How long should it take to land a fish?

[TimRobinsin]

yup, i agree with most of yall. get it in asap! no need to play it out unless it's a lunky youve been staring down for awhile, then maybe play it a little easier when you get him on, but even then, dont play it like a b!tch, get it in and over with. like don cherry says when a guy scores and does a ridiculous celly, "act like ya scored one before!" same thing "act like ya caught one before!"

 

[5RingsBL]

1-2 minutes to land a steelhead?

If you're talking fresh steelhead, I'm certainly doing something wrong with fighting the steel.

 

[pete41]

My wife took about 10 years to land....in retrospect, I should have hoped for an LDR!

That is the best one David-lol

 

[jdaddy]

pcray1231 wrote:
Doesn't take me any longer on the Tully. Then again, I don't go finer than 6x tippet even on tricos.

Tiltax, yeah, my chrome experience is limited to PA, fish average 6ish lbs and bigger ones are 10ish. And I'd only use 4x in extremely clear conditions, 2x or 3x is more typical for me on chromers.

Ya, that was my point. Come trico time everyone thinks they need 8x and 3wt to catch a Tully trout. That is a lot of folks answer to the last second rejections.

 

[jayL]

1-2 minutes on a salmon river steelhead ain't happening. 1-2 minutes to put the brakes on the first run is more like it.

 

[JeffK]

An old Atlantic salmon guideline is a maximum of 1 minute per pound. Probably not bad for all large salmonids, but water temperatures, current speed etc all play a part.

I was told that some old hard-core salmon guides would put their lit cigarette on your fly line when the minute per pound time limit was up. Never witnessed this and imagine it would cause a big argument.

 

[afishinado]

JeffK wrote:
An old Atlantic salmon guideline is a maximum of 1 minute per pound. Probably not bad for all large salmonids, but water temperatures, current speed etc all play a part.

I was told that some old hard-core salmon guides would put their lit cigarette on your fly line when the minute per pound time limit was up. Never witnessed this and imagine it would cause a big argument.

I recall Jack posting about a similar method he uses to gauge his time fighting a fish. If the butt in his mouth burns down all the way while fighting a fish, he cuts the line...or something like that.

 

[trowpa]

Strength of individual fish / species
Temperature
Current
Depth
tippet size
hook size
hookset / placement
etc
etc


All play a part in how much pressure you can put on a fish and how quickly you can land it. Too many variables for a rule of thumb other than - land it as quickly as you can.

or...for you legal buffs.. "With All Deliberate Speed".