Tips For Fighting Big Fish

Photo: Louis Cahill

Fighting and landing big fish on a fly rod is a skill many anglers hone over time, but they often learn it the hard way. There are a few things you can do to make landing big fish more effective, which is especially important now that we know so much more about how fish recover from catch-and-release.

That’s why it’s important to read this story from Kent Klewein, over at Gink & Gasoline. He talks about how to properly fight big fish by using the butt section of your rod, instead of the tip. We’re often told when starting out in fly fishing to “keep the tip up.” That’s a great reminder to beginners to keep tension on the line during a fight, but using only the tip section of the rod does little to put pressure on a big fish, especially in a river.

Using the butt section gives you more leverage with which to quickly guide fish to the net. Understanding this skill is critical to not getting schooled by the bigger fish you’re chasing.

You can read Klewein’s story here.