NOTHING BUT NET

by Landon Mayer

My first few trips as a guide were some of the most nerve-wracking yet exciting experiences I’ve ever had as an angler. Knowing that my client has a fish on and that it’s up to me to help guide them through the fiber and land the fish successfully, always kept me on my toes. Sharing that experience with my son River and his first guy trips at age 12 brought me back to those beginning days myself. And it inspired me to share some of the tips that I—and now my son—teach others….helping the final results be “nothing but net.”

The traditional method for fighting fish has been to use the flexing of the fly rod to absorb the brunt of the pressure. The angler held a nearly vertical rod, forcing a severe arc into the rod. While this method works fine with average-sized trout, it is ineffective for fighting larger, more powerful fish.

Trout over 5 pounds are simply too strong to fight this way, and the excessive, constant pressure on the line will probably dislodge the fly, and break the tippet or knots. The techniques described in this chapter use the mechanical advantages and the added control gained by using your arm as an extension of the rod to more accurately adjust the pressure put on the equipment and fish.

Perhaps the toughest challenge in fly fishing is landing a trout over 10 pounds on a small fly and a light tippet. Because the weight of the fish alone usually exceeds the breaking strength of the tippet material, the trick is to use fish-fighting strategies that allow you to bring the fish to the net without applying so much pressure that the line breaks or the hook is dislodged. It doesn’t help that the excitement of catching what may be the largest trout you’ve ever hooked sends adrenaline coursing through your body.

Large fish are most often lost right at the beginning or the end of the fight—during the first ten seconds or so after being hooked, or as they are brought in close to the net. When such a fish is first hooked, it usually makes a series of strong headshakes followed by a long run. You need to be prepared and react. The Hook Set

The hook set is a very important step in successfully fighting large trout. The end result of landing or

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losing the fish can oftentimes be determined by how effectively you can set the hook. It has become very common amongst anglers to set the hook in a straight up horizontal position when the trout eats. This standard technique can be used effectively on averagesized trout, but it often results in losing a true trophy.

The first approach to get a proper hook set is to perfect the timing and the power of the set. Regarding timing, you want to wait until you know the trout has taken your fly before setting, and allow the fish time to open and close its large jaws on the fly. Due to the size of these giants, the time from when the trout opens its mouth and closes it is increased compared to smaller fish. And by setting the hook too soon, you can pull the fly out of the fish’s mouth without even penetrating the trout’s jaw.

Along with timing, the application of power is an important step. By applying too much power, you will reach the breaking strength of your leader or tippet resulting in losing the fish. Or by not applying enough power on the set, you can lose the fish later in the fight when your fly dislodges from the fish’s mouth. To effectively set the hook, you need to apply a smooth acceleration of power at the right time.

This is accomplished by lifting the rod until you feel an ample amount of tension on your rod. To perform a proper lift, you want to raise your arm and rod at the same time, keeping the rod in a slightly horizontal and vertical position. This allows you to let the butt section of the rod apply the power and tension on the set. From this position you will also have the advantage to react quickly to the fish’s movements after you set the hook, allowing you to slightly drop your rod, cushioning the line when the fish attempts to get away. When you reach the point in the set when you feel tension and have a proper bend in your rod, keep your rod in that same position. This will allow you to maintain enough pressure on the fish.

To ensure the proper placement of your fly, you want to apply your set at a downstream angle. This

will place the fly at the corner of the fish’s jaw, around the maxillary bone. This keeps the fly and the tippet away from the hardest part of the jaw which is often times lined with small sharp teeth. When setting at a downstream angle, your rod should be at a 45- degree angle. This angle allows you to maintain constant tension on the fish.

What to Expect after the Set is Made

When the set is first made, the fish will normally react by make large head shakes (beneath the water surface or at the surface of the water), followed by an aggressive run. Whenever you feel the thumping head shakes from the fish, it is attempting to dislodge the fly. Oftentimes the trout’s best defense is to attempt to shake the fly free after being hooked, and then attempt a bolting run to escape from the area where it was hooked. When faced with the challenge of reacting to these aggressive movements of the fish, you want to make sure you keep your hand away from the line and reel when you first hook up. This will prevent any chances of the line or reel being stopped, when the fish is pulling line out.

Rod Positioning/Adjustments

One advantage you can have in fighting large trout is the ability to make an adjustment with the placement of your rod. What this will do for you is allow you to compensate for each powerful move the fish makes in the fight. Oftentimes the size, weight, and strength of the fish is enough to break your tippet, but being able to adjust when too much tension is applied will keep you from breaking off your trophy.

The best way to keep a consistent amount of tension on the fish is to slightly raise and lower your arm and the rod tip in time with the headshakes, so that the rod tip flexes for each shake. Lower the rod tip only about one foot with each shake, and then return it to the original position as soon as possible. The rod should appear to be an extension of your arm. This takes pressure off of the knots in the line, lessens the pressure on the fly so it doesn’t dislodge, and continues to wear down the fish by forcing it to pull against the pressure of the rod and line.

When the fish makes a strong run away from you, immediately drop your arm and rod to a nearly horizontal position, with the rod tip pointing at a spot just above the fish. Although many anglers have been taught to raise the rod tip—and that you never point the rod at the fish—my experience has shown that the drag system of a decent reel is better than you are at maintaining even line tension during a strong run. Let the reel do its job, and the flexing of the slightly raised rod tip will act as a cushion.

As soon as the fish slows or stops its run, move your rod to a more vertical position to take up the slack in the line. This will allow the rod tip to act as a shock absorber to counteract any sharp tugs on the line during the fight. This dampening effect will decrease the chances of breaking your tippet, but be ready to lower the rod again if the fish begins another run.

During the fight there will be periods of time when the fish holds in certain areas or moves toward you in the water. When this occurs, slowly and gradually lower your rod tip, quickly gain as much line as you can, then return your rod to the original position. But always maintain pressure on the fish as you retrieve line. This allows you to keep the distance of line from you to the fish as short as possible. By being able to adjust and react to the large trout’s movements during the fight, you will be able to apply maximum pressure on the fish at the right time. This helps you to tire the fish out faster, and keeps you in control of the fight.

Walking the Dog (Staying Close to the Action)

To fight big trout on light tippets, you must have a solid understanding of your equipment and its capabilities, and how all the various pieces of equipment are used to overcome and land a big fish. You want to be able to apply as much leverage and tension as possible on the fish without breaking it off. Leverage is the pressure you apply to the fish to try to control its direction, and tension is the amount of stress that you place on the leader, line, and rod.

Whenever possible, hold your rod directly above the fish and remain as close to the fish as you can. This usually results in you traveling up stream and down with the fish, taking in line whenever possible in an

attempt to keep your rod tip virtually above the fish. Maintaining a short line—preferably one to three rod lengths between you and the fish—will decrease the chances of the trout taking control of the fight.

When a big fish runs some distance away from you, it decreases your ability to put upward or sideways leverage on it. Plus, by staying close, you avoid the additional tension created by the drag of the line through the water, and you can use your rod to steer the line or the fish out of danger should your line wrap around an object in the river.

Large trout will often run toward a structure in the water in an attempt to dislodge the fly. By staying close you can use your rod tip to help steer the fish around or away from the structure that the fish is near. This will allow you to determine when to apply downstream pressure and move the fish away from the structure. If the fish is reluctant to move at the application of pressure, it is not enough to move the fish. Pull some line off your reel and throw a roll cast over the object in the river. What this will do is apply tension from the opposite side of the river and often disorient the fish to believing the leverage has been reversed to another direction. This will cause the fish to move away from the pressure and become free from the object in the water. Once the fish moves again, reel that extra line back and continue the fight. Your goal is to wear down the fish and prevent it from getting its head down and using its full strength to fight you.

To generate leverage on a fish, you need to use good rod placement, which helps you to direct the fish to a good spot where you can net it. Of course, the trout will try to get to fast, turbulent water where it can use its strength to the maximum. Here are some tricks that will help you stay in control, and maintain leverage on a big fish.

As soon as possible, steer the fish into shallower and slower moving, water, by applying sideways— and slightly downstream—leverage with the rod. Some anglers like to lay the rod parallel to the water to exert side pressure, but I prefer to hold the rod at a 45-degree angle, which keeps the trout’s head up. By forcing the trout downstream, you can fight the fish, not the current it’s swimming in. To throw the fish off balance, change rod position frequently between having the tip up and applying side pressure on the fish. These changes in direction of leverage will help disorient the fish, which oftentimes causes it to come to the surface and shake its head, which tends to tire it out faster. If you do everything right, your big trout will start to show signs of fatigue and may even start to roll in the water as a last attempt to break free. The Landing Getting a large trout in the net can be the hardest part of the process. At the end of the fight, when the fish detects you or the net in the water, it will give a final burst. Don’t get overly anxious and try to drag the fish back towards you or apply undue pressure on the line to keep the fish from running. Impatience at this stage can be disastrous. You want to be in control of the fight until the fish is safely into the net, so don’t be hurried and never try to net a fish in fast current. Watch how the fish acts to determine if it is ready; if you attempt to net a fish too soon, you stand a good chance of breaking your tippet with the net itself. If a fish rolls on the surface or can no longer hold its position in the current and starts to swim downstream, you’re in business. Always net the fish head-first. This ensures that any last burst of energy will propel the fish into the net, not away from it. It is important that you not get overly anxious and try to net the fish too early, or tail first. Stay calm, and continue to use and practice these techniques, and you’ll be landing more and larger trout. About Landon Landon Mayer is a veteran Colorado guide and author of several books. His newest book, Guide Flies: Easy-to-Tie Patterns for Tough Trout, can be purchased on his website at www.landonmayerflyfishing.com. You can follow Landon on Instagram at @landonmayerflyfishing.