique involving fishing or wanted to know something about the items I am fishing with; then I will offered my opinion. In fact I have never fished with anyone I didn't like to fish with. I consider myself a very easy going individual. Like you, I have thrown the tip of my rod in the water a number of times, and I was lucky to get it back. Thanks for the comment

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  6. Brian
    I have seen some of the guys at the tailrace fish with furl leaders, and really didn't talk to any of them about its performance. Can the leader be seen under water? I used flourocarbon leaders and really like the fact that they are practically invisible under water. That would be my only concerned with the furl leader. I will take a look through the link you left in the comment. Thanks for the comment

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  7. I hear you. I can get pretty frustrated if I'm not catching fish. My frustration is casting to a fish, the line gets tangled on or under my boots and the line falls short and hits the water . . . fish is now gone.

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  8. Bill I know you've seen the photo on my blog and certainly the name must have driven you crazy. It's all true.

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  9. One of the frustrations I have is the fact that fly line can get snagged on any thing....even air.
    Stay cool my friend.

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  10. Brk
    Soooooo true, shoe strings are the worst or anything else at your feet. Thanks for the comment

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  11. Howard
    Yes the image header of your blog covers this post well. Thanks for the comment

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  12. Josh
    I know what you are talking about, I have had that to happen just at the right time. Thanks for the comment

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  13. Windknots seem to frustrate me the most...something that I can't ignore.

    Great post!

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  14. Sanders
    I wonder sometimes does the knots weaken the leader. I get breaks and sometimes they are at the knots. Thanks for the comment

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  15. Well Bill, i know nothing about Fly fishing but I do get plenty of line tangles and other annoying problems while fishing with a spin Rod. Even with those problems, you have got to love being out on the water, tangles, bad casts and all!

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  16. J
    True backlash is a killer with casting reels and line tangle is another killer with the spincast. Thanks for the comment

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