Using the Drag or Stripping Line to Land a Fish Fly Fishing???

 

Question: What is your favorite method of landing a fish using the fly rod? Are you stripping the fly line to bring the fish to the net or utilizing the reel-and-drag system to reel the fish to the net? Each method has its advantages and disadvantages. 

The first method I learned to land a fish using a fly rod was fly fishing with my dad. I used my hand to pull in the line instead of using the reel to get the fish to the net. I still use the hand pull or stripping method, but it depends on where I am fishing, whether it is a lake or stream. 

If I am fishing the tailrace or shallow water, I depend on hand-lining the fish. It gives me quicker time to fight and control the fish. I can feel the fish’s movement more directly, and it's easier for me to adjust the tension by hand, which I have found can be crucial with delicate presentations or lighter tippets. This is the method I use when fishing for smaller fish on the tailrace and in smaller bodies of water such as Walker Lake. I am using  2 and 3 wt. fly rods when fishing in both places, so I rarely used the drag on the reel. 

I have also found that stripping the line can produce problems. You have to be very careful about managing the slack line in your hand. If the line gets tangled or wrapped around something, it could cause you to lose the fish. This has happened to me numerous times, especially in the boat. The excess fly line acts like a magnet in a boat or on the banks of a stream and hooks anything it comes in contact with. It drives me wild sometimes!

I've learned that stripping the line trying to land a big fish has caused me to lose quality fish. A break-off could occur when a bigger fish makes a fast run because you cannot apply consistent pressure.

My favorite way to land quality fish fly fishing is to get it on the reel. Which involves letting the fish take the slack out of the line until it is tight on the reel and then using the reel and drag system to fight and land the fish. Once the line is on the reel, you don't have to worry about the excess line getting tangled or snagged. I seldom lose the fish when using the drag on the reel. The drag system on your reel provides a smooth, consistent resistance that can tire out bigger fish more effectively and protect lighter tippet from breaking. 

The drag system does have a few drawbacks. I've had bigger fish to get into cover because I have too much slackline out, mainly because of a long cast. The slack line sometimes gives the fish time to throw the hook or swim into cover. If your drag isn’t set correctly for the fish you're fighting, it could either be too tight, leading to a broken tippet, or too loose the fish, allowing it to swim too far and get free.

 What's your favorite method to land a fish fly fishing? 

My Favorite Fishing Areas on Beautiful Smith Lake

 I have spent the last few days finishing my blog to book project and have it ready to send to the printers. While working on this project I scanned through hundreds and hundreds of images that were used in all my posts I used for the past 11 years. Of course, the fish images always stand out, but the ones that really got my attention were the awesome rock formations that formed the rock walls on Smith Lake. The following images are some of my favorite walls that make fishing this beautiful lake so special aside from landing those fighting spotted bass! 

A hit could occur anywhere along this wall simply because of the shade. The prime area is the fallen tree. The closer you can place the popper to the prongs submerged in the water the better chance you have to get a hit. 

I have landed numbers of big bluegill off this wall, very few bass were taken here. I kept wondering why all the bluegills. Well with the lake down over 10 ft. last fall I discovered the reason for the bluegill; sandy bottom. Bluegill gathers on sandy bottoms, especially during spawning season. 

One would think with the air deck, monorail, and long ramp leading to a huge double floating boathouse and pier----these individuals would fish just a little. No such luck, they are leaving all the bluegill and spotted bass to the rest of us. I will gladly help them thin the fish species. 

This wall is by far the most spectacular of all the rock walls I fish on this lake. I am amazed at how the trees grow and flourish in the cracks of the huge boulders. The fallen trees and hidden boulders submerged just below the surface are prime real estate for spotted bass and huge bluegills. This wall is loaded with submerged boulders.

This wall is a favorite of the crappie fishermen on the lake, because of the amount of brush they have dropped along its base. The brush attracts huge bluegill and nice spots in the summer months. The shad gather around the brush early and late and a cream-colored popper or cream streamer will produce some savage hits. 

This is the shelf wall because at its base it has a unique feature that the rest doesn't have; a shallow shelf running along its base. Bass gather in the shallow edges at daylight to chase and gorge on the shad. Place a cream popper or cream streamer anywhere near the wall at daylight or late afternoon and watch it get taken!!

Low walls can produce fish as well as spectacular ones. In the case of this wall, most of it is located beneath the waterline. Twenty-five to forty feet depths is hidden off the edge of this particular wall. I have landed more bass on this wall as opposed to bluegill. 

A prime area in the springtime. Place a tiny popper under the overhanging trees and expect a hit from bluegill. Areas like this are where the large bluegill select to spawn. Bluegill on Smith spawns in water 6 to 8 ft. deep in the super clear water. A good pair of polarized glasses will help locate the beds.

The closer one can place a fly in the split area on this wall the better chance you have to attract a take. I always have one fly rod rigged with a furled leader. The limp action of this leader, as opposed to the mono leader, make it easier to maneuver a fly or popper in the crack openings along this wall. Making a low side cast will place a popper under the wall overhangs. I've landed numerous bluegill and bass by letting the popper sit motionless under wall overhangs. As most of you know I like to make numerous runs up and down all the walls I fish on Smith. By making numerous runs you cover the area on the wall much better. In other words, each wall has fish moving in and out of its shadows all day; an endless supply of fish. 

This overhang is one of the best I fish. Placing a muddler minnow or popper right against the back area of the overhang will produce. Patience is the key when fishing all the walls. Let the popper work its magic by letting it sit and get the attention of the fish before you ever move it. Overcast days are the most productive when fishing surface flies on Smith. Cloud cover hiding the sun enables me to fish the same walls two or three times during a trip. 

Some of the walls have nooks that will always produce fish. I wish I had some of this fern around my house. The moisture released in the cracks of this wall keeps the fern leafy and green all summer until frost. This area is another place that fly placement is so important. The closer you can get the popper or fly near the wall or under the overhanging limbs the better chance you have to land monster bluegill or spotted bass. 

Smith Lake has the luxury of being one of the deepest lakes in the south. Standing timber was submerged when the lake was flooded, which is an excellent habitat for all the fish species that live in its waters. The heavy boat traffic helps to keep the lake well oxidized and the super clear water proves that it's one of the cleanest lakes in the south. Of all the lakes I've fished in my life, Smith has to be the most beautiful. Why go anywhere else to fish when one has a lake like Smith to fish?