I use a 3.5 pound 6x tippet and Ive had two fish break me off twice. The fish were in the 20 inch range, but I figure that should be strong enough. So my questions are...
What size tippet do you guys use when nymphing putah?
Do you think that i may possibly have too much tension on my line when fighting them because they are breaking when im not using the reel, the line is my hands so that is when im trying to keep tension on the line but not too much and feed if necessary and so on.
Lastly the line did not break at the knot. Ive caught some big fish (22 and 24 inchers) on my spinner set-up with 4lb line and 2lb leader. So I cant imagin Ive got moby on the line.
Break-offs are not uncommon with 6X tippet on Putah. I've had them break me off quite a few times with 5X. There are some big, strong fish in the creek. They don't take too kindly to having a hook in their mouth. They will try everything that they can think of to get free. The bigger fish know where the snags are and they know how to break you off. They know how to use the current to their advantage as well. They didn't get that big by being dumb.
Don't be discouraged by the loss of a few fish. You'll probably lose many more. Don't worry, it's not just you.
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"Nothing makes a fish bigger than almost being caught."
You might want to try heavier tippet. Until the flows get to about 150cfs I use 4X. As the flows go lower I switch to 5X. The water on Putah is not all that clear and with flourocarbon line they cannot see these heavier tippets. You will still lose some fish even with these stronger lines. Had one 20+ inch fish yesterday that ran me all over one stretch of the river and then wrapped the line around a rock on the far side and broke the 4X tippet.
Thanks, Ill try a 4-5x. I just didnt want to waste my time using something that might spook them. But it sounds like that is the way to go when the flows are up.
I had the opportunity to hook into some nice fish this season and was suffering from having them break off, sometimes after a few seconds, sometimes after 10 minutes or more. Each time I made a mental note of what went wrong and I came up with some things that finally paid off with a nice one coming to the net. You can make a lot of mistakes with smaller fish, but the margin for error is very slim with a good sized fish. Bottom line, always expect the run, always. Even if they've run 4 or 5 times or more already and you think that they're tired and ready to come in be prepared for an instantaneous powerful sprint for freedom. This means that your line management has to be PERFECT, you need to have control of the line but it can't be anywhere that it can tangle around a foot, a rock, a branch, loop around the spool, your pinky, ANYTHING. Your drag must also be set such that it will allow line to come freely off the spool. The best you can do with a big fish is coax or steer them in one direction or the other when they run, their power and acceleration can quickly overcome your lines ability to stop them. You've got a certain amount of shock absorber in the rod and tippet so rod position is critical as well, but the big guys can blow through that shock absorbing capacity in an instant and you have to be prepared to let out the line fast and smooth at ANY instant, keeping just enough resistance to make them work and to keep the hook tight. Once you get above 18" or so and start looking at 20" and bigger it gets a lot tougher to keep them on in the creeks, I believe that's because at that point they can overpower you and the rod in a way that smaller fish can't, so you have to rely much more on your tactics and execution and not be too eager to get them to the net. It's a bit agonizing though, you don't want to overplay them but you don't want to lose them, so if you're fishing for the big guys the bigger tippets are a good idea.
Can't do much when the wrap you around a log though, just gotta do your best.
Some more thoughts: I virtually always use 5X tippet. 6X seems to light for the size of the fish available and the current. When I am fighting a good fish, if he allows me to take line, I take it! By doing this I am able to fight the fish on the shortest line possible. For me, the longer the distance between me and the fish, the more chance I feel that he will find weeds, rocks or sticks to get tangled on. Finally, you have to trust your leader and tippet. I remember fighting a 20 inch rainbow at Putah that was foul-hooked. Foul-hooked fish seem to fight longer and harder than mouth-hooked fish. I kept feeling the fish "pulse" so I knew he wasn't hung up. But he wouldn't budge for what seemed an eternity. Finally, he tired out and I was able to land him. The whole time I was fighting him, I kept thinking that he might pop my tippet. What I learned was that a 5X tippet can take a lot more stress than I previously thought.
