Quote Originally Posted by Ralph View Post
It sounds like you had your rod tip in the air. Remember that whatever is attached to your rod (dead or alive) will always wind up directly down current of the tip. When it gets close, kneel down, put your net in the water then swing your rod tip directly upstream. The fish will almost swim into your net.
Let me make sure I follow you correctly on this:
Yes, during each failed attempt to net him I did have the tip up (trying to lift him up a bit). I was slightly downstream of the fish still, bringing the net slowly in from under and behind him, but he was totally on to that and would swim away right about the time the rim of the net would get past his shoulders.
The kneeling down part actually makes a lot of sense, allowing me to plunge the net further under water. When you say to swing the rod tip directly upstream, are you meaning at a low angle (more horizontal) or still keeping it up high when swinging it upstream?
thanks,
JB