Today we present you with a simple tip when fighting hard fighting fish like bonefish that we were reminded of recently while listening to Deneki guest, Chuck Keller’s, recount of his largest landed bonefish to date. According to Chuck, during the first blistering run by his trophy fish, Andros South guide, Josie Sands, muttered the words…
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fighting fish
Fish Running At You? Focus on the Fundamentals
Lets face it, when you’re hooked into a big fish, no matter what species, all types of craziness can occur. And let us tell you, some of the things we’ve seen fish do in order to evade being landed never ceases to amaze us. Things can happen fast while fighting fish. Really fast. But, while…
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Clearing Line – Watch Your Line, Not the Fish
Anyone who has cast a fly to bonefish, permit, tarpon, or any other flats species is well aware of the endless things a fly line can tangle on during the fragile period of time between setting the hook and getting your fish on the reel. Many fish are lost during the rapid exchange of fly…
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Fighting Fish – Take a Bow
Ever wondered why so many fish come unbuttoned during a jump? Is it coincidence? Hardly. Fish are able to contort their body faster and more violently when airborne than they can in the water. After all, there’s far less resistance in air than in water. When under tension, this can cause an unexpected yank on…
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Keep Your Rod Tip High on Shallow Flats
We talk all the time about getting ‘down and dirty‘ when fighting big fish – fighting with the rod tip low and to the side. Doing so allows the rod to bend deep into the butt section, where the most power is, enabling you to put the heat on big hard-fighting fish. The down and…
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Fighting Fish – Make ‘Em Earn the Reel
‘Tis the season for fighting fish! August in Alaska brings fast paced action for big feisty fish, and that means there’s no shortage of practice for fighting (and hopefully landing) fish. During this part of our season we see hundreds (yes, hundreds) of fish fought each week, and with that we’re able to get a good idea…
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Tangled Up in the Mangroves? Don’t Give Up!
We were recently sent the photo above from our good friend, Pat Virnich, after his most recent visit with us at Andros South. To accompany the photo, he also shared with us a brief story about this very fish, along with what he learned in the process. We thought it was a good lesson, so today we…
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Fighting Fish – Avoid Angle Changes
Across the board, one of the most misunderstood aspects of fly fishing that we see at our lodges is how to effectively fight big fish. Rightfully so, there are all kinds of variables that can come into play when you’re hooked up to Hog Johnson – Far more than we could ever fit into a…
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Fighting King Salmon – From Start to Finish
Last week, Deneki regular, Stuart Foxall, presented us with a great post on proper fly presentation when swinging for king salmon. In case you missed the post, make sure to check it out, here! Stu’s back today with a great follow up on what to do when all goes to plan – you know, when…
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Help Out Your Net Man
As they say – Behind every great angler is a great net man.. Okay, maybe no one says that, but they should! Landing big fish takes team work. Any body who has attempted to put the mesh on a hot fish in heavy current knows that there’s just as much skill required of the net…
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