When Hunting for Big Fish, “Restart” Your Fly Line

When Hunting for Big Fish, “Restart” Your Fly Line

When hunting for big fish, I have the propensity to only cast half the fly line I just stripped off the reel, then strip it back (into the casting basket) on top of the line that’s already there. I’ll do this a multiple times: cast, strip off more line, cast again, etc….  

While this is tolerable for trout fishing, it’s a different story when hooking 100-pound, saltwater fish.

The problem is that you’re creating different layers of fly line every time you re-cast, and when you do hook up, and that fish tears off a pile of line, there’s a good chance it will tangle and–pop–the fish is gone.

This is especially true for textured lines, which cast amazingly well, but also have a propensity to “grab” themselves, given the chance.

Solving this casting challenge is easy.

One, don’t cast unless you’re absolutely sure you can reach the fish you’re hunting. This seems simple and obvious.

Two, every time you do throw at a fish, either reel the line all the way back up (then start over by stripping fresh line again), or be absolutely sure your fly line isn't tangled in the stripping basket.

In a sense, you're constantly “restarting” your line in the stripping basket by keeping it clean and tangle-free when a big fish eventually takes its first run.

If you hope to become a competent saltwater angler, developing proper fly line management is a core skillset.