being new to the fly rod ive had a few 6lbers or so and one 8 but ive heard the record for the lake is 16. Im wanting to know whats the best way to get them in. How long to play them and what not. I dont want to knacker the fish out so it dies when i get it in, if thats possible? Any help would be ideal as ive been loosing a fair few cause im not too sure how to play them. Cheers

Hi Ross
I play them as hard as the tackle will stand. The secret is in having balanced tackle. I tend to fish light by most standards 3/4wt rods and 3/4lb tippets with size 16/18 flies and I have landed rainbows to 17lb easily on this outfit. The reason is that the light rods protects the light tippet and I can really bend into the fish without risk of hook pulls or snapoffs.
Where folk have problems is a heavy rod allied to light tippet, you give the fish some wellie and the line breaks so you have to be cautious and that leads to prolonged fights and knackered fish.
It all depends on the size of fly you use. A size 16 buzzer on 10lb leader wouldn't work properly and you wouldn't get many takes so start from there.
If, like most people you use a 7/8 wt rod then a leader of around 6-8lbs would let you land most trout pretty quickly, and your right to want to if they are going back.

i was under the impression that the lighter rods where for smaller rivers. I have a 8lb tippet with 8 main line on a 7-8 rod so maybe its the big one just having me life and stealing all me good flies haha. Had a good one played for a few minutes and got it all the way to the bank to scare it with me net and it got off after all that. Gutted i was but ill keep trying. Whats the best place to buy flies from cause i need some more? I live in darlington, work in newcastle and in to durham a fags bit so im open to places. Cheers again

Two things, get them on the reel, and if there is cover use it.

Initially after a take you will have to hand line the free line in, but once you have full contact with the fish get all the line onto the reel. I do this by trapping the line to the fish under the index finger of my rod hand and the line to the reel under my little finger of the same hand. Then the other free hand reels in. When I feel the line touch the back of my middle and third finger I know I can let go of the line and use the drag on my reel to play the fish. This is smoother than trying to control the line in your fingers. Also it stops the risk of loose line getting caught up. Which, given that sods law is the only fixed rule in angling, increases with the size of fish you are playing.

In one of his books Dick Walker wrote about playing fish and explained that the fish is trying to get away from YOU, not just this strange resistance it is feeling. If you hide, behind a bush for example. the fish will come in much quicker. He quoted playing times for comparable fish to support this, but my memory isn't that good that I can quote them. I do remember there was a significant difference. If he hid behind available cover it took less than 50% of the time that it took if he stood tall out in the open.

On the weight of rod/line you use, the average size of fly you are using should dictate it. The size of fly gives you the size of tippet, which in turn gives you the weight of fly line. Most people seem to go the other way around and choose the rod first. It doesn't work that way.

Cheers,
OT

I wouldn't worry to much about the bigger ones Ive always found rainbows around the 7lb mark seem to give the best scrap. when they get past about 10lb they seem to slow down a bit. Just take your time and keep it smooth with steady pressure and you should be on a winner.

I agree with getting them on the reel. If your reel has a good drag (and that includes some pretty cheap wide arbour reels) you can let go when you feel like it and use your left hand up the rod to get better leverage and put more pressure on without killing your right wrist.

Yes, despite OTs excellent advice of using cover (and Dick Walker used to crouch as well to avoid "looking like a giant heron" as he put it), there often comes a time when the fish will realise it is in deep trouble when it eventually sees you and/or the net. It will panic, and if you try to hold it there will be trouble!

The answer is to be prepared to yield line on the drag/ratchet. Definitely by then you should have the trout "on the reel" as OT says. The closer to the net, and the fresher the fish, the more important it is to be prepared for that last surge. Don't try to hurry the netting - get the net well sunken and guide the fish over it. Ideally, by the time the fish panics you are already lifting the net.

Two essentials are confidence and calmness. Both will come with experience. Easy to say, I know, but the more fish you bring to the net, the easier it is to keep calm and confident. I can understand a beginner's anxieties - we have all been through it.

PS Make sure your net is big enough! When I fished for big rainbow triploids, I used a carp net. My fellow syndicate members laughed at it. It wrapped up a large number of big rainbows to over 20lb though.....

Play it off the reel with the drag set quite tight (as line bs will allow). Always set your reel to reel in with your left hand if you are right handed, and vice-versa.......how some can turn the reel with their stronger hand and try to play the fish on their weaker one while having to change hands after hooking the fish is beyond me......daft as a brush in my opinion...
when using the reels drag the tension is steady with no sudden stops and starts unlike handlining. I use reels with an open rim so I can add resisitance by putting my palm on the edge of the spool when needing extra braking power. The other thing is keep your rod at 90 degrees to the line, and try to get the fish's head up into the air, if you can do this the fish tires from breathing air more so than a build up of toxins in the muscles, it is the build up of toxins that do the long term damage.

Hello again, i didn't think to mention this before but Greg's post reminded me. The main cause of rods being broken when landing trout is the angle between the tip and the line. Greg is right that the rod should be kept at 90 degrees to the line. When you get on a shorter line hold the rod away from the fish, especially when netting the fish. If 180 degrees is the line straight out from the tip ring, anything over 90 degrees reduces the length of the rod that is flexing.

When the fish is close to the net, if your rod hand is close to the net handle, all the flex can be coming from the last 6 inches of the rod. If the fish makes a surge for freedom, that top six inches of the rod can not cope with the power, so it breaks. I was shown this by Tony at Stockport Fly Fishing Supplies on an old tip section. It is amazing how fragile a rod tip is. He broke it with just two fingers.

It may look silly holding your rod at arms length behind you while netting a fish but it is the best thing to do to protect your rod. The beat stance is to stand between the fish and the rod, side on. net in one hand with that extended to the fish the other arm extended in the opposite direction holding the rod. A longer handled net helps.

Cheers,
OT

after taking on board all the advise i can now say im pullin them in loads better, havent been loosing any off and the sound of my reel screaming for the first time was enough to make me almost **** me pants. went over to aldin grange yesterday in the **** rain, was there on me own all day and it was as if the fish knew none of the old blokes come out in the rain and the fish were taking everything, but the elk hair caddis was the pick of the day. could spot a fish come up, cast out to it and bang, fish on almost every time, best days fishing ive had in a long time. heres one from another day...cheers for the help fellas

Its days like that we remember fondly. Congratulations.

some great tips there, agree with all. My philosophy is just get them in as quick as possible and as much as your tackle can stand, if your not intending on keeping it.

yeh i agree with,we all want to get the big ones in as quick as possible BUT dont go mad saying oh my god i have to get in this fish and start hauling him like an ass!! play the fish nice and tastily,give him line when he wants it and when hes played out lower your net and gently net the fish,if he comes off he comes off,there is nothing you can do about it!!! but the worst posssible thing you can do is panic!!