Bringin'em in, help needed

[Baron]

I really like Click and Pawl but have never used a fly reel with a drag. It dawned on me that the heaviest fish I've caught was probably a sleepy 13" BMB. The rest were much lighter. New to FF I've heard the term "get it on the reel" used by more experienced fishermen. Is it really necessary to get them on the reel or is it okay to let the line lay. I mean with a C&P what does it matter as there isn't any drag.

So far all the fish I've caught were under 3 lbs and I've noticed no issues stripping them all the way in. I thought by now I'd want a drag but btwn pinching the line and the added friction of all the eyes on the 9' 6wt rod I've never felt the need for drag.
So should I put all the fish on the reel or am I okay to just fight him in?

What are you doing?

 

[kobalt335]

Most of my fish I put on the reel. There are a few circumstances where I can strip them in, but I feel like having them on the reel generally gives me a better chance of landing them. I also know people who always just strip their line. It probably just comes down to preference, in the average trout and bass game anyway.

 

[Baron]

Currently I cast and reel-in with the left hand and strip with the right. My Right hand doesn't work the reel well since surgery. The reason I've become concerned is that I have formed the habit of only stripping it in and that habit may hamper me if I ever bought a reel that had a drag.

I have these stupid, cheap little Martin reels and they work very well as line holders and I'm thinking that I may just stick with C&P when I buy an 8, 9 or 10wt salt or pike rod.

Have your friends lost any fish stripping in only. I feel like I have better control than I had the few times I did put fish on the reel.

I've also discovered that many steelhead FF prefer C&P.

 

[Swattie87]

You're going to get a wide spectrum of responses here. For the most part, for most fish you catch, it's just personal preference. I put about 1% of the fish I hook onto the reel. Most Trout in PA are small, and can easily and with no risk of breakoff, be stripped in, even on fairly light tippet, say down to 5x. A big Trout (say upper teens or better) on big water/heavy current/light tippet will be a handful no matter how you slice it, and the drag on the reel will help there. Even a rudimentary drag will be of benefit in this situation, and better than fighting them by hand on the line. But again, for the vast majority of Trout in PA, I just strip them in.

Bass are more powerful than Trout (for a fish of a given mass), but you're often fishing them with heavy tippet...like 8 or 10 lb, or heavier even. I usually just strip them in too. With tippet that heavy you can be a donkey while fighting them and not really risk breaking them off.

In short, IMO having a fish on the reel only makes an appreciable difference when you have a BIG fish on LIGHT tippet. If only one (or none) of those conditions are present, the reel doesn't do much for you, unless you just prefer using the reel vs. stripping.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

Always to the reel even on small fish.
Why?

Because once you get that fish of a lifetime to bite, you want it to be second nature.
My .02.

 

[Baron]

I see the wide variance of replies. No on is telling me one way is right and the other wrong. I see Sal's point and that scenario, 'fish of a lifetime, that is what caused me to create this post in the first place. I plan to stay with C&P for now and will see how my habits migrate as the years go by.
For bluegill I recently purchased an auto reel and it seems like a big help managing the excess line. I've not put a fish onto the reel yet but it will be easy and fast when the time comes.
A few weeks ago I had a break-off of a life time. Something hit so fast and hard as the line was laying down post cast that I was not even holding the line yet. The strike was so spontaneous it broke above the indicator and I never saw it surface again. Must've been a musky and it would have been the 'fish of a lifetime'.

 

[allthingsfishing]

I was told that a fish will put itself on the reel. All others should be hand played.

 

[kobalt335]

Baron wrote:

Have your friends lost any fish stripping in only. I feel like I have better control than I had the few times I did put fish on the reel. .

I'd say it's pretty even with fish lost, sometimes it just happens. I'm the opposite, I feel that I have more control when I get the line onto the reel. Everybody has their preferences.

 

[BruceC2C]

Regarding the BIG hit where u " were not even holding the line yet"...
I first heard this on Lefty Kreh video.
Below link is comparable.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oNSOcHw6euA

 

[Baron]

Bruce that was very instructive. My problem is very similar in that sometimes when I cast I let go of the line altogether and it takes a split second to get the hand back in place and to put the line under my fingers. Very well, Thanks.

 

[JerryC]

Most times I don't put the fish on the reel.. but with larger bass, medium size pike or a big chain pickerel, I'll put them on the reel. I feel like it gives me better control over how I fight the fish. Plus if I'm fishing from the bank or a dock it keeps me from tripping over my fly line or if I'm in a boat keeps line from wrapping seats, cleats or my tackle boxes lying around.

 

[Tigereye]

On the reel. Not so much because of drag or anything else. As said above even the largest trout is not that taxing to a reel. Having 20 feet of line around my feet standing in 2 1/2 feet of cold water on a slippery rock is not a welcome proposition.

 

[Canoetripper]

I always put fish on the reel. Most PA trout probably don't require that, especially natives. I have put enough bird's nests in click and pawl reels and lost trout in Alaska and Colorado to know that I don't have the finesse to control that kind of reel.

I trust the disc drag on good fly reels.

 

[hooker-of-men]

JerryC wrote:
Most times I don't put the fish on the reel.. but with larger bass, medium size pike or a big chain pickerel, I'll put them on the reel. I feel like it gives me better control over how I fight the fish. Plus if I'm fishing from the bank or a dock it keeps me from tripping over my fly line or if I'm in a boat keeps line from wrapping seats, cleats or my tackle boxes lying around.

This is it for me, too. I've definitely been tangled in line and lost a fish at the net. There are times when in the moment I'll make a call to strip it in - not even sure what factors decide this in the abstract - but in general I try to get them on the reel just to keep the landing and release somewhat tidy.

I have, however, lost fish when pausing to bring in the line. I've made my peace with it.

 

[Dave_W]

Tigereye wrote:
Having 20 feet of line around my feet standing in 2 1/2 feet of cold water on a slippery rock is not a welcome proposition.

This is a good point.^

Also, if you're fishing from a boat, stripped line can also get tangled around stern cleats and other stuff.

If the fish is big enough that I have to move by foot to land it, I'll usually put 'em on the reel (see Tigereye above).

I'll usually put big smallies on the reel too as I use the fighting butt to pressure them. Trout in large rivers can run so they get cranked too.

However, I've always been a strip 'em in guy and land most fish this way.

 

[afishinado]

Dave_W wrote:

Tigereye wrote:
Having 20 feet of line around my feet standing in 2 1/2 feet of cold water on a slippery rock is not a welcome proposition.

This is a good point.^

Also, if you're fishing from a boat, stripped line can also get tangled around stern cleats and other stuff.

If the fish is big enough that I have to move by foot to land it, I'll usually put 'em on the reel (see Tigereye above).

I'll usually put big smallies on the reel too as I use the fighting butt to pressure them. Trout in large rivers can run so they get cranked too.

However, I've always been a strip 'em in guy and land most fish this way.

Agree with DW above ^

You can strip in small fish > put bigger fish on the reel.

It all comes with experience.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

I see the wide variance of replies. No on is telling me one way is right and the other wrong. I see Sal's point and that scenario, 'fish of a lifetime, that is what caused me to create this post in the first place. I plan to stay with C&P for now and will see how my habits migrate as the years go by. 

Baron,

I like you already. Iam 100 percent self taught. After 32 years of this i have learned one very important lesson.
Do what works for you, take others advice and use what you like and leave what you dont but always remember you will be ever evolving. I see your questions in other threads and sub forums. Right when you think you know it all, you will read many others opinions and learn just how much you dont.

I think you already get this. Much faster than i did.

Good luck

 

[Baron]

DaveW just stop it please. you're getting me all teary-eyed with your bird stuff, lol. When a kid I had a Kestrel and a Barn owl for pets and they were very dear to me. That little guy is the spittin image. Very Nice.

 

[Baron]

This is my quote of the Day!"I was told that a fish will put itself on the reel. All others should be hand played." Thanks you Allthingsfishing. This statement matches the theory put forth by Sal that we are always evolving. I will no longer worry that I didn't put them all onto the reel and and if they put themselves there that's even better!

Edifying answers all, thank.

 

[Baron]

This is my quote of the Day!"I was told that a fish will put itself on the reel. All others should be hand played." Thanks you Allthingsfishing. This statement matches the theory put forth by Sal that we are always evolving. I will no longer worry that I didn't put them all onto the reel and and if they put themselves there that's even better!

Edifying answers all, thanks.