TIPS, TRICKS & TACTICS
SET THE HOOK!
Many fish are lost in the first 2-3 seconds after a fish eats the fly. Usually, this is due to improper hook setting. Everyone knows how to set the hook with a spinning or bait casting rod - rear back with a quick sweep of the rod ~ or ~ make several short, sharp sweeps straight back or to the side.
But when fly fishing, you will lose almost as many fish as you land using this method. A much better way to set the hook is with a “STRIP SET”.
Whether you fish a floating or sinking line, always keep the rod tip in the water (or as close to the surface of the water as possible), always pointing the rod tip directly at the fly line's path in the water. When a fish eats your fly, no matter how much you are tempted, DON’T RAISE THE ROD TO SET THE HOOK! Instead, keep the rod tip down and make a quick, long, firm strip straight back. This will keep you in constant contact with your fly, and if you don’t get a good hook-set, the fly will only be a foot or two away from the fish’s face, instead of several yards away. You have a much better chance of the fish trying to eat it again if it is close.
Once you get a good hook-set, clear your line quickly so that you don’t break off due to knots in the line, or worse yet, from standing on the line (I’m glad there wasn't a video camera in use the several times when I have made that mistake).
Tight Lines & Fish Tales. The Kingfish
GO DEEP!
Always look for feeding birds (gulls, terns, etc.) to show you the easy targets. You can see hovering and diving birds from a greater distance than you can see fish boils, swirls and busts. When you’re lucky enough to get into surface-feeding fish, have a ball and be grateful - it doesn’t happen as often as we would like. I call this “aerobic fishing“, because seeing big stripers, albies or other fish feeding on top all around your boat definitely gets your heart pumping fast, thus “aerobic fishing“.
Most of the time, though, we can’t find surface feeding fish, so a good fish finder will enable you to locate fish that you wouldn’t find otherwise. When the fish aren’t up on the surface slashing and busting bait, you can still find them - and fish to them - with a sinking line. All sinking fly lines designate a specific “sink rate” - how quickly the line sinks - and you can count down to the depth the fish are holding, or feeding in. For instance, most 350 grain integrated head lines sink at approximately 5-8 inches per second. If the fish are holding at 18 feet, count down 30-40 seconds - your fly will be right in their face. If they are in the mood to eat- fish on! (If only it were always that easy!)
CHANGE UP! - OR DOWN!
When you can see the size of bait the fish are feeding on, but you can’t “get bit” by duplicating size and color, change to a much larger - or smaller - fly. This often works whether you are fishing for freshwater trout that are “keyed-in” on a particular size and color (example: size 16 Blue Winged Olive), or Stripers that are busting a school of 3” menhaden. By increasing, or decreasing, fly size you are showing the feeding fish something that stands out and looks different from the rest of the crowd and often gets eaten.
DON'T KILL YOUR LIMIT,
LIMIT YOUR KILL
The Kingfish encourages Catch and Release. Make your flies barbless by bending your hook barbs down. Even with barbless hooks, a good hook-set can be difficult to remove. Therefore, a hook remover is a great tool to carry - and have ready at all times. A deeply hooked fly can kill a fish if not removed carefully. A good hook remover will also let you get back to fishing more quickly - especially important when you’re in the middle of a feeding frenzy! Keep what you can - and will - eat, but release the rest unharmed to fight another day.
REMOVE HOOKS QUICKLY
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Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the size of fish I catch,
The courage not to fib about it,
and the wisdom to know that no one would believe me anyway.
unknown author
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CARRY A CAMERA
A picture is worth a thousand words!
(Who believes a fisherman, anyway?)
The new digital cameras are wonderful, but the little one-use disposable cameras are extremely inexpensive,
take good photos, and are easy to use.
Whichever type camera you prefer - or can afford - CARRY A CAMERA on your boat or in your pocket.
I would rather show a picture than waste a thousand words trying to describe a great catch.
Those who normally might not believe your story will be convinced when you show your photo!
ALSO - wrap your camera in a plastic bag or "safe bag" to protect it from water and moisture.