How Long To Fight A Fish?

[DaddyO]

OK, I need a little help from some of you, more experienced, anglers.

I'm thinking of coming back to Taney in a few weeks. I lost a nice brown last week because I applied a little too much pressure on my line trying to land him faster. My fear was of one of fighting him so long that I wouldn't be able to revive him for release.

So, how long is too long to fight a fish and still be able to revive him?

[Phil Lilley]

That's tough to say.

Best thing is to have a fishing buddy with you to help net the fish quicker.

In saying that, it would be cool if anglers on Taney unite and help each other land fish faster. I mean total strangers.

Just thought of that concept. But it would help. We do it all the time when catching salmon and rainbows up north just because it would take 2-3 times longer to land a big fish in current by yourself verses someone netting it for you.

Beyond that - if you use 7x tippet and hook a big trout, you'll fight him too long guaranteed. Even 6x. Unless you get real lucky and slip him on the gravel or into a net early, you'll probably fight it to it's death if using light tippet. But it's hard to catch one with 5x or larger... so it's a dilemma, one I'm not sure you can get around.

[Zack Hoyt]

Phil, I see the same issue with using very small rods. I love my 4wt, but using one on Taney can be a bit of work. It is more of a challenge to land a fish on a smaller rod, but again, what does it do to the fish.

I have noticed that if you take the time to handle the fish well, that goes a very long way. The worst thing you can do after fighting a fish for a long time is pull him all the way out of the water. When I net a fish I try to keep it in the water as much as possible.

[DaddyO]

So, how long is too long to fight the fish?

I was using a 7wt rod with 6x tippet. What would be an estimate on the size of fish that could be landed and how long to fight it and still be able to revive?

I know that there are a lot of variables but I'm kinda looking for a rule of thumb on this one.

Thanks in advance for the feedback.

[vanven]

I always offer to net fish for people I see fighting fish. 95% of the time they say no and continue to fight for 20 more minutes. Taking the risk of letting someone else break off what might be the fish of a lifetime is too much for most people.

-Jerod

[Dave Cook]

I'm curious about the fish you lost. Did the line break or the hook pull out?

I wouldn't worry about how long it takes to land a fish. For me, it's how much pressure can I apply to end this as soon as I can AND in my favor. But I let the fish tell me how long the fight is going to last.

I practice maximum pressure techniques on smaller fish so that I know my limits for when a big one is hooked. I fish a lot with a 5wt 5x tippet and most my fights last less than a minute if the fish is under 14". Those 14-15 inch trout make a perfect size for practicing how hard (and quickly) to fight a fish. I put as much pressure as I can on the fish after the initial run to test my rig. I have a lot more confidence in my knots and tippet strength and how well a hook will hold by doing this.

If you can get a practice fish early in your day, then you will know the feel of strong pressure. When a good sized fish does happen to take more than 5 minutes to land, then you can re-evaluate how much pressure you have been applying. But as I said earlier, I let them dictate how long it will last.

[2sheds]

I concur with the 1-minute suggestion for a fish up to 14", but would offer a few additional comments:

1) I'm sure we're all referring to fishing with flys and artificials that tend to hook lightly in the lip. For the trolling newbees, fish survival is the reason catch-and-release fisher-men/women avoid soft rubber and natural baits.

2) It takes me longer against a stiff current. I can land the same fish 5x faster on Taney with one generator running (or from a drifting boat) than the same sized fish on the Eleven Point while wading and fighting it upstream in a stiff rapids. In the later scenario it helps that a high-volume of oxygenated water remains flowing through the gills.

3) It seems to help me shorten the fight if I can work the fish back and forth. Making them repeatedly change directions seems to cause them to give up sooner. And I haven't noticed a difference in mortality.

4) A quick net, twist the barb-less hook loose with the forecepts, then a brief revive facing upstream to get their gills pumping gives me the best results. Always minimize hand contact with the fish. Never hold the fish out of the water with their weight suspended on your line.

[twosets]

It seems to me like the last time I fished with you, you were more into poisioning them and scooping them up in nets than in the flyrod thing. I could be wrong but I do not think so.

[DaddyO]

Dave, the fish I lost was on 6x tippet and he broke my line. I had landed 4 fish prior to this one.

2sheds, the fish was hooked on a black and copper #16 zebra midge.

I agree with the methods mentioned on handling and releasing but if I let the fish dictate the fight won't that be to its own demise?

[Randall]

You said you were using a 7-weight rod with 6x tippet? I'm not sure where the thread is but there is one on here somewhere where they were talking about using smaller weight rods for lighter tippet so that you get a better fight and don't wear fish out as badly. The jist was use like a 3 weight or smaller for 7x, 4 weight and down for 6x, and so on. The idea was that the lighter rods allow you to use the rod more to fight the fish because you can put more pressure on the tippet without it breaking thus making the fish fight harder for a shorter period of time. Think of it like sprinting for a hundred yards vs running for 2 miles. It doesn't take nearly as long to recover from the sprint plus the lactic acid buildup is significantly less than the run. Another factor is that with a 7-weight, when you put more pressure on the fish, it will be more likely to pull the hook than with a lighter 4 or 5 weight.

I haven't done much as far as testing the theory, but it is logical.