Sorry, I can't get my head around what the mystery is. If you throw
something (a ball, a stone etc) hard enough it'll stay airborn
until
gravity overcomes the velocity and the trajectory and will pull
it to
ground. A highly trained throwing arm can send an object a long
way
with a very flat trajectory, a poorly trained throwing arm
throws
something with a lob and it doesn't go very far and falls to
the
ground quickly. I think we're looking for mystery where
there is
none......... for me this horse is well and truly flogged to
death.
Peter Morse
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Gordy-
Most of us set the reel drag based
upon “feel,” especially for freshwater fishing. But I’d like to set the
drag as tight as reasonably possible in order to stop (or slow down) large trout
in lakes from taking off for the next county, going well into the backing, and
eventually breaking 12 lb test tippet at the fly. Is there a formula for
setting the drag on the reel based upon the strength of the leader tippet?
I’ve estimated the (straight) drag
tension using a Boga Grip and have found even three pounds of drag resistance to
be more than I would feel comfortable using with 12 lb tippet. It would be
great to know how much resistance I could safely get away with. Of course,
it largely depends upon how much pressure is being applied by the bend of the
rod, the stiffness of the rod, the direction the trout is going, and whether the
trout has turned at an angle from the fisherman. Maybe there are too many
variables to be able to answer this question definitively, but any suggestions
would be appreciated.
Jim
Harvey
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Jim:
Fresh or salt.... the
principles of drag setting are
similar.
I'll start by saying that 3
pounds of drag when using your 12 lb. tippet is a LOT
!!
When fishing for large salty
pelagics such as sailfish and marlin, we would often use a 20 lb. test
tippet. Even so, we'd set the strike drag at a measured 2 lbs. Some
of the experienced anglers would have a mark on their reel drag setting knob so
that as the fish ran way out to kingdom come, they could quickly move it down to
ONE POUND.
As the fish ran out even
farther, we'd reduce it to just enough to keep the backing from back
lashing.
EVEN SO, AS THE FISH TURNED
AND KEPT GOING, THE TIPPET WOULD SOMETIMES BREAK !
Why ?
1.) No matter how far you
back off on the drag as the fish takes off, you still have the resistance of the
line or backing to the guides and tip-top of the rod. This will vary
depending upon the position in which the rod is held and its
bend.
2.) As the fish runs way out
there, there is resistance of the fly line to the water. The longer the
line in the water, the greater the resistance. (You would have all this even if
there were zero reel drag.)
3.) This resistance of the
water to the fly line, is magnified dramatically as the fish turns and keeps
going. Thus, the fish can easily break the tippet "against the belly of
the line".
So what do we do when one of
these big fish runs way out there ?
# We back off on the
reel drag so that there is just enough to prevent backlash and a
tangle.
# If in a boat, we
move the craft in the direction of the fish. This has to be done carefully
so as not to provide slack. A good captain or guide can do this in a way
which helps negate the curve in the fly line made by the fish
turning.
# With really big
game, we rig up differently...... cutting the fly line back so as to leave just
enough for the cast we'll likely
make.
# Many use sinking fly
lines because the diameter is less .... thus less water
resistance.
Expert anglers use the rim
drag on the reel to control the drag, as well rather than taking the chance of
increasing it with the drag knob simply because they can release it in a
heartbeat if the fish lunges or
jumps.
Once the fish is closer to
you and begins to be subdued, more finger drag on the reel rim is used by these
anglers. When the angler feels that it's time to do so, the drag on the
reel is increased gradually to put pressure on the fish. Some call that
the "fight drag".... about 4 lbs (with a 20 lb. tippet and the fish close
by)
To this is added more
rim-drag pressure as the angler feels he has increasing
control.
Having said all this, I know
that there are differences of opinion about fighting big fish, especially
tarpon. I could write an entire article on that subject ! Suffice it
to say, that I'll adjust my drag when fighting a tarpon depending on the size of
the fish and (more importantly) how it is behaving after hooked. There are
times when I increase that drag almost to the breaking point of the leader
system when indicated in order to break the tarpon's SPIRIT. Then I can
finish him off sooner and am more likely to gain a successful release because I
have not exhausted the creature.
It's a whole different ball
game when fishing a river. When a big fish like a salmon booms down river
and you can't run after him, one trick is to peel off line and roll it out to
him down river. This provides a loop in the water so that the river can
start to pull him a bit downstream. Sometime the fish will turn in
response and go back upstream. I've use this trick on King salmon in
Alaska.
KISS PRINCIPLES
:
A. When a big fish runs
way out there, the worse thing you can do is to increase your drag to try to
stop him !
B. Set
your drag very lightly to start. You can always increase it later after
the fish settles down.
C I
like Lefty's method ......Place your line in your mouth so it is held only by
your lips. As you close your lips, this should be the amount of reel drag used
for most fishing.
D. As the fish
runs way out there, REDUCE YOUR DRAG
!
Gordy