Composed by: Evan Jones
All pictures by Evan Jones
Battling a huge redfish on fly is a fair bit various than combating a huge trout. Not just is your devices considerably upsized, however so are the fish and their environments, elements which integrate to require various strategies when doing fight with reds. Anglers who have the ability to make these changes will not just land fish more regularly, however do so in less time, benefitting both fish and fisher alike. Here are 3 suggestions for combating redfish, or any similarly-size saltwater gamefish:
1. Pull HARD
If you are utilized to capturing trout on reasonably little hooks and light tippet (as many fly anglers most likely are), then this point truly can’t be over-stated. When it concerns pulling versus a redfish, you do not typically need to stress over the 1/0 hook popping out, nor about snapping the 15 pound( ish) tippet. So long as you do not increase pressure too unexpectedly, you’re at liberty to pull as tough as you can, which’s precisely what you ought to do. Consider combating redfish as a harsh tug-of-war, not like the fragile dance of landing a trout on 6X.
2. Keep the Rod Suggestion Low
Keeping the rod suggestion listed below your waist throughout the battle will increase your utilize by permitting the rod butt to flex totally, using optimum force to your line. Once again, this might at first be counter-intuitive for some trout anglers, who are utilized to keeping the rod suggestion high in order to secure light tippet. Battling a redfish like that will typically get you bossed around the flat, or even worse yet, pull the hook and force you to choose a long-distance release. Reducing the rod and utilizing more sideways pressure to bend it will produce the most effective outcomes, not just pulling the fish in much faster however conserving you some energy at the same time.
3. Guide the Head
Reds are really strong and really persistent, so it’s most likely going to be a drawn-out fight even versus smaller sized fish. And while the battle will typically happen on open flats with couple of barriers, there are still periodic threats to prevent like dock pilings, crab traps, oyster bars, and so on. When you can’t stop a fish from running, attempt holding the line tighter and plucking a quartering angle away from its instructions of travel. When the line stops heading out, it’ll require the fish to take a trip in a semi-circle instead of continuing straight ahead, however will not put adequate pressure on the terminal take on to remove it. You can utilize this method to restrict their alternatives even as they’re fleing, although it does take some practice to tweak. Attempt to prevent pulling the line when the fish is dealing with straight towards you, as that can in some cases remove the hook. Rather, stomp your feet to dissuade the fish from continuing in your instructions, and after that continue to use sideways pressure opposite to whichever instructions the fish turns.
Evan Jones is the assistant editor of the Orvis Fly Fishing blog site. He resides in Colorado.
