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Landing fish solo on the beach

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Ebbtide231

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For those of you who fly fish the beaches alone, how do you land your fish without high sticking and or breaking your rod?

Best I can figure is the old point the rod at the fish and retreat up to the sand, while trying to time the waves for some help.

I guess it is obvious that most of my fly rodding is for bluegill on the pond and most of them I can lift ;)

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That's the best way IMO, granting your tippet can take the extra load of the pull as well as if the fish might get caught back in the undertow before landing. It's been a bit more of a struggle when I've waded far from the beach but to be honest with you, I've only caught schoolie bass doing so. Here I bring the rod parallel with the water to my side letting the leader come across my body. Then grab it and work the fish in towards me. 

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Sideways pressure on the fish is key. Time the waves (however large) to use them to your advantage to ease the fish onto the sand as the wave recedes. If on your first attempt it's clearly not going well, abort, and try the next wave. I have never pointed my rod tip at a fish, but without question do not high stick. Use the butt of the rod to move the fish onto the sand, when the wave recedes collect your catch and remove the hook. 

There are nearly an infinite number of things which could go wrong at any given moment which could alter even the best laid plans, but hey, that's all part of the fun! :) 


Good luck!

Alan

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Tom rosenbaur demonstrates a method where it's still kind of high sticking but only for a second. Basically you get the line close enough you can grab it, create some slack from the reel by holding the line against the cork between your hand and fingers, once you get the line outside of tip in your hand release that slack and the tension is off your rod.

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4 hours ago, lisurfer49 said:

Tom rosenbaur demonstrates a method where it's still kind of high sticking but only for a second. Basically you get the line close enough you can grab it, create some slack from the reel by holding the line against the cork between your hand and fingers, once you get the line outside of tip in your hand release that slack and the tension is off your rod.

This.  I don't ever beach.

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Drag them close then grab them, depending on the surf or just grab the line and hand line.

Who is more humble? The scientist who looks at the universe with an open mind and accepts whatever the universe has to teach us, or somebody who says everything in this book must be considered the literal truth and never mind the fallibility of all the human beings involved?

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6 hours ago, capefish4231 said:

Same, for smaller fish I will hold the rod on the second section so I can get my hand closer to the leader or will hold the rod down low at my side and let the current swing the fish in. 

I cringe every time I see people do this,good way to break a rod.A length equal to or slightly longer than your rod length and you'll e able to slide the fish right to ya.If you gotta choke up on the rod you retrieved too much line and don't have enough line out to land the fish by bringing it to you.The handle is called that cuz that's where you're s'posed to put your hand.

Been fly fishing for more'n 50 yrs and never saw a reason to choke up on a blank for landing or fighting a fish...or for any reason.

 

Ever watch stripers feed in a rough surf? they will get washed up on the beach at times as well as getting thrashed in the wash when they feed,so dragging them up on wet sand is of little consequence...better'n sticking a finger in a gill flap or lifting them up,or,worst of all,a boga.

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I always will bring the fish in with the rod to one side or the other while the rod is parallel to the water. Smaller it is easy to do this, I bring the leader to the tip of the rod and slide the fish across  in front of me and just grab the leader. Bid fish if I will slide the fish up on the beach because I honestly feel it shortens the fight. I have seem so many people get a fish in close and try to land it in the water and it is a much longer struggle for the fish because they don't know what to do.

 

Once I get a fish in close to the beach with rod to the side I reel the line close to the tip and I keep the fish moving forward and they will then push themselves up onto the edge of the beach, fish can't swim backwaters so all you need to do is use their momentum against them.

The Tug Is The Drug

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On September 10, 2017 at 10:10 AM, Bucko said:

I grab the leader and wrap it around my wrist...controls the fish and allows the tension to be released from the rod. The wrap goes over my wading jacket and limits any potential line cuts.  

Thanks Bucko... I do the same with my conventional gear...

It's getting the leader to the point where you can grab it, that's where I was worried about high sticking or over bending the rod.

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On 9/8/2017 at 6:31 PM, bonefishdick said:

I always will bring the fish in with the rod to one side or the other while the rod is parallel to the water. .

Once I get a fish in close to the beach with rod to the side I reel the line close to the tip and I keep the fish moving forward and they will then push themselves up onto the edge of the beach, fish can't swim backwaters so all you need to do is use their momentum against them.

this works.
Also tailing them like a salmon works.
These days I mostly just walk quietly and carry a big net.. it has worked on fish up to 36", if I ever catch a fish too big for the net I'll be very happy..

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