Now once you have the fish it is time tolook at
fighting the fish, and the fly rod being different
then a traditional rod should be used differently
in fighting your catch. The goal is to tier out the
fish and not you and your arm. By using the fly rod in the right way this can be achieved. All rods are designed with a Butt section, the strangle of the rod. In fly rods this is the most important strength and where the fight comes from to fight and tier out your fish.
The wrong way to fight a fish with a fly rod. Never raise your rod tip up in the air over your head and bring in your fish with your arm or wrist. This is a very inefficient method to fight a fish. The rod tip puts very little pressure on the fish and is counter productive to tiering the fish out. Instead you should pull back with a very slight lift of the rod tip, really less than a 20 degree angle. This angle puts all the fight in the butt section of the rod. This will give you more force on the fish and less effort from you. The last thing to remember is you should always
fight the fish in the opposite direction the fish is swimming, as if you
are pulling against his tail. If he swims to the right you fight it to the
left and if he moves to the left you fight to the right. If you follow
these simple ideas you will
increase your catch ration
and just most land that
personal best we
are all fishing for.