A salmon took my fly line...

[O.mykiss Hunter]

I was fishing on the American River today targeting steelhead but I unexpectedly hooked into a salmon. It was quite an exciting ride for a short time and the fish took me all the way into my backing, at least 20yds or so. However it ended up breaking off...and took my whole entire fly line with it. So if any of you guys are out there fishing and you happen to catch a salmon with a #2 black General Practitioner, a 10' polyleader, and a whole entire Wulff Ambush Triangle Taper fly line (it has a chartruese/yellow shooting head and blue running line) please PM me. It would be much appreciated and many thanks in advance!

[Don Powell]

I fear that your line now rests with the fishes... most salmon, if hooked in the mouth, rub their snout in the gravel and free themselves of the hook, leaving the remainder of the line, leader and fly flowing downstream and susceptible to didymo aka rock snot, until someone hooks the line. I've hooked two such lines and retrieved them. I might go back and dredge with a heavy set-up near where you lost the line to recover it... Good Luck, it is possible!

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Lots of fly fishers have an overhand in their backing from reeling their leader completely into their reel when done fishing. Then when they pick out the end of their leader it is under another coil of line on the reel. The line will go out after you hook a big fish until you hit the backing, then it will bind up and stop or break off.

[Mark Kranhold]

Line wrap..that's the pits!!!Mykiss, I was on the other end of this about 10 years ago. Caught myself a cortland QD 225 line right below the Arden rapids. It was salmon season , and I know if you hook a fresh one up in the tail out they sometimes they think the salt is right behind them and off they go! Hope you find your line!

[Dan Harrison]

Bill your one smart cat. I have seen this on two on my reels in the past. Each time I couldn't imagine how in the world it got there. And now i know thanks for the post.

[Mark Kranhold]

Bill your one smart cat. I have seen this on two on my reels in the past. Each time I couldn't imagine how in the world it got there. And now i know thanks for the post.

Dan, when you store your reel if the spool is ported you can poke your leader through one of the holes and this will keep this from happening. I usually poke a 3-4 inch tag through a hole. If it is not ported you can always make a big loop knot in your leader and then bring it up and over and loop it on foot of the reel for storage. Line wrap is no fun when hooking a hot fish!

[O.mykiss Hunter]

Lots of fly fishers have an overhand in their backing from reeling their leader completely into their reel when done fishing. Then when they pick out the end of their leader it is under another coil of line on the reel. The line will go out after you hook a big fish until you hit the backing, then it will bind up and stop or break off.

So that's how it is...I never take my leader off when I'm done fishing, I just reel it into the reel with the rest of my fly line. Now I know a good reason not to do that.

[Tim P]

Lots of fly fishers have an overhand in their backing from reeling their leader completely into their reel when done fishing. Then when they pick out the end of their leader it is under another coil of line on the reel. The line will go out after you hook a big fish until you hit the backing, then it will bind up and stop or break off.

Hi Bill

I understand what you are saying here... but wouldn't the overhand have to work it's way backwards over the complete length of the flyline as you payed out line? It sure seems like you should be able to feel that quite readily when you went to strip line off the reel at the beginning of a session.

Of course, I've walked into other FF'ers back-casts, so I suppose there is a difference between what you should notice and what you actually do.

@O.mykiss Hunter

Just curious; where did the break occur? Somewhere in the middle of the backing, or at a knot/junction?

[O.mykiss Hunter]

The break occurred at the knot/junction. I'm almost positive it broke because I tied a bad knot, but I never take my leader off when I'm done fishing and usually reel it in on top of the fly line so I wouldn't be surprised if a coil of line was to blame either. In any case, I guess I have to shop for a new line now.

[Mike O]

Since the fly line is pretty hard to tangle because of it's thickness and slickness, so the loop passes down to where there is more friction...the backing.