catching a jumper?

[ryguyfi]

While steelhead fishing this past weekend, I hooked a few fish that went airborne. Some of them ended up tangling the line up in the air causing issues with the fight. Causing either snapping me off or me having to guide the fish around to get the leader from being wrapped around it's belly. Any suggestions on how to approach a jumping fish (not that it's easy to predict when they'll jump) as to line tension, rod position etc, so that this problem may be avoided in the future?

 

[tomgamber]

As I most always forget to do, I'm told you should lower the rod and point the rod at the fish when it goes airborne. I forget what JackM called it the day I broke one off the same way...bowing to the fish or something like that...I do it with smaller fish all the time...not sure why I get goofy with a 9lb 30inch fish on... ;-)

 

[Hook_Jaw]

I caught several trout on a streamer last week that jump out of the water when hitting it I didnt think I could of did anything different just set the hook the same maybe others would have a guess but I would not know but I do not claim to be skilled lol

 

[tomgamber]

here's an good read...what I was trying to describe in in there toward the bottom.

http://www.bishfish.co.nz/articles/fresh/landing.htm

 

[JackM]

If the fish jumps, "bow to the fish."

This was what I probably repeated from having heard it before. While this guy helpfully explains that it means you should lower your rod tip, I spread the pithy comment in the hopes of seeing people performing an at-the-waist bend and perhaps a tip-of-the-hat as well whenever the fish goes acrobat on them.

 

[ryguyfi]

Yeah I felt I did a good job of releasing pressure from the fish when he jumped, but this slack line then wrapped around his belly causing issues. Might be inevitable to have this happen sometimes, just wondering with everyone else does. Tough especially when using tandem nymphs and then the 2nd fly hooks the fish causing tension on that fly and having the fight look like a foul hook job. Either way, very difficult to land the fish after these issues.

 

[JackM]

I agree there is little you can do to keep the line from wrapping when the fish barrel-rolls. Often, by viewing how the line was wrapped and varying the direction you pressure the fish during the continuation of the fight, you can "unwrap" them effectively, though not always. I sometimes use a tandem rig also and have had the fish get snagged by the other fly, usually only when the take occurs on the bottom fly. In this case, I say land them and if one fly is in the mouth, it counts as fair and can be kept. I would think the fish will be in greater danger of injury by breaking them off with a fly in the mouth connected by tippet to a fly elsewhere on the body.

 

[MattBoyer]

JackM wrote:
If the fish jumps, "bow to the fish."

This was what I probably repeated from having heard it before. While this guy helpfully explains that it means you should lower your rod tip, I spread the pithy comment in the hopes of seeing people performing an at-the-waist bend and perhaps a tip-of-the-hat as well whenever the fish goes acrobat on them.

I think it comes from tarpon fishing when they tell you to "bow to the king", the tarpon commonly being referred to as the "silver king"

Boyer

 

[Hook_Jaw]

I thought the king was Richard Petty lol

 

[tomgamber]

ryguyfi wrote:
Yeah I felt I did a good job of releasing pressure from the fish when he jumped, but this slack line then wrapped around his belly causing issues. Might be inevitable to have this happen sometimes, just wondering with everyone else does. Tough especially when using tandem nymphs and then the 2nd fly hooks the fish causing tension on that fly and having the fight look like a foul hook job. Either way, very difficult to land the fish after these issues.

I've had that happen too...nothing worse than having a fish reel YOU in. I hate when they just roll, instead of run or flop or jump or dive. Had one roll so much once I think he made 4 or 5 turns of the line around his body. Used up the whole leader and was about 2 feet into the fly line. Usually happens to me when they are close to being landed.

 

[ryguyfi]

I have found that the larger fish roll rather than run or jump. I know last year I hooked a monster on Walnut. I set the hook, then gave a good tug after nothing happend and just felt a heavy slow roll then a shot straight up stream and snapped my leader. I think the larger fish get lazy and found that the death roll may be the best way to get the line to break.

 

[Padraic]

I've never gone after steelhead, so for them maybe you really do have to bow to the fish. But when I have had trout or bass jump, I always lifted the flyline off the water and kept light pressure on the fish. (Not so hard, since I always tried to keep slack out of the line) My feeling is that if you allow slack in the line, the fish can throw the hook easier or tangle the line, etc. I wouldn't try to strip line in on a jumping fish, but I wouldn't want to see a big belly in the line either.

 

[ryguyfi]

what do those new legs cost Pad? I'm sure we could all tie some flies and sell them on Ebay to help raise some funds lol. (shiney usually means expensive)


on a more serious note, how's the recovery going? Always a thought on the board members minds while chatting on here.

 

[David]

I find myself doing a lot more to control Steelhead immediately after the hookup, because of their size and strength, in comparison to other fish. I will keep the rod high, even extending my arm, often right at the point of hook up. I will use alot of side pressure with the rod parallel to the water and one hand high on the rod to get the fish heading in the direction I want him to go. I have even roll cast below the fish when he is in faster water down stream from me so he feels the pressure from below and heads back upstream where I can fight him better. These have helped me simply by keeping the line coming sideways out of his mouth, and hence, away from his body if he does roll. With the power of these fish, "control" is a relative term and many times you are just along for the ride...so just enjoy whatever the outcome is.

 

[jayL]

I lost my steelhead of a lifetime when he rolled. I'm returning to the salmon river to get him this weekend.

 

[eballat]

I agree with mattboyer on this, the whole "bowing to the fish or king" comes from tarpon fishing and really works well when steelhead breech the water as well. When i was up( to Erie) last week its what worked for me. It sucks when fishing a tandem rig or a "dropper" but that's what i was fishing the whole time. Its not such a big deal when the fish takes the lower fly but when it takes the first fly thats when you deal with the tangles and such. One thing you have to learn to deal with steelhead fishing is the line breaks. Its just a inevitalble hazard and a pleasure of the activity.

 

[Chaz]

I've caught a lot of Land-locked Salmon and they jump more than any other fish except their cousins Atlantic Salmon, The King of Fish. I've seldom had trouble landing them, maybe I simply have an instinct about jumping fish, I don't know, but keeping the line tight is as important as bowing to the king if you were to ask me. BTW the expression comes from Atlantic Salmon Fishing. It's a fine line, as you want to tip your rod toward the jump fish while keeping the line tight, yes it will get a slight belly in the line, but it won't get tangled around the fish.

 

[afishinado]

I agree with Chaz, it's a fine line between too much and not enough pressure on the fish. Things happen fast during the battle and experience must take over. One thing I would add is that a high rod position is usually the wrong approach when battling a fish that wants to go airborne. When the line is in the water, there is tension on the fish. What usually happens on a jump when your rod is high, is the fly line comes out of the water and instantly creates slack. When the fish jumps and the line clears the water, slack is created and the fish may become unbuttoned or wrap around your line because of the slack. A high rod position only allows you to do one thing, move the rod towards the fish and allow slack. You cannot tighten up if needed since the rod is at the most far back position, vertical. Also, when the fish is close by, a vertical rod position will cause the rod to bend past 180 degrees and possibly break your rod. Finally, if the fish makes a run towards you, you have no ability to move the rod to take up the slack.

The best rod position is keeping the rod perpendicular the fish during the battle with the rod lower to the water. Maintain a 90 degree angle of the rod to the fish during the entire time. In that position, you are able to move the rod and maintain constant pressure on the fish. When the fish jumps, don't allow the fly line to come out of the water. In a split second, in the 90 degree position, you are able to move the rod to increase or decrease tension, whatever your instincts tell you to do at the time.

Battling a big fish is why we’re out there in the winter freezing in the winter. It’s more fun if you win the battle..at least once in a while. Good luck.

 

[gulfgreyhound]

Bowing does indeed refer to the Silver King aka Tarpon.Bowing slacks the line and if the fish falls on it the slack prevents breakoff, at least it's suposed to.

 

[jpb5002]

From my experiences, most of the jumping steelhead are foul hooked. I would rather LDRing the fouled ones.