Rod length and landing fish .

[Hairstacker]

Thanks for posting that again David, I'm going to have to give that a try.

Must admit I am concerned about that split second when you're lowering the tension on a good bass . . . I have enough trouble already trying to keep them from dropping.

[briansII]

I use basically the same method, and I don't think I've ever lost a fish during the slip method. After grabbing the tippet is when the fish will usually come unbuttoned. I consider that a good thing, since handling the fish is probably my least favorite part.

briansII

[BillB]

David, I completely agree with the kinetic/potential/gravity issues. I wonder if Newton ever figured out that as we increase in age the force of gravitation increases, potential energy is not as concerning as kinetic and the third law, the ending or changing direction of motion is an increasingly concerning problem.

As for landing fish I suppose we could include a little vector analysis to quantify our thoughts. Personally I need to be able to get the fly in the fishes mouth before I begin to apply any consideration of physics, a task I don't perform all that well!

[gene goss]

Hmmmm .....

"Played-down pretty well"= tired

"Played out"=belly up (nope , I didn't suggest that)

"Green"=likely to get a good , hard squeezin'/flop out of a deathgrip/fall on rocks , gunnel , bottom of the boat , etc. .

Like yourself , I want them to get back in in as good of shape as I possibly can . Obviously you can control the amount of grip on your 'handline' - many times , I have let line slip because of a fishes unexpected second wind . Big Trout on 6X ?? you be the judge .... I wouldn't try this with anything large and dangerous (Marlin , Sharks, toothy critters) either .

Forgot to add , it doesn't work well in heavy brush/telephone-booth Creeks .

D.~

Hey David....I know you fish the port for stripers from your float tube, and i was wondering if you would land a striper the same way....Dave E. from a different post said that he would line the outside of his float tube bladder with a inner tube to help protect the bladder from the stripers fins.

[David Lee]

Gene -

I've taken a lot of Stripes while tubing (no 'big' ones yet , all under 8 or 9 lbs.) , and had no problems w/ the way I land them (the way described in this thread) . Dave E. is a VERY smart dude to 'armor' his tube like that ! I haven't had a Striper poke my tube yet , but I sure can see how one could do that .

D.~

[Rick J]

Ed Ward in Sakgit Master does a very similar manuever with a spey rod to land a steelhead - the one he demonstrated with actually broke him off during the manuever but Ed blamed himself for being over-eager - Good stuff David!!!!

[Rick J]

PS in Ed's demonstration he just loosened the reel drag and when he manuevered the rod tip back he just let line peel off the reel - maybe a good idea with the long rods but like David's idea of just having the slack line

[David Lee]

PS in Ed's demonstration he just loosened the reel drag and when he manuevered the rod tip back he just let line peel off the reel - maybe a good idea with the long rods but like David's idea of just having the slack line

Hi Rick , great to see you jumping on this one !

The major problem w/ a (too) loose drag is the hairy overrun you're going to get if that spool keeps spinning . I ALWAYS back-off the drag setting at the end of a fight (for serious fish , anyways ....) , but am careful to not remove all of the drag . Having a head-sized snarl on the reel just once will teach you the correct drag setting .

Again , if you haven't tried this method of landing .... practice it at home , or in the backyard . You will be suprised at how well it works .

D.~

[Anne Vitale]

Here is Ed Ward using a variation of what looks like the same technique using a spey rod.

http://www.youtube.com/user/Skagitma.../1/0EFU_ivIvjo

I have tried it and found that it works on Steelhead and shad.......Anne