Playing the fish: with hands .v. on the reel
This is yet another topic up for discussion in the fly fishing world. Considering the vast number of flyfishers in Britain, it is not really surprising that there are differing opinions on certain matters! It is clear that there is a split between those who prefer to play a hooked fish with their hands and those who prefer to play it off the reel.
Firstly, let me explain the 2 basic procedures for both the methods. The first method, playing the fish by hand involves, first hooking the fish and then retrieving the line by hand without putting any of the line onto the reel. The second involves getting all the slack line onto the reel immediately after hooking the fish and applying constant pressure through winding the reel.
By playing the fish by hand, you have far greater control over the fish. You are able to feel if the fish is going to run and adjust accordingly. If you need to give the fish some line it is much easier to do this by releasing the line a little than trying to get line from a reel. When fish run they exert a force which can easily snap the leader if a force is being applied in the opposite direction. If the line gets jammed in the reel (which does happen more often than you think) the result will be a snapped line. This can obviously be overcome by having line on the floor to let run.
The obvious disadvantage of having all the line on the floor is that it is easy either to stand on which produces the same effect as a jammed reel or that it can get tangled. A tangled line will not pass along the length of the fly rod and so will also result in the same as a jammed reel!
Playing the fish from the reel has become more popular with boat anglers where it is very easy to get snagged on something on the bottom of the boat due to the limited space available.
Fly fishermen who used to coarse fish tend to play the fish from the reel more than those who have only ever fly fished. Due to the equipment, especially the line, used for coarse fishing, fish are always played from the reel. This is not compulsory in fly fishing and so some chose to play it with their hands.
There is obviously no right or wrong way to play the fish, it is down to what feels most comfortable for the individual. It is best to try both methods before forming an opinion to see what works best for you.