Indicator Woes

jcombs · Member

Indicator Woes

JT · Senior Member

I don't really get around this problem.� I usually use yarn indicators which don't slide either, at least most of the time.��Sometimes my leader (from indicator to last fly) is longer than my rod.� It makes it super tough to�net the fish.��In these situations I just hope someone else is around when I hook into a beast. �When I am alone (most of the time), I tire the fish out like normal.� When I start to pull the fish in close, I reach as far as I can with each arm (in opposite directions),�one hand reaching with the net and the other pretty much pushing the rod away.� I'm glad I haven't broken a rod doing this (yet).� I'm sure it looks ridiculous.� It feels ridiculous until you have a fat trout in your net.�

-- Edited by JT at 22:39, 2007-10-04

JL · Senior Member

JT: congrats on making GURU. I think youi're the first one.

I also just lift my rod as high as I can with my left hand, and push my net down with my right.

Can be a pain, but once you get the fish sliding across the surface you can kind of slide/surf them into your net.

Having a big enough net for putah hogs is important.

Just ask otter.

JL

mx19 · Senior Member

I look like rest of you clowns when netting a fish.Sometimes it takes me multiple swoops to scoop one up..I can only say this .Get a guide net.They are A LOT longer.I dont use it all the time.When Iam fishing with and close to my friends we all share it.Or when Iam going to be standing in one place for a longtime I bring it.JL knows what I mean.He and I both put 20+ fish in the net fishing from the same rock..Its easy to carry around a nornal size net and a bit of a pain to hike around with a guide net.Not moving around much they are the best.I put 6 fish over 20" in that net one of the last times out.The net was part of the reason I landed 6 and not 2...hopefully you use a 9'6" rod and you are 6' tall , cause that always helps....In the mean time welcome to the circus....

mx19

windknots · Senior Member

Happy to hear I'm not the only one who feels awkward trying to get a fish in. I also look for shallow water where I can guide the fish into and coral it and remove the hook. After reading up on how something as simple as netting a fish decreases it's likelihood of recovery I try to avoid it if possible. I've also decided that a fish is "bagged" if it's easily nettable but flops off before I officially remove the hook. I'm happy to see them swim away without the additional stress of being netted or handled. A lot of the research out there also makes it pretty clear that it's common for an individual fish to get caught many times. Many years ago I caught a lake trout in Minnesota that had a partially digested hook in it's gut, 12 inches of monofilament hanging out of its anus, and the healed teeth marks in its sides from what must have been an attack by a monster northern pike.

mx19 · Senior Member

Now that JT is a Guru do we have to pay him for his advice?He has a money symbol next to his name.If so Iam going to need a line of credit....

mx19

Matt R · Senior Member

jcombs sounds like you need one long arm.
mx, JT's still in school he needs money. But im sure he'll work for cheap.

bono · Master Fly Fishing Guide

Yeah JT pretty much runs my own website,just about every question anybody has is answered within what seems like minutes and is answered correctly so by the time I finally get a chance to check the incoming messages my work is already�done!No sense in being redundant......Bono

jcombs · Member

Thanks for the input. I will be hitting the creek late this afternoon. I will report when I get back.

Nohackle · Senior Member

One thing that I try to do is to get below the fish when I am trying to net it. By doing this, the current is pushing the fish toward the net when I am lifting it up to be netted. If the fish were downstream, the current would be pushing the fish away from the net. Also, as mentioned previously, if you can get the fish in shallow water, this can help a lot. Big fish try to dive when they get close to you. If you are in three feet of water, they can dive three feet down. If you are only in a foot of water, they can only dive one foot down. Thus, it's easier to bring them to the surface to net.