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?
