How Not To Fly Fish... WK Style!

[WalkersKiller]

Fishing in a place called Millstream, just outside of Dullstroom in Mpumalanga a few weeks a go, I woke up early and decided to fish a spot called Lake Tintern. The water was very dead, until I made a cast with a size 8 Black and Red Woolly Bugger with a bead, made a few fast strips and then I was on. A very good fight, was able to see a bit of my backing, until the fish swam me into a weedbed and the line must of gone slack and the hook pulled, a very sad moment! Yet I fought the weed for about 10 seconds before I realised the fish was off  heres the video, hope enjoy watching it more than I enjoyed filming it  :

Huge Trout On Fly Lost In The Weeds! Fish The Sea Action Angling Fly Fishing Fails.

[SAfish]

Eish, bad luck. Great setting, I love the flat early morning water.

[WalkersKiller]

Yeah was disappointing Hermann...

[SAfish]

It is a good excuse to go back soon...

[WalkersKiller]

  for sure!

[Charles]

Sometimes you win sometimes you lose. Sorry Bud. Agree with Herman you need to go back and finish the business.

[WalkersKiller]

Yeah Charles, reckon I do!

[E.T.]

2 Quick Questions...


1. Why did you let that fish take up so much line?
2. Why did you keep pulling on the line once you had the fish on the reel, why didn't you just played it off the reel?


Stockies doesn't deserve the respect that you were trying to show it. Haul it in, finish and klaar. If you let it run, it's going to dug for cover and you will loose it. Turn it, fight it hard and land the fish and reduce the "this is a personal best I need to take snaps with my rod in my mouth photo session time" and the fish should be fine.

[WalkersKiller]

I was put quite a bit of pressure on the fish, before that and with the size of the fish I was worried about my tippet (1.7kgs) so when the fish started to pull I let it go, but not completely still had a bit of pressure on the line when it was taking.

Always have preferred to use the line to bring the fish in opposed to the reel, a guide in Rhodes suggested it as I was loosing every second fish due to a bit of slack line.

  Koos these fish arent your normal stockies, so strong...

[E.T.]

Correct on small fish you can do that, cause there is only 3 meters of line out the tip when you fish Rhodes.
For big fish and this includes the salt, you fight the fish off the reel.
I mean it did look like that whale you connected with was on it's way back to the ocean. Apply the drag and fight it hard. This you should practice, go to the Vaal and go and hook up on some Yellows and Muddies, this will teach you how to fight fish hard and fast in a small area.

[WalkersKiller]

Hmmm, interesting, do you think that could of played a role in me losing that fish then Koos?

How do you deal with a lot of slack line if a fish bolts straight towards you on the reel though, would it not be quicker to pull the line in a situation like that? Or is there really no need for it?

[E.T.]

You started off good. Then it went onto the reel and then you wanted to bring it in by hand again. It's always good to keep tension on the line. If I fish for bass, I connect with the fish in close quarters, I then use the line in my hand to bring them in. If its a big one, I will hold the line and I will start reeling in so that I can get the fish on the reel. If it then takes line close to me, I bring it in by playing it off the line. So in essence it doesn't really matter if it is from the reel or by playing it with the line in your hand. The key is tension and bringing it in.


If it runs and there is slack in the line or you allow it to dive for cover, it's gone.
You had the better of that fish up and till where you decided to let it run.

[WalkersKiller]

Awesome comment Koos, thanks 

[E.T.]

I know this fish is not as big as the trout you have lost, but look at what this oke is doing on his 3wt....


Monster Grass Carp on Fly Rod


He did everything right except for not having a landing net on him. If he had a net on him, he could have landed it in 3 minutes.

[Charles]

Awesome exchange Koos and WK! Learned something new again!

[WalkersKiller]

Koos that fish is about half the size of my stockie  not much of a fight on a 3wt 

I see what you mean, need to start doing that again, and more efficiently.

[E.T.]

Do you see how much/little line he is actually giving that fish?
Do you also see how close to him he is actually fighting that fish.
Try this next time you go fish Jurassic Pond again. Big fish, big brake.

Jokes aside, up your line strength a bit. For them big Lake Trout you are after you can fish heavier seeing that you are fishing streamers. 8lb is fine my broer.

You see that trout probably smashed the fly with it's head sideways, it connected probably somewhere close to the scissors and when it went down for cover it came loose as you had it by a little bit of skin. If it was on the inside of the mouth, the fly would have stuck, I know it's difficult keeping the fly connected when you fish barbless like you do, but tension on the line would sort that out.

[WalkersKiller]

Yeah, its almost unbelievable, he definitely wasnt using 2lb tippet!

Lekker Koos, I will do that, reckon I should try 8lb and then I can put nice pressure on them!