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In New Zealand, we tend to have fewer but larger trout than are usually encountered in the US or UK. Consequently, I often find clients fishing NZ for the first time are not always experienced in dealing with these strong wild fish. (I consider anything over 22 inches or above 4 pounds in weight as getting into the realm of “large,” and it’s fairly common for us to see fish in the 5 to 8 pound range.) What happens immediately after hooking a trout is critical to whether the fish is to be subsequently played and landed successfully.
Two common mistakes anglers make after hook up are holding a fish too hard or a preoccupation with getting the fish on the reel. Holding any fish too hard will generally result in a break off. The heart-break and self–recrimination that typically go with breaking off a big fish (quite possibly the biggest trout of your career) are generally enough to bring about quick adjustments in the field. However, the tendency to focus on getting loose line onto the reel after a strike seems to be more deeply ingrained.
Getting the line on the reel at some stage generally makes sense, but it should not be your primary concern after hook up. If you have latched onto something sizeable, chances are it will get itself onto the reel soon enough. However, it’s very common for anglers to put their heads down after a strike and try to wind in line in an orderly fashion – checking for loops, tangles, etc. As soon as you do this, you have taken your focus away from the fish, which can often be a costly mistake.
Each trout hooked reacts in a unique way. Some run towards the angler, some jump, others dart for the nearest cover or rip line in searing runs. Whatever the case may be, you cannot respond quickly to the situation at hand if your focus is on the reel. Keep your head up and watch what the fish is doing. In doing so, you will be able to assess much more quickly whether you need to strip line, side strain, feed line…..and so on. Most fish are lost in the first few seconds of the strike. If you remain aware of what the fish is doing during the initial part of the fight, your chances of landing it will be greatly enhanced.
A New Zealand native, Grant Petherick has been fly fishing for 35 years and guiding for the past 15.
Grant has his own guiding business based in Hawkes Bay on the North Island of New Zealand. He is also a senior guide at Poronui Ranch, a premier fly fishing lodge in the Taupo region of the North Island. Additionally, Grant spent three seasons guiding in Alaska.
Grant recently appeared in a series of instructional fly fishing videos and is a contributing author featured in New Zealand’s publication, “Masters on Flyfishing.” He is currently on the Executive of the NZ Professional Fishing Guides Association.