Quote:
Originally Posted by goldscud
It's really about tippet strength and the skill of the angler. Someone who knows what they are doing can put a ton of pressure on a big fish with a 3wt. Conversely, I have seen guys fight 18" rainbows in the Bow for more than 10 minutes (rarely should be over 2 minutes). If you don't know how to aggressively land a big fish in a relatively short amount of time, maybe a bigger rod is something you should consider...and then learn how put some pressure on the fish
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We're all entitled to our opinions, but I don't agree with that statement. (and I owned one of the few, fast action 9' 3wt. rods I know of) Angler skill IS a huge component and agreed, some guys are inclined to over-play fish no matter what weight rod/leader/tippet is involved. All that said, like most of us, I've hooked fish too big for the set-up I was using and well...you just do the best/quick job of getting it in you can.
After my last post, I thought I should have added that I think there are other factors like rod length/action that play a big role. Obvious, yes, but REALLY exaggerated when using something like a float rod. (float/centerpin fishing) Progressive actions, long rods, 4X tippets, and (in my case) hefty Great Lakes steelhead and salmon. Landing a 10lb+++ fish on a 4X flouro tippet is entirely possible with modest skills BECAUSE of the rod length/action. Most bend through their whole length acting like an 11'+ shock absorber. At times, I've chosen long fly rods with slower actions to deliberately replicate this effect if I know big fish and short casts are in the cards. If you're more used to fast-action rods like I am, you have to train yourself to set with some authority, keep that bend deep into the grip, etc.