Question (shooting line) / The, "GITZET FISH"

Walter & Group.........

QUESTION:  YOUR STUDENT IS CASTING WITH A 7 WT. MEDIUM FAST ACTION 9' FLY ROD AND A WF7F LONG (48') BELLY LINE.  HIS LEADER IS 8' LONG.  HE'S USING A 1" YARN FLY.  THE WEATHER IS GOOD WITH NO WIND AT ALL AND THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE IS 72 DEGREES.

HE IS AN ADVANCED CASTER.

HE CAN CARRY A MAXIMUM OF 60' OF LINE WHILE FALSE CASTING.

HOW MUCH LINE IS HE LIKELY TO BE ABLE TO SHOOT ? 

Gordy

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Al Crise sent me some answers to a quiz he gave his group on what tackle might be selected for these various fish.  It reminded me of the questions on the, "GITZET FISH" That Tom White would sometimes ask on an MCCI exam.

Gordy

Largemouth Bass on a Texas Lake:  Expect tough battles with fish up to about 12lbs. Long casting not usually necessary so a shorter SH Rod 8ft with a powerful butt might be suitable. An 8 Wt WF Floating or Sinking line with 7.5 - 9ft steeply tapered leader to turn over poppers, divers or frog imitations might also be suitable. If there is no surface action, use a sink tip line to strip woolly buggers or crayfish imitations close to the bottom.

 

Smallmouth Bass on an Arkansas River:  Expect fish up to about 5lbs, small water and tight lies. A 7.5 - 8ft Rod with a 5 weight Double Taper or long bellied WF Floater for roll casting might suit. Use a 7.5 - 9ft steeply tapered leader to turn over poppers or frog imitations. If there is no surface action, use a sink tip line to strip woolly buggers or crayfish imitations close to the bottom.

 

Trout on a Colorado Mountain Creek:  Expect to fish for Rainbows, Cutthroats or Brook Trout to about 15 inches, with surface flies. A 7ft rod with a 3-4wt DT line for delicate presentation and good roll casting might be appropriate. An 8-10ft leader with long tippet in 4X, down to 6X for smaller flies, could be used.

 

Redfish on the Texas Coast: These fish are often around 5-6lbs but can be much bigger and run hard. Wind is always an issue on the salt flats and long casts may be necessary. A 9ft SH rod with an 8-9 wt WF Floating line suitable for warm water and with a steep front taper might be used. A simple leader of 5-6 ft of 30lb mono with a tippet section of about 3ft of 10lb mono will help to turn over big crab and shrimp flies or poppers, in the wind.

 

Trout in New Zealand:  Browns and Rainbows can be well into double figures and are easily spooked. Rivers can be big and fast flowing. Wind is usually a factor. Typical outfit is a 9ft SH Rod, a 6wt WF dull coloured floating line with 9-18ft tapered leader and 3X tippet for surface action. For rolling heavy nymphs along the bottom of rivers, a shallow tapered leader of about 1.5 times the estimated depth is used. For streamers, a level leader of around 8lbs mono, about 1.5 yards long, on a sinking line can be used. For lakes, or the bigger rivers, a 10ft rod will allow longer casts and better mending, where necessary

 

Tarpon in the Florida Keys:  These fish can be over 100lbs so heavy gear is required.  A SH 9-10ft rod with a 12-15wt, floating, intermediate or sinking line suitable for warm water, might suit. A leader about 6ft or longer of 12lb+ mono, with about a foot of 40lb shock tippet, might be used.

 

Brown Trout on the Snake River:  Can be into double figures. Expect good hatches on this big water and the use of surface flies in sizes 12 to 16. A SH 9ft Rod with 6wt WF Floating line and 9-18ft tapered leader, with 3X tippet, might be appropriate.

Allen R. Crise

My reply to Al :

 

ol Al....

 

I noted the message re large tarpon on the list. 

 

 

Around here, in the Keys, things have changed a great deal during the last few years :-

 

Most of use ;

 

Rod  =  8 1/2'  to  9'   # 10 wt  to  # 11 wt. Saltwater models with beefed up butt sections and fast tips.

 

Reel =   Large arbor quality high capacity.... salt resistant ..... very good centerline disc drag.

 

Leaders =  Approximately 9 - 10'.   Up to 12' on very clear days with spooky fish.

 

Class tippet =  Most of us have now gone to 20 lb. nylon mono or fluorocarbon.  This is an important change, because it allows us to land the fish without unduly fatiguing the creature.   When we used finer tippets, a much higher percentage of the fish were either hard to successfully release or were released only to be attacked by bull sharks a few minutes afterward.  The whole idea is to fight the fish hard and efficiently using many techniques such as the, "down and dirty" .... to break the tarpons spirit .... but not, " break the tarpon" !

 

Shock ("bite") tippet:  40 lb. to 80 lb. hard nylon mono. or fluorocarbon  (My average is 60 lb.)

 

Fly lines =  Wt. forward floating or intermediate salt water lines.  (Many labeled, "tarpon line")  Wt. the same as the rod rating or one designation heavier depending upon the fishing situation and the need for repeated short, "quick casts".

 

Backing =  Gel spun (Spectra, etc.)  50#  to  80#

 

Fly  =  1/0  to 3/0 .  Lengths vary a great deal.  Many accomplished tarpon anglers use flies only 2 1/2" long for spooky fish.  In some areas,  high riding, "tarpon toads" are used or simple "Estaz" head flies.  Shrimp patterns and rabbit strips often used.   During winter runs, we may try to, "match the hatch" by going to fish-like patterns such as the ALF.  These represent the sardines which are eaten by these fish at that time of year.  (Most of us rarely use the older splayed wing classic, "tarpon flies" any longer .... though in some circumstances they still work.)  We rarely use the large 4/0 to 6/0 hooks any longer.

 

All MCCI candidates should know the drill on Tom White's,  "Gitzet" fish !   Once learned, a Master can advise a student as to (generally speaking) what tackle to take to a way out destination for a fish that neither instructor or student has ever seen.  The information required includes the size and fighting prowess of the fish, what it eats, at what depth it feeds, whether or hot it has teeth, the likely weather conditions, the nature of the waters which it inhabits, etc., etc., etc.  On his exams, Tom would test the candidate on what questions he'd ask a student about the imaginary fish and then have him come up with the correct choices for tackle.  The candidate would ask Tom questions and Tom would answer based on a fish he had in mind.

 

Gordy