I think most anglers walk to the river with a fly rod and a matching reel, strung up with a leader and tippet that they’ve never tested. In fact, I daresay they haven’t tested the rod much either. Oh, they’ve fished it, but most anglers don’t know the limits of their chosen tackle. And when it matters most — when a big trout finally finds the fly at the end of a line — anglers lose the fish-of-a-lifetime if they don’t understand the strength of their tools.
None of us has the time on the water that we wish for, and the more we’re out there, the more we long to get back to our favorite river. That confounding cycle never ends. But in truth, we all have time to test our tackle and know its limits.
It takes about five minutes to feel the flex of a rod and learn the breaking strength of our chosen tippet. And a simple experiment is all that’s needed. Once you’ve tested both the tippet and the rod’s strength, a new confidence follows. Then, when the fish of your dreams shows up, you are ready.
Photo by Matt Grobe
Do This
Decades ago, I read a magazine article with a recommendation for testing the strength of your tippet. Tie your line around a door knob, was the suggestion, and pull with the rod tip. What? A door knob? Have you ever strung up a ten foot rod under an eight foot ceiling? Space gets tight quickly. Of course, you could take this test to an outside door knob, but why are we still looking for knobs and handles? The trouble with such advice is that no one ever does it.
Instead, on your next walk to the river, find a tree limb or a dead log. Stick the fly hook solidly in some wood and walk back about ten paces, letting the drag click and sing for a bit. Settle in, and start pulling.
Remember, this isn’t just a test of the tippet’s strength. Not at all. Start by feeling the flex of the rod. Change the angles and see how the rod flexes. Every fly rod is different, and some with soft tips have strong butt sections. It takes less than a minute to learn where the rod carries its power. Pull hard, so the rod flexes all the way into the butt. That’s the right way to fight a good fish. Now change to a sharp angle and pull so only the tip section flexes. That’s the wrong way to fight a fish. Feel the flex, and learn to use the full power of your fly rod.
READ: Troutbitten | Let’s Talk About Tippet
Once you’ve explored the possibilities and learned the flex of your rod, it’s time to learn the breaking strength of the tippet. So keep pulling until it breaks. I’ve done this test many times. And I’m always impressed by how much I must pull before the tippet fails. It’s far more than you might think. The flex of the rod essentially amplifies the hard-line breaking strength of the tippet. That’s part of its purpose, really — its intended design — so learn to use it.
Pull until the tippet finally breaks. And if you have another minute or two, repeat the test. Then log all that data somewhere in your fishing brain. Now you know just how much to pull on a trout before the tippet finally surrenders. This available power is far more than most anglers estimate.
Once you know the maximum pressure available from your tippet, I’d argue that you should put all that pressure on a big trout whenever possible. When you lock into the next Namer, fight him hard. Pull with maximum pressure to get him into a position where you are in control of the fight. Of course he will surge, and the drag will feed some line, but when he’s done pulling, it’s your turn. Use the backbone of the rod and pull hard — right up to the breaking strength of your tippet.
The goal is twofold: Get the trout in the net so you don’t lose it. And end the fight before the trout wears out.
Here’s a little more on that . . .
Healthy Trout
As catch and release anglers, it’s our job to put trout back in the same shape they were before we hooked them. Fish handling is a necessary skill, and I’ve written about that here on Troutbitten.
READ: Troutbitten | How to Hold a Trout
But fighting fish fairly and quickly is equally important. Remember, just because a trout swims off after release does not mean it’s alive an hour later. Lactic acid build-up is a real thing, and larger trout feel the stressful effects of a long fight even more than do the small ones.
Here’s a summary of everything I’ve written in the Fighting Big Fish series:
— Fight fish hard and fast, using side pressure and upstream angles.
— Do everything possible to avoid fighting a fish that’s downstream of your rod tip.
— Either the trout is pulling or you are pulling. There is no rest.
— Fight a fish quickly to improve your odds of landing it.
READ: Troutbitten | Category | Fighting Big Fish
Following all of those best-practices is good for the health of a trout, too. Put him back with plenty of energy, and he’ll grow a few more inches, he’ll spawn a few more times, and perhaps he’ll inspire another generation of anglers.
How Long?
From hook set to net, what’s the time limit on fighting a trout?
There are no hard and fast rules, of course. Because every river has a unique character. And our trout are as varied as the techniques we use to catch them. But given standard 5X fluorocarbon and a twenty-inch trout in moderate current, you can get the job done in a minute or two. Five minutes is far too long and wholly unnecessary in almost every situation.
I can’t remember the last time it took me more than a few minutes to land even a large Namer. That’s the truth.
Tippet Size
When guys brag about 7X tippet and long fights, I cringe.
There’s a propagated belief about extended fights and micro tippets, suggesting that it’s some kind of special challenge. That’s just wrong. It takes far more expertise to bring a trout in quickly than it does to allow the trout to play out to exhaustion.
But I’ll save that discussion for another day . . .
Know your own strength
It takes time to learn the angles and moves necessary to force a trout into cooperation. And the excitement of that first truly large fish reduces every one of us to a shaking mess of adrenaline. Those early mistakes are forgivable.
But you can cut the learning curve in half by understanding the strength of the tools in your hands. Know how to flex your rod into its backbone, and learn the true breaking strength of your chosen tippet in a real world situation. Be good to the trout.
Fish hard, friends.
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Enjoy the day.
Domenick Swentosky
T R O U T B I T T E N
domenick@troutbitten.com
This is something that makes total logical sense but I’ll probably never do it.
My biggest problem is short arms. I struggle to get the big fish into the net and under control for the release. So more often than not I skip the net and just get the fish unhooked. And if it unhooks itself, that’s not a lost fish — it’s practicing “compassionate release.”
I went to a tying demo by Dr. Eric Pettine once and he had a few of us bend a rod with 6x tippet tied to a small handheld spring scale until we thought we had 3 lbs of pressure on the tippet and no one got over about a pound and a half. This really illustrated how much we tend to underutilize tippet strength. I expect knot strength is more of a limiting factor, and more of a contributor to break-offs, however, which could be why we’ve tended toward being more conservative when fighting bigger fish. That and just having tiny hooks pull free, which for me seems to be at least half the time with bigger fish.
The slow-steady force exerted in such a test is dramatically different from an impact force exerted during a fight. Those sudden lunges at the net apply much greater force than the type of test you described. Impact forces applied over just an instant of time create the type of tensile forces that break most knots/tippets.
Right on. So factor that in. First learn the max breaking strength, and then account for the surges. Nothing like getting a good trout on the end of the line to finish the tutelage.
Good stuff here. Hope more are willing to follow it. I do.
I’ve noticed that it’s way easier to land a big fish in the first 10 seconds or so. I think they are still a bit shocked by being hooked and you can just slide them through the water into your net. But if you are slow or miss the net they seem to get their bearings and start digging into the current or making a beeline for their hiding spot. Also, I believe unrelenting max pressure helps them accept defeat. I landed a 36” carp on 5x with a tenkara rod. Fixed line, so letting him run was not an option. I maintained max pressure as he swam a few fruitless figure 8s and then he just rolled on his side and let me surf him into the net. Never let them get a head of steam. (And carry a big net…)
Great info as always Dom. I feel i have more issues with knot failure. I typically use 5-6x Tippet and I have lost a few lunkers with it, But from my knot slipping at the tippet ring, not at the tippet breaking point. (I use an improved clinch knot at the ring, triple surgeon at the tag, Davey or Double Davey at the nymph). Should I tie a different knot at the ring? That’s where it always slips, if I lose it. (Lost a nice one at Big Springs yesterday) . I feel the knot is secure when I tie it and test it.
I’m just not sure if I’m the only one that has had this issue. Love the tippet ring for convenience but wondering if I should straight tie to the sighter. Any suggestions?
Thanks again for this great resource. Hands down, my favorite site
Hi Greg. Thanks for the kind words.
I may not give you the answer that you’re looking for . . .
If a knot is slipping, then there’s a problem with your knot. Sorry, but that’s just it. There’s no difference between the eye of a hook and the tippet ring. I use a Davy for both. You could use a clinch for both. Either knot will hold in any of the diameters you are using. And if it’s slipping and not breaking, then you likely need to test it harder after tying.
I would spend a half hour at the kitchen table, just tying and testing your knots at the tippet ring, because there’s no reason at all for either the clinch or the Davy to slide off.
If I saw how you are tying it in person, I could probably point to the problem. But in sentences, all I can say is to practice and test it a few times, and you’ll get it figured out.
Good luck, buddy.
Cheers.
Dom
I can’t speak for Pennsylvania brown trout, But out here in Cali, I would love to see you or anyone else land a 20″+ Rainbow on 5x in a minute. Especially on a size 18 zebra midge ( anything larger won’t get many or even ANY takes), whilst fishing oh, say, Putah creek. Where you pretty much are rooted to where you are fishing, and going after fish is not usually an option. I can guarantee you that if you put the wood to the fish too hard, too early, you will pop the hook out every time. Just sayin’….
Cool. I’m just saying most people fight trout too long. And very few anglers that I meet know the limits of their tools. Most have drags set too light and don’t even use half the pulling power that the tippet offers. So people lose a lot of trout that way too. Fighting fish hard and fast is good for the trout and for us landing them.
Those are my only points that carry over no matter where you are fishing.
If you have super powered trout that go a little nuts when hooked, like a steelhead, and if you can’t wade anywhere during the fight, then I agree that the one minute mark would be pretty tough!
Also, point taken on the tiny flies as well. That’s why I rarely fish the tiny stuff until I have to.
Good stuff. Thanks for sharing.
Dom
Put the heat to them as soon as possible. If you can withstand the first 20 seconds and initial run the battle should quickly turn. The sooner you can redirect into softer water the better. Leverage yourself to stay below the fish and change rod angles to confuse where resistance is coming from. 4x-5x tippet is much stronger than most believe. Short of pointing your rod tip right at the fish the hook will pull before the tippet will fail. I’d much rather lose the fish on my terms vs. letting him dig deeper into a root ball and break off.
Ughh… In the spirit of feedback, I’m sharing this. I tried this today with my 2-month old Zephrus, using 6x. My first decent fly rod, after 25 years of the sport. You know where this is going. Gradually applied more pressure, and was very surprised how much force it took to finally break the tippet. I could see how this would boost one’s confidence. So I decided to do it again, this time with a blood knot in the middle of the tippet (connecting the two broken pieces), just to see if the difference was discernible. Pressure, pressure, and BAM! that was it. Not only did the tippet break, but the rod tip snapped between the last two guides. Apparently the line flew right through that last guide, because I can’t find the 3-inch section that broke off. It’s somewhere in my backyard. I don’t understand how it happened, because I was pressuring the butt. My confidence level is not so high now. I guess it’s good it happened at home. It would have been even more depressing at a river. Like I said, ugghhh…
Hi JP. The rod was certainly damaged before you began this test. I think every rod manufacturer out there would tell you the same. Any rod on the market can handle this test on 6x! Promise.
I’ve been telling myself that. And 2 days later I still can’t believe it happened. Occasionally I get some relief by remembering the quote, “For I am Constanza, LORD of the idiots.” But then, it’s a very mixed blessing to have that quote sum up your life at a given point. 🙂 I’m sending the rod back today (for some reason they asked for the whole thing). When I get it back, I know it’ll be hard to overcome that nagging fear. When I get a fish, I’ll be thinking, “Oh, shit…” I’m gonna need therapy.
Sorry, I need to share an update here. After 3 days of self-flagellation I was ready to move on. I’m a 1-rod person, so without my Zephrus I was forced to try to fix my 25-year old cheapie that had exploded right above the ferrule, and which I thought was irredeemable. I figure worst case, it would break again and I’d have to throw it out anyway. That outing I got my largest trout ever. The repaired rod was maximally flexed, and did just fine. It was a great feeling.
My Zephrus came back from Hardy within a week, and on my next trip a few days later I got two more tailwater bruisers, bigger than the previous one. The Zephrus was bent totally over both times (on 5x), and of course did fine. So, confidence restored, and actually I’m glad now that it all happened this way.
Dom your tips on fighting and on knowing the strength of tippet were key to getting those fish, so thanks. End of saga! 🙂
NICE
I use anything from 3 to 7X,mainly 5X,and it really is amazing how much pressure you can put on a fish. I also retie after ever big fish,but almost every time I try and put excessive pressure on trout hook pulls free,but have definitely learned to reduce fight times,for my benefits as much as fishes!!
Each time TroutBitten shows up in my email box I know it’s a day of shared knowledge. This article is timely and valuable.
I’d like to add one more thing regarding fighting a fish. In 2007 I was fishing with Rick Brown on the Kern River, CA. He departed one gem of information I’ve carried with me through out my fly fishing adventure.” Always walk your fish. Move it side to side as you play it home. If you control the fish’s head… you control the fish… just like a horse,” and he’d laugh.
Nice
Dom, I think you mentioned this tip in a previous article and I have found it very effective. When a big trout makes a strong downstream run (usually right after you hook it) and you can’t follow, relax the pressure so it is very light. 3 out of 4 times, that fish calms down and swims back upstream to rest where you hooked it. After it has rested a few seconds you can start to apply the heavy side pressure in your article above.
Generally I have found that trout will not attempt a second hard run downstream and just keep bulldogging back to its original lie. This trick seems to work better on big browns, which seem more wedded to their prime lies, than on big rainbows.
Right on.
https://troutbitten.com/2019/03/31/fighting-big-fish-work-with-a-trout-and-not-against-it/
No question that understanding how rod angles affect the amount of force exerted at the hook is critical for fast and efficient fish fighting. This knowledge should also be used to maximize the force of the hookset. The classic lift up to vertical provides the least amount force whereas the strip strike maximizes the force by eliminating the rod. I lose far more fish due to pull-outs than breakoffs and the fix lies in proper hook setting angles and direction as well. A secondary hook set at the better angle is one way to make up for a poor initial set.
Hi Rick,
I know I’ll be the contrarian again here. But I don’t buy the strip set arguments. And I’ve written about it here:
https://troutbitten.com/2019/01/20/streamer-presentations-why-always-strip-set-is-a-fallacy/
I also do not believe that I can get a more powerful hook set by stripping. Not always. And not usually, ESPECIALLY when we are trying to dead drift things, because there is often some slack involved that we must strip out on that strip set. We can only strip about four feet maximum. And often, you run out of room (and power) by relying only on a strip set.
I think the most successful anglers combine a rod tip set, with a strip set. Either/or/both. Rod selection also matters of course. And as you point out, the direction of the set matters. And for many good reasons, I always recommend setting into the direction of the next cast.
https://troutbitten.com/2021/11/07/dont-guess-set-the-hook-and-set-hard/
Cheers.
Dom